The Textchange App: Created by ECU Students!

The Textchange is an app that provides a marketplace for ECU students to buy, sell and trade textbooks among their peers. The business was founded in August of 2013 and launched in April of 2015. Sara Dover, the founder, recruited a marketing team of 11 ECU undergraduate students from the College of Business during the fall semester of 2014. Together, the team was able to successfully execute several marketing efforts throughout the course of the spring semester. These included hosting events at student apartment complexes, working closely with established small businesses within the community, and sponsoring Relay for Life. The Textchange also participated in the pitch competition at Spazz Fest in March of 2015, and worked closely with the American Marketing Association of ECU throughout the start up process.

The Textchange is currently undergoing some changes to promote future growth. Dover has taken on a partner, Ferdinand Rouse, an MBA student at ECU. Rouse is in the process of pursuing new directions to help students have access to more affordable textbooks in the future.

The Textchange recently participated in the Emerging Issues, BB&T, and ECU Small Business Institute for the Discovery Forum on October 1, 2015. Here The Textchange pitched their idea to a group of judges. The Textchange team, consisting of Sarah Dover and Ferdinand Rouse, placed third in this competition and will be moving forward in the competition for a chance to win $10,000 to help their idea become a reality.

The resources at ECU have been essential in the beginning successes of The Textchange. The support of the faculty along with the focus on entrepreneurship makes the environment at ECU an excellent place from small business to thrive.

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