Topic: Miller College of Business
November 22, 2010
Indiana's emerging businesses will be able to tap into the collective talent of entrepreneurship students at Ball State through a partnership with the Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC).
The collaboration will pair Indiana small businesses and groups of entrepreneurship students to analyze each firm's needs and challenges leading to the development of a detailed strategic plan. The business and an ISBDC business advisor will then implement the strategic plan.
ISBDC is working with Ball State as a result of the reputation of the university's Entrepreneurship Center, which has been continuously ranked in the top 10 undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report, said Jeff Heinzmann, ISBDC's state director.
"This partnership is a great opportunity to bring together the excellence of the Entrepreneurship Center and the enthusiasm of its students with the experience of the ISBDC for the benefit of Hoosier businesses," he said.
Michael Goldsby, executive director of the Entrepreneurship Center and the Stoops distinguished professor of entrepreneurship, said the collaboration between Ball State and the ISBDC will enhance the university's ability to provide students with real-world experience and create economic growth in the state.
Businesses should be in operation for at least six months with interest in finding solutions to particular strategic or marketing challenges. Application deadline is Dec. 1. To apply, go to http://isbdc.org/bsustudentproject.
By Marc Ransford, Senior Communications Strategist