Business when it is not ‘As Usual’

From parties to parades, Dakota Days presents us students with the exciting challenge of managing work and play, but for some, this time of the year can be especially important.

To the many small businesses present in Vermillion, Dakota Days can be a time to bring in necessary extra revenue, reconnect with people and build the Vermillion community.

Dakota Days not only brings friends, family and alumni to Vermillion for celebrations, but brings students and more onto the downtown streets for the parade.

For businesses such as The Bean Community Coffeehouse the extra business means not only being more secure financially but it also shapes the Vermillion community that they love.

Co-owner of The Bean Martin Prendergast said “Any time there is more business it is really important” touching on how it helps raise the bottom line for businesses, and helps them pay for things such as membership dues and the cityscaping. At The Bean, this year’s Dakota days parade is extra special as it will mark the ten year anniversary of the coffee shop.

While some businesses don’t see quite as much of an increase during Dakota Days, they still rely heavily, if not almost entirely, on the college community for their business. For perspective the University currently enrolls around 10,000 students, which is nearly double the population of Vermillion itself.

“The college community is a good chunk of our customer base,” Outside of a Dog Nova Donstad said

The same ideas were expressed not only by Prendergast but also by Carol Robertson, the deputy director of museum services at the National music Museum.

“[The college students] bring life to us,” Robertson said.

These businesses explained that not only is the college community, and the extra business they bring, incredibly important to them. They also explained that this time of year is important in shaping Vermillion and its community as Dakota days brings everyone together, and back into one place.

Prendergast elaborated on how Dakota Days is important for many reasons.

“[These days] are super important, I think they’re important for the business…because we make a little bit more money that day, but it’s important for the community, it gives it a sense of community.”

Despite this, Prendergast also touched on how Dakota days can present the Vermillion community and the business in a bad light. This is because of the trash and other debris that is left behind after the parade and after the long night of partying.

“It’s kind of sad…these people that come to see it and they see it at its worst.”, Predergast said.

And he was not alone, Donstad also commented that something that stood out to them the most about D-days was the trash left behind on the streets. Thankfully, this year the South Dakota chapter of the Sierra Club is hosting a ‘Vermillion Trash Dash!’ to help with this issue.

During this time of year amidst the frenzy of Dakota Days the university can give a little bit of the Vermillion community to the family, friends, alumni and students. It’s important to see how much the small business shapes the Vermillion community, and how the college community helps them do so.