Small Business Corps

The Small Business Corps (SBC) supports the growth of small businesses in urban and rural under-resourced areas in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region through on-site, customized consulting services offered by graduate and undergraduate students at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

People gather around a plan — via Freepik

Powered by the generous support of Bank of America, PNC, Boston Consulting Group, and the dean’s office at Georgetown McDonough, the SBC is designed to support local business’s long-term success.

How the SBC Model Works:

Partnership: SBC staff engages in initial discussions to understand our small business client’s strategic objectives and challenges.
Scoping the requirements: We then collaboratively define the scope of work, project goals, timeline, and deliverables.
Match consultants: We allocate student consultants who best match the project needs.
Deliver: Consultants execute project plans, communicate regularly, and deliver final outcomes to the small business clients. They are coached by consultants from Boston Consulting Group, as well as Georgetown faculty and senior advisors.

Milestones to Date:

15 DMV-area businesses served
High client satisfaction ratings in post-program surveys
9,000+ consulting hours
36 consultants

Areas of Expertise:

Marketing and sales strategy
Market expansion
Financial resource management
Systems/Operations/process improvement

Get Involved:

SBC Testimonials:

Eighty2degrees

“This project went very well. The student consultants were great to work with, very friendly and accommodating, and in the end, produced helpful recommendations and a comprehensive analysis of our business and what we need to do moving forward. All in all, we are grateful for the level of work and effort that went into helping our small business!”

Mike Englert, principal, Eighty2degrees

Studio Lyew

“I valued the opportunity to review and discuss the findings of the student consultants, which were crucial for our organization’s growth. I am now looking forward to implementing the recommendations of the students more effectively. I appreciated how the consultants shared their presentations multiple times before finalizing their recommendations, allowing for meaningful collaboration throughout the process.”

Rich Lyew, principal, Studio Lyew

Cap8 Doors and Hardware

“Thanks to the SBC student consultants, they analyzed our business like detectives. They impressed us with their attention to detail and fresh ideas.They gave us a clear plan for our company’s growth. We were so impressed that we decided to come back to take up another project. If you’re a small business owner feeling stuck, Georgetown’s student consultants are truly exceptional.”

Lisa Williams, founder and principal of Cap8 Doors and Hardware