Growing Small Businesses in the Twin Cities
SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE
Dedicated to Helping Small Businesses Succeed and Grow
Since 1974, the Small Business Institute (SBI) at the University of St. Thomas has been supporting small businesses in the Twin Cities area. Our purpose is the same now as it was then: to contribute to a healthy regional business climate in a way that is mutually beneficial to both businesses and the St. Thomas community.
By leveraging St. Thomas business faculty and students, we provide exceptional consulting services to local businesses. As a result, we have helped sharpen and inform over 2,100 small businesses and non-profit organizations.
In addition to helping local businesses, our students benefit from direct access to the business community and the chance to work on real-world challenges hands-on.
Contact
Dr. Jamal Al-Khatib
As a business owner or non-profit manager, you can expect the following benefits from our program:
- Access to a diverse pool of expert faculty (many are experienced consultants in their fields) and highly trained business students capable of conducting cutting edge consulting projects.
- Affordable consulting rates that are pro-rated based on your business’s annual revenue.
- Confidentiality of your business ideas and problems guaranteed by St. Thomas’s code of ethics and a signed Confidentiality Agreement by the consulting team.
Upon completion of the project, participants will receive:
- A comprehensive written report detailing the projects’ objectives, findings and suggested courses of action.
- An oral presentation of the project findings to the client’s team (no limit on the number of individuals from your organization attending).
- An electronic copy of the project report.
To participate in the consulting program, all interested clients must:
- Have been in business for at least one year.
- Reside in the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, or Washington counties
- Submit a completed client application form by July 15 (Fall) or December 15 (Spring).
- Be willing to meet with students at mutually agreeable times
- Be willing to provide all information necessary for the completion of the consulting project, including financial information.
- Agree to pay 100% of the consulting fee at the final presentation.
We offer consulting services centered around marketing in the following areas:
- The identification of marketing opportunities and target markets
- Assessment of current marketing activities
- Analysis of sales, buyer behavior and competition
- Market planning and issues of pricing, promotion, distribution
- Social media marketing
Business clients whose projects are selected to be in the program will be charged a nominal fee to cover the cost of research and printing. The fee is based on your annual revenue:
- $400 for organizations with annual revenue under $1 million
- $800 for organizations with annual revenue between $1–5 million
- $1,200 for organizations with annual revenue of more than $5 million
Student Resources
Consulting Fees Client Testimonial “The market survey performed by the Small Business Institute of the University of Saint Thomas had a direct impact on our company’s ability to raise additional financing.”
Consulting Fees Client Testimonial “We needed a change in how we were using our association’s web site. The services of the St. Thomas’ Student Business Institute (SBI) provided a fresh look at what we were doing. “We had heard many stories of the professionalism and the quality of work that the students would provide and it all proved to be true. The students did an outstanding job in their survey methods and analysis of our situation. “The results have allowed the Minnesota Community Education Association Board of Directors to implement many of the recommendations and changes that the students final report suggested.”