SBI encourages its members and other college and university faculty to involve students in practical consulting projects. Faculty-guided, student-based field projects serve clients who own or operate local business ventures or non-profit organizations. Supervised by faculty, these projects provide students opportunities to help make lasting improvements in their clients' business operations. As a result, students learn about operating small businesses, gain a sense of achievement, and earn respect. The projects culminate in a final written consulting report that is delivered to the client. SBI recognizes first place, second place, and third place awards to programs in both undergraduate and graduate divisions that complete either specialized consulting projects or comprehensive projects.
SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE® STUDENT CONSULTING PROJECT OF THE YEAR COMPETITION FOR 2010-2011
OVERVIEW With the positive response to the alternative electronic submission this year, the SBI Executive Committee voted to utilize only electronic submissions in the 2010/2011 Student Consulting Project of the Year (POY) Competition. POY submissions for the 2010/2011 cycle should follow customary SBI paper submission "recommendation" guidelines of 12 pt font, 1-inch margins and double-spaced report text. Note that these are merely report format guidelines and the final report is not bound to follow them. The SBI Executive Committee also voted that POY submissions will be limited to no more than 100 pages inclusive in a PDF format. Please note that appendices count toward the 100-page count.
File Format The entire submission must in one inclusive, contiguous file in PDF format. Separate files (such as appendices) should be merged into that one file.
Project Submission Deadline All submissions are due no later than midnight CST October 1, 2010. An online “Intent to Submit” application will be due by midnight CST September 15, 2010, submitted to SBI. The form is listed on the SBI website.
Project Submission Procedure The POY submission entry form is listed on the SBI website. The POY submission and entry form are to be submitted electronically to SBI at info@smallbusinessinstitute.biz. If you have questions, contact Mary Lea Nations (phone: 601-924-3489; fax: 601-924-0720). Since the POY submission may be a large file, the student consulting project report should first be compressed into ZIP format. Then, the application file should be submitted by e-mail or, if necessary, the file should be transmitted using a file transfer service. You can use a free trial service from TransferBigFiles, ShareFile or YouSendIt. Setting up the file transfer service will be the responsibility of the POY applicant. As an alternative, the POY report in PDF format and entry form may be submitted on CD. One CD per submission is required. If electing this method, the CD must arrive by October 1, 2010 at SBI’s central office -- Attn: Mary Lea Nations, 134 Fairmont Street, Suite B, Clinton, MS 39056
Requirement for Judging Each POY applicant agrees to act as a judge, but in a different category than the one(s) to which submitted. Judging is to be completed by November 1, 2010.
