The coronavirus is having a tremendous impact on the economy. Particularly hard hit are small businesses that have traditionally operated in-person. Many of these businesses have had to switch their operations as best they can, coordinating by phone or through remote work. However, business may not have the time, knowledge or resources to implement an online model quickly. Even after stay-at-home orders have been lifted, many employees and consumers will still prefer to engage remotely. At the same time, many information systems students have had their summer internships cancelled or shortened. The group of students at GMU include recent graduates from the undergraduate program with majors in Information Systems or Technology Management and students in the graduate program in Information Systems. They are looking for work and/or educational opportunities that align with their professional interests.
George Mason University School of Business and Mason Enterprise Center (MEC) are pleased to offer summer consulting services for small businesses. Under the direction of faculty advisors and alumni mentors, a team of GMU students with majors in information systems or technology management will be paired with an established small business to assess and recommend technology solutions that will enhance business operations.
The summer projects will be completed remotely, under faculty and mentor supervision and will be provided at no-cost to the small business. Each project is limited in scope to no more than 80 hours. Small businesses can request one of four project areas.
• Analysis of the information security posture of the company (especially in the work from-home environment), and provide recommendations for protection, detection, or recovery plans.
• Analysis of the online presence of the company and provide recommendations to improve online interactions with key stakeholders.
• Research technology needs (ie: computer hardware selection, business software, cloud- based application software options, security software) and provide recommendations for solutions.
• Collect and analyze existing company data and develop programs for periodic reporting using Tableau or other data visualization/reporting tools.
Small businesses should work with advisors from the MEC, SBDC or WBC to define their project needs and complete the attached application. School of Business faculty will review and select projects and will assign and mentor students throughout the project. Business advisors with MEC, SBDC or WBC will support the business owners throughout the project.
To learn more and apply, please email us at: mec20175@gmu.edu.
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