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Description
This course is about the role of a small
business consultant and how small business really works. It combines
lectures, guest speakers, class discussions, and an in-depth consulting
project
with a small business in the Portland metropolitan area.
Structure
The course begins with an
introduction to the
Business Outreach Program, the non-profit field of providing technical
assistance to small businesses and micro-enterprises and to the
operation of small business. Since this is a two-term course, there
will be a beginning, middle, and an end. Teams develop consulting
skills, discover how
to research the industry in which the clients operate, and learn how to
look at the realities of small business ownership. They have
ample time to get to know one another, their assigned business, the
instructor, and the management counselors. In the process, they
learn how to avoid common pitfalls such as procrastination, personality
conflicts and loss of direction.
This is a "real-world" course: it
is subject to change. It is not predictable way like a science or
math course.
Because we are working with actual businesses and real people, this
course has a relatively high level of uncertainty.
Organization
The course is comprised of two main parts:
1.
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Learning about small and inner
city business issues, consulting, and teams. |
2.
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Contacting and working with
individual businesses. |
Some class
periods are devoted to team time and will not meet on campus. Once the
project begins in earnest, students should expect to spend an average
of four to six hours per week working on the project outside of
class. Deliverables
are due throughout the first term to help keep people on track, but the
workload increases substantially toward the end of the project.
Objectives
> Students
learn how to analyze a small business.
> Students learn how
to form an action plan.
> Students learn how
to research an industry at
both micro and macro levels.
> Students improve
their consulting skills.
> Students improve
their communication skills.
> Students improve their
ability to work on a
team.
Methods
to Achieve the Objectives
| 1. |
Develop a practical,
applied learning
environment for students to utilize their prior and current classroom
experience. |
2.
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Introduce students to
small businesses in the
Portland area, giving students first-hand experience of the real-life
issues and challenges facing small businesses today. |
3.
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Give students the
experience of being a
consultant, and test whether that is a career a student may want to
pursue. |
Requirements
Students have an opportunity
to make a valuable contribution to a business through their role as a
consultant. Students are expected to take this role seriously, to be
active in meeting with their clients and to
prepare a professional report and presentation. Participating students
must have junior or
senior standing. This course is
also
available through the
weekend-degree program.
Recommendations made by
past consultants have
been implemented by these businesses. This is a course that has
genuine “real world” applications.
Required Texts and Materials
Growing
a
Business by Paul Hawken
Flawless
Consulting by Peter Block - Packet available at Clean Copy
The
syllabus from Fall 2004
provides an idea of the course content.
Course Stepping Stones
Team Contract: The team contract is a one-page document,
signed by all team members, that lays out what is expected of fellow
team members.
Project Updates: Project updates include a ten-minute
presentation on the work done during the first term, a written
executive summary of work done in the first term, and a detailed work
plan for the second term.
Statement of Work: A statement of work is drawn up as an
agreement between the consultant team and the client detailing what is
expected on both sides. Template
Peer Evaluations: Each team
member will have the opportunity to
evaluate his or her teammates and this evaluation will have a
substantive impact on the final course grade. These peer evaluations
will be done based on the team contract drawn up by the team.
End of Term Report: At the end
of the second term a written report
is turned in at the time of the final team oral presentation. The
format of the report is different for each team, as different
businesses require different types of information. Generally, the
report provides an overview of the client’s needs, work done throughout
the project, and applicable recommendations for the client.
Reflection Paper: Reflective papers explore reactions to the
course or any of the particular topics discussed throughout the term.
Possible questions to look at are: What is the difference between a
small business owner and an entrepreneur? What are the characteristics
of a successful small business? Would I want to own and run a small
business? What makes a consultant successful? What is the difference
between small and large business marketing? Reflective papers are also
a good place to explore what is going right with the course, team,
business client, etc. and anything else that jumps to mind. I am
interested in your reflections on this capstone. This paper can be of a
personal and reflective nature and should be written in the first
person.
Course Calendar
The BOP is a two-term class. The first term is
spent mainly in the classroom focusing on building consulting skills.
The second term is more self-guided, more time is spent with
assigned businesses and time is set aside for in-class meetings.
The following calendar provides an example
of
the structure of first term of the program.
Please Note:
All posted documents are for reference
purposes only. Ingenuity and creativity are encouraged in every aspect
of this program.
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