Your first day back at Ohio State is finally over. You sink, exhausted, into a chair in your apartment, wondering how in the world summer can seem so far away now. You think about all the deadlines that lie in front of youprojects, papers, examsand how you need to work on your resume for the upcoming Virtual Job Fair. If only you could have a few more weeks of summer break.

Suddenly your roommate Alex bursts into your apartment. She tosses her backpack on the couch and through her mask she says, "I finally have my life figured out!"

What is she talking about? She doesn't even wait for you to ask. "I'm starting a business," she tells you. "We're starting a business!" She goes on to explain that she was just social distancing with some other Fisher students in the courtyard outside of Mason Hall, and while they were eating lunch, an idea emerged concerning a possible way to address one of the challenges arising as a result of COVID as an opportunity. Everyone at lunch was complaining about difficulties that were having returning products during COVID. Alex had mentioned that in her online eCommerce course she took over the summer mentioned the following statistics:

-The average eCommerce return rate is 15 to 30%

-42% of retailers have stopped accepting in-store eCommerce returns during COVID

-58% of customers prefer to make returns in the store

-40% of customers have delayed an online purchase because of frustrating returns

"Why not build a company that uses an App to facilitate the collection and redistribution/reclamation/disposal of all these different types of returned orders?" Your roommate goes on to tell you, "We can position ourselves as the sustainable solution! Think of all the individual returns that are going on with each of the businesses just here in Columbus. We'll start by acquiring a wide range of returns from around Columbus and make sure they are in good condition before either redistributing it out to the community as used goods through our App or consolidating into larger returns shipments to our retail partners. That way we can prove the concept and expand from there.

Everyone at lunch (who happen to be your friends, too) have signed on to give it a try: Ethan will be the finance guy.He is sure that local logistics companies would donate some seed money to get things started. His girlfriend Juliette will handle App design. Jason will be the returns acquisition guru because he works at Target part-time in their returns area.Staceythe best student in the marketing core classwill handle promotion to local retailers. Augie, your other roommate who has been listening intently to the conversation, tells Alex that it would be possible to use some of his father's warehouse space in Grandview Heights to serve as the collection, processing and redistribution point here in Columbus."This would be so cool to work on!" he shouts."We can call your company Buckeye Returns!"

"All we need now is you," Alex says. "We need you to do logistics!"

Logistics?? You sit there wondering why in the world she would ever expect you to handle the logistics? Oh . . . you vaguely remember discussing your class schedule as you moved back in a few nights ago. You had mentioned to her the online Logistics Management class you were taking with Professor Knemeyer this session. She had asked you about the class as she wasn't going to take it until her senior year.

"So?" she asks. "Go ahead. Tell me: What are the logistics decisions we need to consider? How should we handle the logistics planning for the business?What are the logistics challenges we would face? We all think this could be huge! Who knows? Maybe we can even take the concept to other cities of sell the idea to a big logistics company like DHL!"

You had always wanted to start a business . . . why not this one? All your friends will be a part of it, you like the idea, this could be the next huge thing, and a great way to be more focused on sustainability.

Then you realize you better answer her questions before she changes her mind. . .