EXPERT CONSULTING. ZERO COST. REAL RESULTS.
What if your toughest business challenge came with a team of sharp minds ready to solve it, at no charge? That’s exactly what Iowa JPEC’s business consulting program delivers. We connect alumni and Iowa-based businesses with student consulting teams who tackle real problems and deliver strategic management solutions, all while gaining hands-on experience that textbooks can’t teach.
Guided and evaluated by experienced faculty and mentors, our student teams build innovative solutions for both emerging startups and established companies. Clients get fresh thinking and affordable results. Students get the real world.
Our past clients span e-commerce, manufacturing, retail, service, software, and biotechnology. Projects have ranged from market research and competitive analysis to product development, revenue stream analysis, marketing and social media strategy, international expansion, and broader business strategy.
Collaboration is key. Companies meet regularly with their student teams and provide timely feedback throughout the project. In return, clients walk away with valuable research, actionable insights, and recommendations they can put to work right away.
HOW IT WORKS
The program runs year-round across three course cycles: fall (August–December), spring (January–May), and summer (June–July). Each client project gets roughly 120 to 150 hours of focused work over the course, enough to dig deep and deliver within a single cycle.
Your project is handled by a team of 3 to 5 students, guided and evaluated by experienced faculty and mentors every step of the way. The team checks in with you regularly to share progress and gather feedback, and the course wraps up with a final presentation and a written brief you can keep.
This program is offered at no cost to the business. All we ask in return is 2 to 3 hours of your time each week to collaborate with the team.
EVERY CLIENT RECEIVES:
- Competitive analysis
- Environmental analysis
- Expert insights
- Mentorship from seasoned professionals
- Actionable recommendations
PLUS YOUR PICK OF ONE FOCUS AREA TAILORED TO MOVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD:
- Market trend analysis
- Consumer behavior research
- Observational customer study
- Social media strategy
- Marketing and digital marketing strategy
- Product and service growth strategy
LISTEN TO WHAT OUR PAST CLIENTS SAY...
Randy Kies
EMIGRAIT
“Our team delivered a dynamite, knockout proposal presentation. They hit all our deliverables, specifically providing intelligence on our competitors and they gave us feedback we didn’t have before. That saved us a tremendous amount of time researching since we are an early-stage startup with limited capacities and time.”
Stacie Anderson
OWNER, EMPOWERING CONVERSATIONS LLC & SIOUXLAND MAGAZINE
"As the owner of a small business with big aspirations, it was extremely helpful to have the business consulting team provide useful insights through their research. Their outside perspective coupled with data they accumulated allowed for Siouxland Magazine to make forward movement at a much faster pace than could have happened otherwise. Highly recommended."
Tracy Erlandson
EPIK DESTINATIONS
“Every week, the students came to me with something new and fun. Their final presentation was right on the money and it provided me a lot of fresh contacts. They put work into it, they had fun with it, and it gave me great, new information I didn’t have to take the hours to put into it.”
STUDENTS
Gaining real benefits
- Career Development: Develop professional and career skills through experience and application
- Career Exploration: Experience and evaluate different positions and organizations
- Competitive Edge: Increase student awareness of internships and employment opportunities available in Iowa
- Contact kimm-harris@uiowa.edu with any questions.
CLIENTS
Get the help you need
We are always looking for new clients for our students to work with. Our application below is open all year. If our client list is full for the semester, we will keep you on a waiting list for our next open opportunities. Please contact kimm-harris@uiowa.edu for additional information.
NEXT STEPS
Fill out a submission form below.