Alex Dickey, a senior accounting major, is the owner of DormVault, a local business that helps college students move and store their things throughout the year.
What is the story of your company? How did it start?
DormVault handles the spring move-out, summer storage options, and the fall move-in, built into one packaged price. I first saw the need among Samford students on moving weeks to and from college because of the thousands of parents that came on campus to help their kids move. So, I decided to find a solution to this problem that happens every year. I hope I can give parents more time with their kids instead of having to move and store their dorm items over the breaks between semesters.
Why did you want to join Samford Startup?
I am excited to join the program because of the collection of student entrepreneurs on campus. Starting a business can feel lonely at times, but it is very encouraging to be around fellow business owners as we all aspire to grow our businesses with the help of Samford’s entrepreneurship community.
How has the Samford Startup program supported your business?
Samford Startup has helped me realize where I need to better organize my business. The program has also helped by connecting fellow entrepreneurs to local Birmingham business owners.
What has been the most challenging part of launching your business? How did you overcome this?
The hardest part of launching my business has been developing the website. I was able to use a third-party website service that helped me build it, but in reality, it was difficult deciding what content was essential to have on my website and what content was not. I was able to decide what content was needed by studying other competitor websites and getting feedback from other business owners and family members.
How has the Samford Startup program helped you grow professionally?
Samford Startup has helped me grow professionally because we are always encouraged by Dr. Mazzei to always be ready to pitch our business in 90 seconds to a stranger. This has really helped me converse with anyone about my business, which leads to further conversation.
What do you envision for your business?
I hope to be the sole moving and storage company on Samford’s campus. There are some businesses that have a similar business model to mine, but not many are in private universities across the country. I plan to grow the business at Samford first and down the road expand to similar Christian universities.
How is your business redemptive in a Christlike manner?
Even though DormVault is not a ministry-specific business, I still hope to spread the Gospel through my business as we help fellow Christians during their move. We also aim to help local nonprofits by contributing free moving services..
How do you see your company having an impact on the Samford and Birmingham communities?
I envision DormVault being an integral part of Samford’s campus life for years to come. As a result of this, DormVault will be able to give Samford parents more time with their kids. In the grand scheme of things, DormVault can create jobs for high school and college students to help these students be more financially stable for their future.
Why would you encourage other student entrepreneurs to join the Samford Startup program?
I would encourage students to join because no matter how much or how little you know about starting a business, the Samford Startup program meets you where you are so that you can grow to new levels as you develop your idea.
Learn more about DormVault:
