Business Advisor

Research Foundation of The City University of New York•New York, NY

53d•$65,000 - $74,620•Hybrid

About The Position

Goldman Sachs, 10,000 Small Businesses at LaGuardia Community College, is part of a $1 billion investment to help small businesses in the United States create jobs and economic growth by providing entrepreneurs with practical business education, access to capital, and business support services. The program is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that greater access to this combination of education, capital, and support services best addresses barriers to growth. 10,000 Small Businesses is funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation. Business owners selected to participate in this intensive 34-month program will receive rigorous training on business fundamentals through a curriculum delivered by LaGuardia Community College in collaboration with some of the nation's top business schools and tailored to the practical needs of small firms. By the time business owners graduate from the program, they will have formulated their growth plans and will be on track to expand and develop their businesses. Business advisors are essential to the scholars' success participating in the 10,000 Small Businesses program at LaGuardia Community College. Under the direction of the Education Services Director/Lead Faculty, Business Advisors are responsible for providing effective business support services to two to three groups of business owners, support the classroom environment, and link scholars to business support services and capital. The Business Advisor will provide direct technical assistance to participants in developing a business growth plan, implementing change strategies, outreach, recruitment, measurement, and evaluation. Advisors include valuation, participation in the business education classes, and alumni services. Business Advisors must be self-directed with the desire and ability to generate innovative methods for helping small businesses and bolstering job creation. He or she will effectively interact with business owners to identify barriers to growth and develop solutions to address these challenges. The successful candidate will be outcome-oriented, a self-starter, problem solver, skillful communicator, creative, opportunistic, and an effective collaborator who can work effectively with the LaGuardia Community College 10,000 Small Businesses program team, alumni, and external community and program partners. A 10,000 Small Businesses Business Advisor is one who: Is committed to working with their designated scholars in a facilitative and supportive manner to identify their business needs and provide or obtain appropriate assistance Works in a collaborative and supportive manner within the classroom and in advising sessions to help the scholars complete the program and program deliverables Guides the scholars through the Access to Capital program opportunities Understands and values the importance of measurement and evaluation activities and provides support in the data collection process Uses a model of community engagement to link scholars to other Business Support Services Dedicated to the program outcomes of job creation and revenue generation

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited school, in Business, Entrepreneurship, Sales Public Administration, Government Affairs or related field and a minimum of three years of experience in business consulting engagements is required.
Knowledgeable about strong business principles practices; experience with small businesses
Ability to interact with a diverse set of businesses and people
Must be a passionate and knowledgeable advocate for the program, its participants, and LaGuardia Community College
Entrepreneurial spirit and ability to find innovative ways to serve program participants
Experience with project management and business analysis
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and multi-task
Excellent spoken and written communication skills
Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 (WORD, PowerPoint, Excel, ) and a willingness to learn new tools (Basecamp, LivePlan, Salesforce, Zoom, etc.)
Ability to work a flexible schedule

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree welcomed

Responsibilities

Provide direct technical assistance to 10,000 Small Businesses scholars
Manage a caseload of businesses, providing consultation and advice geared towards promoting business growth
Meets with each business owner on an individual basis at minimum 6- 8 times per program (through a combination of in-person and virtual meetings.
Manage relationships with participating businesses to proactively address business needs
Assess, document, and synthesize information about participating business to inform the provision of appropriate services and classroom education
Assist participating businesses in the planning and implementation of specific components of growth plans
Ensure services are tailored to individual business needs and tightly coordinated with program curriculum
Record and leverage information regarding businesses and interactions to monitor progress and provide quality services
Conceptualize, develop, and execute value-add networking opportunities for present and former participating businesses
Assist in connecting businesses to the appropriate Business Support Services (local entrepreneurship ecosystem) as needed for specialty services
Assists with Measurement and Evaluation (M E) for baseline, graduation, and post- program surveys
Understand the content and delivery approach of the curriculum
Attend all modules, clinics, and program events to support scholar learning
Advise the Educational Services Director of scholars in need of educational support during the program
Assist within the classroom to coordinate group activities and support faculty
Assist in scholar recruitment as directed by the Outreach and Recruitment Partnership Director
Review scholar applications and participate in the interview selection process, as needed
Participates in regular national BA calls to get updates, exchange best practices, discuss new challenges, etc.
Engages in business owner alumni program events, as needed
Other duties as assigned