When business meets the classroom, this particular classroom helps the business.

Such is the case with Business Consulting Services, Business Administration 445 and General/Industrial Engineering 498, a class offered every semester. In this class, students gain real-world experience by acting as consultants for local businesses and offering solutions to their problems.

“A lot of times these are small or start-up businesses, and the separation between business and life is very minimal for these people,” said Jeffrey Kurtz, instructor for the class.

The students of Business Consulting Services help about 12 to 14 businesses each semester. Kurtz, who has been teaching the class for eight years, said that the class’s reputation attracts clients. Students work closely with their clients throughout the semester, and at the end of the project, propose a solution the client can use.

The first three weeks of the class present an introduction to the world of consulting. Team leaders are selected through an interview process and student teams are formed, Kurtz said.

On Thursday, the clients for this semester will introduce their business to the class and reveal what they want to accomplish. The student teams will then choose the organization with which they would like to work. Thus begins the main objective of the class.

Becky Rowe, manager of Hendrick House, said that she heard about Business Consulting Services from a former Hendrick House resident enrolled in the class. Hendrick House worked with the class last year in an attempt to make its facility as appealing to students as possible.

Rowe said the Business Consulting Services team did a general survey of the facility and gave input on what was being done well and what needed work. She said some of the suggestions made by the student consultants included cosmetic changes, better lighting, a late-night meal service and an improved Web site.

Rowe said Hendrick House didn’t realize the high quality of work it would get from the services.

Rowe added that Hendrick House will be working with the class again this semester. This time, they will work on reducing overall costs.

“We love their service,” she said.

Dan Harshbarger is the co-owner of the Arcola Flower Patch and Diamond House Bed and Breakfasts, and also a former Business Consulting Services student. He said that he took the class in 2004, and since then, has also been a client of the class.

Harshbarger said he contacted the class to get input from the creative minds of the students. He said the consultants helped the Bed and Breakfast to establish a greater Internet presence and proposed an Internet marketing strategy. Harshbarger added that the students gave suggestions about what could be done to encourage customers to return.

Kurtz said the class is rigorous because students perform real work for real businesses. For the rest of the semester, the teams will devote their time to working on their business plans. He said students should expect to commit about 10 hours per week to their project, including class time.

Chris Levin, senior in Business, said he is taking the class for his second time. He said working with the client his first time was very rewarding.

“It’s the best business experience I’ve had,” Levin said. “The class is extremely beneficial.”

Levin said the time commitment required for the class can be overwhelming if the project is not well-managed. He said responsibility hinges on the team leader to make the whole operation run smoothly. Levin is a team leader this semester and said his goal is to successfully help the client and ensure the students on his team benefit.

Team leader Michelle Dekeyrel, senior in Business, said she is excited to start working with the clients.

“We’re actually doing something for small businesses in the area,” Dekeyrel said. “It’s going to be really cool to see the kind of impact we can have.”