Economic development is a key part of the service mission at Idaho State University’s College of Business. In the past several years, the college has increased its focus on creating real change in the area economy.

Bengal Solutions is one of the ways the college is accomplishing this mission. The service provides consulting in three forms: undergraduate teams, MBAYA teams, and an independent MBAYA consulting group.

The Core, one of the Pacific Northwest’s leading health sciences, technology and business clusters, recently engaged Bengal Solutions to identify key activities that will further the goals of The Core. The Core aims to foster collaboration between health research and entrepreneurs in order to develop new Idaho businesses. Management professor Neil Tocher mentored the students throughout the project.

Bengal Solutions delivered recommendations about how The Core may best collaborate with university researchers, identify local experts for speaking engagements, update constituents via newsletters and social media, help The Core’s businesses hire employees and interns, and expand The Core’s current member services.

Specifically, the student consultants provided The Core leadership with a statewide university research directory, a step-by-step guide to creating a job fair and job board, guidelines for identifying expert speakers, and suggestions for expanding The Core member benefits to include services such as membership discounts on local business services.

We see Bengal Solutions as playing a critical role in the economic development mission of the University, providing an excellent resource for Idaho businesses, such as The Core, and creating an invaluable learning experience for our students.

Bengal Solutions is more than a class project.

“The opportunity for students to work with The CORE gave them insight into how an economic development agency works,” said Jeff Street, management professor and primary Bengal Solutions faculty adviser. “That experience is a crucial part of their education. Bengal Solutions student consultants are able to hone their business skills as they provide market research, economic impact studies, return on investment projections, operations assessments, and feasibility studies to businesses and organizations. Project mentors and client feedback ensure the quality of Bengal Solutions products.”

“Bengal Solutions is a great service to the University, its students and the community,” said Sam Peterson, director of graduate programs. One of goals at the College of Business is to encourage economic development. Bengal Solutions is one of the most direct ways to accomplish this goal. It provides the university with a great learning opportunity and provides the community with great consulting for a low price.” All consulting fees return to College of Business students in the form of scholarships.

Bengal Solutions also partners with the Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center in Rexburg, a nonprofit organization founded in 2006. The center collaborates with both ISU and Brigham Young University-Idaho to connect students and faculty with regional businesses and provides short-term, low-cost professional consulting services.

To engage Bengal Solutions, contact Jeff Street at strejeff@isu.edu or 282-5762.

TOM OTTAWAY Interim dean, Idaho State University College of Business. ottathom@isu.edu; 282-2601.