Flag Officer Corps Program    MBAs Care Program  Typical Scenario  Why Help Small Businesses 

Benefits   Why Volunteer   Your Impact 

Your Mission:  Serve as an adjunct senior advisor for a specific project and then move into an executive consulting role where you assist in implementation and solve execution issues or act as a sounding board.

Discussion:  You are asked to work with the small business to accomplish a specific project that involves some type of deliverable or work product.  This is a collaborative process where you and/or your team are expected to do the heavy lifting. 

Once the work product is delivered, assist in implementation.  In addition to the project, you will seek to discover other ways to make the business more competitive since the small business owner is shackled to her/his daily routine and cannot do so.  Consider discussing key decisions and risk points.  At the end of your service, little of your expertise should be missed because you should have taught yourself out of your role—sharing frameworks, models and strategies as you go.

Mentorship Selection:  Based on your functional/industry experience and personal preference you are assigned to mentor a small business.

Time Frame:  You are asked to commit to mentoring the small business for TWO (2) years.  You may extend for a longer period of time, if you so choose.

Tenor:  During the heavy lifting phase you are asked to work four (4) hours a week—maximum, or as your schedule and the small business’ time frame permits.  There is only one upfront, heavy lifting phase and your full-time job comes first.

Time Frame and Tenor Justification:  In the regular reserves of the U.S. military, reservists serve one weekend a month.  The two eight-hour days represent a sixteen hour monthly commitment.  At MBA Corps we’ve broken it down to four flexible hours a week, at a maximum.  Two weeks a year reservists serve on active duty.  The MBA Corps Consultant’s Deliverable serves as our equivalent of two weeks of active duty.

Teamwork:  You will most likely work with another volunteer who is retired and possesses many years of industry experience, e.g. greater than 30 years. You may rely on this person for guidance.  You may, on occasion, work with other MBA Corps Members who provide specific technical assistance. 

Communications:  The channel that facilitates expeditious execution and quality results.  You can meet in person a few times and communicate primarily via phone, fax or email.  Alternatively, you can meet exclusively via phone and Internet.

Additional Details: Provided when mentorships are undertaken.