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Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice: How Companies Use the Fall Season to Get Ahead
Seasonal marketing—whether in quick-service restaurants, retail or even your local grocery store—is a powerful strategy that celebrates the season and showcases entrepreneurial creativity.
Baking Up Success: How Two DECA Chapters Use Cookies to Power Their SBEs
Two DECA chapters - Frankfort DECA and Broad Run DECA - are finding creative ways to use Otis Spunkmeyer cookies as more than just a sweet snack but also thriving school-based enterprises.
Get Ready for Round One of the DECA Virtual Business Challenge
You won't want to miss the annual DECA Virtual Business Challenge! DECA VBC is an official competitive event free to high school members. Participate and you could earn a trip to ICDC and a share of over $20,000 in scholarship money.
History Has Its Eyes on You: How to Make Your College Essay Stand Out
While Hamilton wrote 51 essays to defend the Constitution, we only have to write one for college. One simple yet weighted essay can redirect our lives. So here are three factors to consider as you brainstorm your college essay topic.
Shop 'Till You Drop: Ways to Celebrate SBE Week At Your School
2025 DECA SBE Week is here, and we couldn't be more excited! Here are some ways to celebrate with your school-based enterprise.
Case Study of the Week: Reduce, Reuse or Recycle - Hotel Renovations
Step into the role of the general manager of Lilac Inn, an independent hotel property in a city of 30,000 people. The owner wants you to identify waste redirection opportunities that could lead to a better brand image.
The Nitro Bar: A Coffee Cart turned Famous $4.5M Brand
In honor of National Coffee Day, here’s a Rhode Island success story that shows how smart marketing can transform a business from a coffee cart to a viral sensation.
Top 10 Test Taking Tips for the Digital SAT
If you’re planning to take the digital SAT, the good news is there are no secrets—the SAT isn’t out to trick you. Here are the top 10 test-taking tips from College Board, the makers of the SAT
Advisor Best Practice Spotlight of the Week: Eric Wagner
DECA Advisor Eric Wagner is giving his students more than classroom lessons—he’s providing real-world financial and leadership experiences through the chapter’s student-run credit union.
Mixing It Up: The Secret Recipe to SBE Success
It's important to curate the perfect recipe for your school’s SBE and come up with ingredients to make it the best experience for your students. Here are three ingredients for making your SBE successful!
Unlocking Recruitment Success: Insights from 4 Chapter Leaders
Attracting new and recurring members is a process that requires planning, collaboration and perseverance. Here are 4 chapter leaders’ insights on how to succeed at DECA recruitment.
DECA Duck Takes Flight at Smithville High School
Smithville High School’s DECA chapter has a new mascot, DECA Duck. What started as just a blue rubber ducky idea has become a school spirit sensation at DECA events and recruiting activities.
10 Tips for Back to School
As the new school year begins, we must all learn to adapt to a new world. We'll encounter many online classes, virtual events and new guidelines for campus... To help you navigate it all, here is a list of ten tips for starting this school year strong.
Quick Guide to Virtual Chapter Meetings
Virtual meeting platforms have become a prominent form of communication between family, friends and businesses and many of these tools are here to stay. Being prepared to host or participate in a virtual meeting will allow you to stand out and make a great impression.
3 Fundraising Ideas for Fall
It seems that in every facet of DECA, fundraising is a necessity. During these unique times, it's important to innovate to ensure your chapter can participate in events and remain secure for the future. Here are three virtual fundraisers to try this fall.
5 Ways Collegiate DECA Will Take You to the Next Level
It's official, the school year is underway. While things will look different, there are still many ways to take yourself and your Collegiate DECA chapter to the next level!
Video Call Tips and Tricks
Practically overnight, video calls have become a new societal norm. This guide will provide you with a few tips and useful tricks to help improve your online learning or telecommuting experience.
A Quick Guide to Understanding Servant Leadership
The concept of leadership has been around since the days of Aristotle and Plato and has evolved countless times throughout the centuries. But in 1970, a new theory emerged. Developed by Robert Greenleaf, servant leadership is the idea that empowered leaders serve their followers and to enable them to live and work to their full potential.
The Ethics of Leadership
Ethical leaders exist in all walks of life. They are the individuals who step forward when crises occur, come to the rescue of others and generally do what's right—no matter what. Anyone can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk? In today's high-visibility, social world, more people are taking note of leaders’ behavior and holding them accountable.
DECA Direct Magazine: Next Level Leadership
A new school year brings new chances to elevate your leadership to the next level. Discover fresh ideas to enhance your chapter and become a leader worth following in your school, community and beyond.
The Next Level is Inclusion
It has never been more important for emerging leaders to be characterized by teamwork, innovation, competency and integrity. Fortunately, those are the valued characteristics of DECA’s student leaders. What if this moment needs you and the unique values that drive your leadership?
Top Tips for Socially-distant Membership Recruitment
Building your chapter’s membership is one of the most important ways to set it up for success in the new school year. But what are the best ways to recruit within the “new normal” of more virtual interactions and less in-person activities? Learn how to recruit new members the socially-distant way with these top tips.
The Power of the Diamond
Throughout your DECA career, you’ll wear the blazer, throw up a DECA diamond symbol and add lots of blue to your wardrobe. You will also undoubtedly hear DECA’s core values and mission statement more times than you can count. But have you ever stopped to think about what they really mean?
Cultivate Your Chapter’s Culture
2020 is a year that has changed all of our lives. If your DECA chapter has experienced a decline in recent months, struggling to cope with virtual meetings and maintain engagement, your chapter culture may need a boost.
