Small Business Consulting - Small Business Institute

Small Business
Students

Small Business Consulting provides valuable business consulting services to local businesses while simultaneously giving CI students the opportunity to apply what they learned in the classroom to the real world. As part of this experiential course, teams of ESBI students, under the direction of the Executive Director, work closely with business owners to assess the needs of the business and execute a consulting project.

Small Business - Consulting resumes Fall 2020

All small businesses are unique; therefore, ESBI teams will work closely with business owners to customize consulting services based on client needs. Every consulting project will include a comprehensive needs assessment, relevant research and recommendations for the entrepreneur to implement. Consulting projects may include the following areas:

Business Plan Development
Marketing
Management Practices
Operational Efficiency
Performance Assessment

Business Requirements

Client must operate a small, for-profit business in Ventura or Santa Barbara county.
Client must be willing to meet with the ESBI student teams at least five times during the semester for an average of 60-90 minutes per meeting.
Client must be willing to provide information about your business operations to the ESBI team.

If you are interested in working with a student group in your business, please fill out the “Business Interest Form”.

Students

The ESBI Special Consulting Course supports the university’s mission to provide students with experiential learning opportunities. Students will take what they have learned in the classroom and apply their knowledge to a locally owned, small business. All small businesses are unique; therefore, ESBI teams will work closely with business owners to customize consulting services based on client needs. Every consulting project will include a comprehensive needs assessment, relevant research and recommendations for the entrepreneur to implement.

The course offers the following:

Consulting Experience – student teams of three to four members, under the direction of the ESBI Executive Director, will work with a local small business to develop a consulting report for their assigned business.
Resume Building – students who take this course will gain real-world experience in business to utilize later in their career.
Networking – students will have the opportunity to work and network with emerging local businesses and community organizations that are well connected throughout Southern California.
Experiential Learning – this course will allow you to apply what you have learned in the classroom to a real-life business. In addition, this course will improve your problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.
Giving Back – participation in this course will allow you to make a valuable contribution to the local business community through your role as a consultant.

Learning Objectives

Conduct a thorough analysis of locally owned, small business
Conduct research relevant to the industry
Develop a plan of action in response to your analysis
Improve written and oral communication skills
Improve analytical/creative thinking skills

For further information, contact:

Cynthia Sherman, Ph.D., MBA