Students to debut water business

Jordan Schoem and Joseph Michaelson pitched an idea to Poland Springs and Dasani with the hope of earning a couple dollars. They hope water will be the source of their success.

The pair's new business, H2GoCuse, allows Syracuse University students to place large orders of inexpensive water packaged in bottles or coolers, and have it delivered to their home or dorms for free.

The company will begin accepting orders in two weeks, said Schoem, a junior sports management major, and Michealson, a junior finance accounting major.

"We don't sell soda or Snapple, but we do sell water at a better price," Schoem said. "Our business is specific to what the student wants."

Schoem and Michaelson are still negotiating the prices of their products, the product line and the branding with their distributor, Crystal Rock Water Co. The water company will supply employees to deliver the orders, Schoem said.

Before Crystal Rock signed on, the two students had pitched their idea to the two bigger companies, Poland Springs and Dasani. They realized that if they went into business with either one of the well-known water brands, prices would be high and they wouldn't be able to offer free delivery to students, Schoem said.

Schoem said before the idea even crossed his mind to start a drink-delivery business, he had gotten his water delivered from Crystal Rock.

H2GoCuse.com is the second beverage business started by students this year at SU, following CuseDrinks.com, an online service that gives students the option to mix-and-match drink preferences such as sodas, energy drinks and water.

H2GoCuse will differ from the other drink company by specializing in delivering water coolers that can be changed monthly.

"This is especially good for frats and people in apartments. It's a good personalized way of ordering water," Schoem said.

Although the two aren't thinking in terms of numbers yet given the early stage of business, they said they hope to set up a customer base. If all goes well with H2GoCuse.com in the future, Schoem and Michealson said they want to join forces with a friend at the University of Michigan who started a similar company.

Michaelson said students need a hardened entrepreneurial spirit to make an idea like H2GoCuse become a reality.

"It's exciting when you have something you want to pursue," Michaelson said. "It's nice to do this, be able to get paid and gain a meaningful experience."