Sacramento State ’ s Center for Small Business ( CSB ) is an instrumental link between the university and the local business community , benefiting both businesses and the students who serve them . Through the CSB and under faculty supervision , College of Business students provide free technical management assistance to regional businesses , nonprofits and government agencies . Founded in 1969 , the CSB is one of the oldest and largest university-based centers of its kind nationwide . In its 53-year history , the CSB has served more than 2,000 businesses and agencies throughout the region .
“ Each semester , we work on about 50 projects with about 35 local organizations , most often nonprofits and startups ,” says Dr . Evren Eryilmaz , associate professor and CSB director . “ Businesses seeking assistance may apply on our website , and though our services are in high demand , we accommodate as many projects as possible .”
Students are assigned to client projects as part of coursework for their various business classes . Dedicated teams of these
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talented young business minds — overseen by experienced faculty — help businesses achieve their objectives free of charge . Most commonly , projects address social media marketing , website and mobile application development , business analytics , and supply chain management needs .
“ All students , regardless of the type of project , learn how to communicate with their business end-users , a critical skill in the business world ,” Eryilmaz says . “ This hands-on learning experience is a valuable opportunity , and students who manage these projects well are readily hired by top companies . With their CSB experience , many graduates have also gone on to launch consulting businesses on the side .”
Looking to the future , Eryilmaz would like to increase CSB capacity to serve even more clients . He concludes , “ With in-person gatherings possible again , I ’ m eager to arrange community outreach events in which satisfied clients could relate their CSB experiences . I also look forward to working with agencies such as Sacramento Valley SBDC and SCORE Mentors Sacramento to introduce our services to even more organizations in need .”
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“This hands-on learning experience is a valuable opportunity , and students who manage these projects well are readily hired by top companies .“ — DR . EVREN ERYILMAZ Director
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