STRATEGY

SMALL BUSINESS BRIEF

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN THE
SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE DIRECTORS'SSOCIATION (SBIDA)

Ronald G. Cook
Rider University

Vice President Marketing Ik Membership, SBIDA

INTRODUCTION

The Small Business Directors'ssociation (SBIDA) is a non-profit professional association
whose mission is to strengthen the small business/entrepreneurship sector of the free enterprise
system, provide entrepreneurship education, and support economic development and
diversification through teaching, consulting, training, and field research.

I won't go into great detail about SBIDA's history (over 25 years old), its impact on small
businesses through its Small Business Institute'" program (Matthews, 1998), or its impact on
literally thousands of students (for further information about these topics, please visit our web
site: www.sbida.org). Instead, I want to speak to our future.

THE SBI PROGRAM

SBIDA is probably best known for its premier field case student consulting program, the Small
Business Institute™(SBI). 7he SBI Program takes upper-level undergraduates and graduates and
out into the business community to serve as student consultants, under direct faculty supervision.
This experiential learning experience results in what I call a "Win'rogram," in that the
following four constituencies all benefit:

For Faculty

~ SBI clients'roblems offer opportunities for incorporating real-life
examples in lecture material.

~ SBI clients'roblems and their solutions offer substantial research
opportunities which can lead to publishable articles.

~ Working with SBI clients and coaching student teams provides faculty
with the venue to discover and implement solutions and to serve as a
vital linkage to the local business community.

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For Students

~ The SBI Program offers students a chance to gain hands-on experience
with small business.

~ The SBI Program provides the critical experiential training to
supplement textbook and classroom knowledge, leading students to

greater opportunities in a large or small company.

~ Participation in the SBI Program helps students decide if they should
start a business, and/or enhance their family firms.

I For Colleges and Universities

~ The SBI Program is an excellent means for a school to provide
community service and to enhance its outreach activities.

~ The SBI Program enhances the credibility of its curriculum for both
existing and prospective students.

~ The SBI Program enhances the recognition of the school among its
constituents, which can lead to more financial contributions and grant

opportunities.

y For Businesses/Organizations

~ Businesses receive low cost or free consulting.

~ Businesses receive a substantial, in-depth analysis designed to enhance
its operations.

(Source: Benetits of Offerin a Small Business Institute™,SBIDA web site)

Does a SBI Program sound attractive? It should be to AACSB institutions, given that part of the
AACSB requirements is the ability to demonstrate relevancy and linkages to the business

community. Can an SBI program help you do this? Absolutely. Who can help you develop/run
a SBI program? SBIDA. For this reason alone, you should join SBIDA.

OTHER BENEFITS

However, our benefits do not stop there. Most college and university faculty operate on a triad,

in that teaching, scholarly activity, and value/service are all required. A SBIDA membership

helps you accomplish all three. SBIDA activities enrich classroom pedagogy, provide

professional development opportunities, enhance small business/entreprenewial knowledge, and

encourage publications.

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For example, consider the Journal ofSmall Business Strategy (JSBS), our llagship publication.
The JSBS is included in a SBIDA membership, providing you with an invaluable resource, a
possible outlet for your publications, or an opportunity for editorial board service. Membership
also includes SBI director and student manuals, a SBI fundraising guide, and a marketing ideas
guide that culls the best practices from our hundreds of members.

A SBIDA membership continues to be better and better. This year, we began a program that will
certify our members as small business counselors. We otTer a national competition for student
consulting case of the year, which recognizes excellence in students and their faculty. Our annual
conferences (regional and national) explore issues and trends for small, entrepreneurial, and
family-owned businesses.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If I have whetted your interest, then you should learn how SBIDA and you can be a perfect fit.
Contact me at (609) &95-5522, or cookrrider.edu, for more information. Membership is
currently $ 100 a year for U.S. members and $ 125 a year for international members. Don't wait,
you never know what you might miss!

REFERENCES

Benefits of offering a Small Business Institute'", SBIDA Benefits.
http: //www.cba.uc.edu/cbainfo/sbida/benefits.htm (19 May 1999).

Matthews, C. H. (1998). The Small Business Institute™program: High impact entrepreneurship
education. Journal of Small Business Strate 9 (2), 14-22.

Ronald G. Cook, Ph. D, is an associate professor of small business/enirepreneurship at the
College of Business Administration Rider University. He is the Vice President ofMarketing and
Membership of the Small Business Institute Directors'ssociation /SBIDA). His current
research focuses on family business, qualitylcustomerservice, and business planning. He serves
as the Small Business Initituie™director at Rider and has extensive consulting experience with
small firms.

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