Coyote Business Consulting

Coyote Business Consulting Group is a student-centered initiative at the USD Beacom School of Business designed to help businesses stay competitive in the state of South Dakota and throughout the region. The program enables student-teams, with the guidance of faculty advisors, to help businesses solve a critical problem for their organization.

The University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business launched a student-centered initiative, Coyote Business Consulting (CBC) in 2020. This program was designed to help businesses survive and stay competitive in the state of South Dakota and throughout the region. CBC was available to all businesses, but had a special emphasis on small businesses, as they are the backbone of South Dakota’s economy, comprising nearly 60% of South Dakota’s workforce. The launch of CBC gradually allowed the realization of the gap between higher education and the business industry, both small and corporate businesses. Due to this realization, CBC is offered in both the fall and spring semesters creating flexibility to the students and the businesses. The consulting service will be offered at no charge to small rural businesses and students will have the opportunity to receive financial support but more importantly real-world experience.

The efforts that come from of Coyote Business Consulting is to connect USD Beacom School of Business resources to South Dakota by providing student consulting services. Our affordable and sought-after program offers the opportunity for growth, innovation, and invaluable connections for our students, faculty mentors, businesses and non-profits, and communities.

This 10–12-week, project-based initiative is a great opportunity for students to work with businesses to address some of their challenges to survive and grow.

How to get your Business Involved

You will need to complete the Business Application, outlining the scope of your project, by Friday, December 22, 2023. Proposals may focus on any business need (Examples - not a complete list: Marketing plans, e-commerce recommendations/solutions, product development cost life cycle analysis, target market analysis, human resource management plans, job descriptions, emergency preparedness plans, supply chain management strategies, financial strategies, survey development).
A select number of projects will be chosen, and organizations will be notified of their acceptance into the program before January 5, 2024.
Organizations will be paired with student consulting teams and faculty advisors.
The projects are expected to take 10-12 weeks and will be completed April 18, 2024.

This program will be available to all businesses, but a special emphasis will be placed on small businesses, as they are the backbone of South Dakota’s economy comprising nearly 60% of South Dakota’s workforce. We also welcome applications from non-profit organizations. To learn more about the program or to submit a project proposal form, visit Coyote Business Consulting for more information. Please reach out to CBC team at CBC@usd.edu or connect with Chelsea Limoges, Director of Industry of Engagement, with any questions you may have.

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Student Testimonials

What will the student’s availability be to my business?

The students are committed to 10 hours per week for the projects, but the specific hours and schedules will vary by student. The students assigned to your team will notify you of their regular availability during your kick-off call so you can plan meetings and discussions accordingly. Please be mindful that the student consultants are full time students who are dedicating time each week for a rewarding and educational practical experience. Our students are also taking summer classes and/or working part time jobs, so we appreciate you being mindful of their schedules and availability. If there are any challenges or issues that should arise regarding the student availability, please consult with your faculty advisor.

Can I give the students additional work that might come up over the course of the semester?

To ensure the success of the program and the students, it will be very important that projects stay on scope. This scope will be defined with the faculty advisor on the initial call and the details of the scope will be clarified with your kick-off call with the students. While adjustments to scope may happen over the course of the project, the students are not available for miscellaneous administrative work unrelated to the project during this assignment.

What is the difference between a student consultant and a student intern?

A student consultant is tasked with developing a recommendation and or solution to a specific problem or business need. Their work is specific to that particular problem or scope of work. A student intern is tasked with working for an organization for a specific period of time and may work on a range of projects within a specific discipline or area of focus. Their time and specific tasks may be more fluid and assigned on an as needed bases during their internship hours.

Can rural and corporate businesses participate in this program?

Yes! Coyote Business Consulting serves rural businesses where students teams have the guidance of faculty advisors. The consulting service is offered at no charge. This program is also offered to corporate businesses where the business will identify specific problem or challenge, and the students will work to develop a recommendation or solution alongside with this specific staff member at the business. This is a great opportunity for an employee of the company to guide and mentor a student team while supervising the project.

How much time will I need to allocate to working with the Coyote Business Consulting Group team?

The amount of time you spend with the team will depend on the scope of your project. You will likely have weekly meetings with your student consulting team to stay updated on the status of your project, to allow for additional questions to be answered and to give input on the project as it is in progress. There may be slightly more time required in the first two weeks as the project gets kicked off and then you can plan for 1-3 hours per week throughout the duration of the project.

Will the students be onsite at my business?

If categorized a rural business project, students are not intended to be scheduled for regular hours to report to your place of business. Any questions or concerns regarding this can be addressed with the faculty advisor. It is up to the business' discretion on how they plan on meeting - in-person, virtually via video conference, phone or email. There may be an opportunity for the student teams to visit your business. If your team is identified as a Corporate team, students are expected to dedicate 10 hours a week individually towards the project. Engagement will be a mix of virtual work and/or in-person work. The in-person component will be the students traveling and working in the office of your business on Friday afternoons, 1-4 p.m. This time range and schedule can be subject to change.

What legal guarantees do these projects have for my business?

The project results represent the work of students. Project results are provided as is. The University of South Dakota, Beacom School of Business, their agents, faculty, staff, and students jointly and severally disclaim any and all representations or warranties, express or implied, written or oral, in fact or arising by operation of law, regarding project results that may be contemplated, anticipated, or developed; the merchantability, fitness for particular purpose, commercial value, and/or freedom of research project results from infringement of any patent, copyright, other intellectual property or proprietary rights of any third party.

In no event will the University of South Dakota, Beacom School of Business, their agents, faculty, staff or students be liable for any incidental, special, indirect, exemplary or consequential damages of any kind, including business expenses, machine down time, loss of profits, damage or injury to property for any claims, demands or damages arising out of the consulting project, its results, or use of projects’ results by anyone.

student success story

An industry specific experience was a job requirement and my new employer indicated that it was a deciding factor in my candidacy for my position. In my case there is a clear and direct relationship between the work I did on my CBC projects and getting a great job. If I hadn’t participated in the program, I wouldn’t have got the job. It is that simple.

Taylor Keadle

Virginia