MUPC Blog - MUPC

Zooming Into Work

Where is MUPC Now?

Despite the unforeseeable circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the MUPC team is still “Nuts about consulting!” Like many other students across the nation, our consultants are back at home and adjusting to the new online format of classes. Those at MUPC are following suit and utilizing Zoom to perform our weekly scrum meetings as well as other communication platforms to stay connected and increase our channels of communication. MUPC is continuing to work as a team to adjust to the present situation and continue to perform our tasks.

The Game Plan!

As always, the consultants of MUPC are dedicated to our clients and their respective projects. Our project leads have been reaching out to clients and touching base with them about possible project delays and updates perpetuated by the current circumstances. In addition, we have been using Zoom in conjunction with Google Drive and our workspace communication platform ‘Slack’ to update each other on changes as well as share new ideas concerning how we should move forward. These virtual tools also allow us to continue to work on expanding our knowledge while conducting business as a student-run venture. Our consultants are adamant about not letting the current situation deter from our projects and goals for the semester, so we are working our hardest to ensure we are performing to the best of our ability in the face of uncertainty.

MUPC Moving Forward

Despite the setbacks MUPC has experienced these past few weeks, our consultants remain optimistic and inspired! Advisor RJ Podeschi commented during our past Zoom meeting that MUPC is “a great venue to show there’s still life on campus and performance learning is alive and well despite us not being together.” Our consultants shared their sentiments as well, saying this is a good opportunity to show how well we can adapt to new situations by using different online technology. The skills we are practicing now could allow us to expand our venture in the future. For example, we envision using Zoom in the future for virtual client meetings or advisory board meetings, allowing for more convenience and ease of communication. Furthermore, our consultants are continuing to brainstorm about new ideas and their hopes for future semesters of MUPC. These visions include expanding to different majors on the team, such as marketing and arts tech, offering new services, and even working remotely more often.

Stay tuned to see what we have planned next and keep an eye out for our #FTSF Travel Edition! Remember, it’s the comeback we live for.

mupcadmin | March 27, 2020 | Uncategorized |

Using Google to “Grow Your Business”

“Grow with Google” Presentation

Senior Consultant Mikayla Krieger recently attened a presentation entitled “Grow with Google” put on by the Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce. Erin Bemis, a speaker for Google, gave this presentation to teach individuals how to grow their business by creating Business Profiles and by using tools like Google Analytics and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). After attending this presentation, Krieger saw specific ways in which these Google tools could directly impact a business. Her biggest takeaways were:

1. Your success in marketing is equal to how well you can think like your customers. For example, it is important for businesses with an online presence to think of keywords their customers may use to search for them so they can capitalize on those specific keywords.

2. Business Profiles and Ad extensions on Google can either help or hurt your business. With a good understanding of how to utilize these tools, they can drastically increase business. However, failing to update your business profile or using ad extensions that don’t fit your business type can lead to wasted time and money.

3. It’s important to learn how to interact with your customers online. Businesses should figure out what customer interactions should look like according to their business type. This might include replying to comments on social media, creating unique social media campaigns, or actively responding to reviews.

Using Google for MUPC

While one of our biggest priorities in MUPC is helping our clients, we are always looking for ways to improve our own business. Using the above takeaways from Consultant Krieger, MUPC has created several methods to continue to help us grow. First, we plan on brainstorming common keywords clients may use to seek out a business like ours. Second, we will begin to create and test Google Ad campaigns to help drive traffic to out website. Third, we will set up a Google Business Profile in order to establish a better online presence and gain a better understanding of our customer analytics. Finally, our consultants will discuss what it means to engage with our customers- whether that’s responding to our famous #FindTheSquirrelFriday comments or creating more regular content to post on our social media profiles.

3 Tips For Using Google Tools in Your Business

1. When uploading pictures on your website,make sure you use alt text. This helps individuals who are visually impaired and may be using screen readers still get the full experience of your website. It also helps improve your SEO rankings.

2. If you are using social media for your business, follow the 50/30/20 rule. 50% of your posts should be funny or entertaining, 30% of your posts should be related to, but not directly about, your business, and 20% of your posts should be directly about your business (selling products, promotions, new items, etc.). Your customers don’t always want you to be selling to them and will appreciate the mix of content.

3. Use free online tools like Test My Site, which checks site speed, or Search Console, which reads site performance. Make sure to take advantage of these tools if you have a website!

Check back in a few weeks for our next blog post featuring another one of our client projects!

mupcadmin | March 2, 2020 | Uncategorized |

Working With the James Millikin Homestead

About the James Millikin Homestead

The James Millikin Homestead is the historic residence of James Millikin, founder of Millikin University, and his wife Ann Millikin. The Homestead, a not for profit organization, runs several events and tours of the residence in order to preserve the home and its legacy. Because the Homestead has an extensive amount of regular donors and members, Homestead board members reached out to MUPC to help them find a donor/member management software.

The Research Presented

MUPC’s Senior Consultants Alex Pratt, Mikayla Krieger, and Ben Maynard researched three different platforms in order to find the best fit for the Homestead’s needs. As they considered the specialized needs of a not for profit organization, each member conducted extensive research on each of the platforms, creating pro and con lists as well as using demos to further their research beyond just primary information. After completing their research, the consultants presented their findings to the Homestead at the pictured meeting. Each member thoroughly explained their platform and used demos of each as well as videos to help the Homestead understand the functions and drawbacks of each platform in reference to their specialized needs. The Homestead listened intently to the detailed research of the consultants and are currently in the process of narrowing down their preferences. They also shared some delicious cookies with our consultants at the presentation!

Related Projects

Outside of this research project, MUPC also maintains and updates the Millikin Homestead Website. This includes adding functionality to the site as well as updating information. The Millikin Homestead is just one of many clients that MUPC provides consulting to. Check back to see our future blog posts and stay updated on the work we are doing for our other clients!

mupcadmin | February 18, 2020 | Uncategorized |