5 Reasons for looking at The Student Organization Business Model

I had a single question a few months ago that allowed me to see the student organizations I was and am in in a very different way.  "How can I apply business ideas and models to student organizations?"

After exploring this question, I have come up with a few interesting points to how this model will and can allow a student organization to succeed beyond its current state:

1. The Idea of a Student Organization Being a Business Brings About Professionalism.  Calling a student government a "Student Corporation" may change the way that we apply ourselves to working and representing the success and failures of the organization.  
2. Allows for the Application of Business Ideas.  By reading business novels, guerilla marketing tactics (I would suggest Guerilla Marketing in 30 days), finance and accounting methods, and leadership and management tactics, you can better your student organization beyond its current state.
3. Increased Accountability and Commitment. May this quick article be very theoretical, and very researchable, building a student organization on business principles may increase accountability and commitment among members.  While splitting you organization into committees, or in business terms "companies" or even "subsidiaries", you are aligning task oriented and team structures often found in management teachings.  With this understanding, you can focus your mission and strategy on how to make sure each company is measured and given goals for what they should accomplish.  A quantitative outlook for tasks and measurements allow for the group to track progress and be more accountable. 
4. We Become Employees.  CEOs, General Managers, Functional Managers, all the way down to specialized and skilled based employees.  By giving everyone a "role" in the company, they feel like they all have a specific task and duty in the organization.  They must be appreciated for their specific skills and duties.  Even if you call the members of a committee "Homecoming Parade Associates", it is far better then "Grunt".
5. Be Serious When You Need to Be, but Have Fun. Employees in companies need to feel included, must enjoy their work, and be committed to the goals of the corporation.  Remember, a company that does not treat their employees well have a high turn over rate.  Well a student organization doesn't have  a super strong connection like a real company because people aren't paid, but yet you can offer many other items in student organizations that would make the time worth while.  But in reality, someone will leave the organization if they are not valued, not treated well, and are not having fun most of the time. From this understanding, an organization will have to get down to business sooner or later, and therefore must have the structure in place to make it as smooth, training oriented, yet enjoyable as possible.
6. Discuss Innovative and Creative Solutions. In order for a company in the real world to exist and compete, it must be able to innovate and be creative.  In a student organization or a "student corporation", must be able to observe what other corporation/orgs are doing, observe the market, and observe the needs of who they represent in order to come up with extremely creative and innovative solutions and products.  Sometimes when thinking at a business point of view, you can come up with fund raisers and events that are far beyond the thinking of any high school student organization.
7. Think About Revenues, Expenses, and Profits. Why not?  Utilize some of these words and the very basics of sales in order to streamline your fund raisers and increase "the bottom line" of your student corporation.

Good luck guys!

Dustin