MBAs assist Small Business Owners and Managers (SBMs) for two (2) years in the form of managerial job training, technical assistance, and access to financial experts, which result in increased access to capital and more competitive businesses. The engagement is two phases. In the first phase, the consulting engagement phase, MBAs work four (4) hours a week for three months or until a deliverable (work product) is complete. The deliverable takes approximately 50 hours to complete.

In the second phase, the mentoring phase (retainer phase), MBAs serve small businesses as an adjunct staff member continuing the managerial job training or technical assistance. In their general consulting role, MBAs assist in implementation, solve execution issues or act as a sounding board. MBAs discover other ways to make the business more competitive and discuss key decisions and risk points with the managers, empowering the SBM with the latest frameworks, models and competitive strategies.

Discussion

Most MBA Corps Members (Volunteer Consultants) in the Active Corps are graduates of top business or engineering schools. Others are proven entrepreneurs or work in leading investment banks, consulting firms or companies that are preeminent in their field. You can volunteer as an individual consultant, as many do, or you can volunteer as a team with your colleagues and friends.

Many Volunteer Consultants work directly with small businesses in economically challenged areas, in the trenches on the front lines in the War on Poverty. MBA Corps Members’ work products and subsequent consultations deliver lasting solutions that increase in value to businesses and communities over time.

Deliverables range from direct marketing brochures and marketing plans to simple financial/business models (how to organize your books/business) to complex manufacturing plant modernization programs and everything in between. Other projects include econsulting, ecommerce, financial literacy, or triaging a business and helping develop a plan of action with milestones to reach a particular goal.

Although we are predominantly small business focused, the range of small businesses and organizations MBA Corps serves varies widely. MBA Corps, as a 501 (c) (3), tax-exempt organization (your contributions are tax deductible) supports charitable classes—the poor, the underprivileged and the distressed. We support businesses that support poor communities. In addition, we support entities, for profit and not-for-profit, which comprise the people, institutions, or infrastructure that can be leveraged by businesses in economically challenged communities.

Mentorship projects vary greatly. Projects can involve working with a school that provides trained workers fluent in ecommerce. This can lead to a reduced minority teen unemployment rate. Alternatively, projects may involve a city or state Economic Development Corporation that teaches businesses how to create merchants associations and business improvement districts. The outcome can be a greater demand for employees. Here, the Volunteer Consultant would act as a part time COO. The possibilities are many and exciting in their potential for creating positive change.

Intended outcome: To increase small businesses’

Competitiveness
Profitability
Payrolls
Community Investment
Contribution to the Tax Base

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Seeking Help: If you know a small business or organization that can benefit from our services, please refer them to us at smallbis@mbacorps.org