At a time when small business owners are struggling to get off the endangered species list, a lifeline in any form is a welcome reprieve. But when it's a lifeline worth tens of thousands of dollars, it can be a game-changer.
A program at Woodbury University — in which MBA students essentially act as full-fledged consultants for small business owners who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford the service — is that sort of lifeline.
These student consultants, hooked up with businesses through the college's new summer entrepreneurship program, do it all: they develop market research, business plans and advertising and marketing strategies — all of it summarized, packaged and delivered to their clients, who can then use that information to secure bank loans or make internal adjustments to improve revenue.
