Programs & Services...

Consulting Projects

A team of volunteers commit to working with a client for a period 3 - 6 months.  The volunteers assist start-up and existing businesses with business plan development, financial analysis, marketing plan development and/or general management consulting.  Project teams are largely autonomous and self-directing, although project team members follow guidelines provided by the organization.

• SEED Project

Also known as Senior Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs with Disadvantages (or Disabilities).  An outreach initiative and organizational commitment to seek new clients who, because of their age, disability, or disadvantages (ie., persons in transition due to natural disaster, emergency spousal loss, those with businesses suddenly and unexpectedly inherited, etc.) would be otherwise overlooked by most business development programs but who are still viable entrepreneurial candidates.

• Entrepreneurial Seminars

Volunteers work in teams and with UBI staff to present business education seminars to entrepreneurs and small business owners.  Seminar topics include:  developing a business plan, identifying funding sources, technology, personal finance management, legal concerns, marketing, and business etiquette.  Seminars are held once a week for a 3 week period in both English and Spanish.

• UBI Business Speakers Bureau

UBI Volunteers offer short self-contained speeches on business topics in order to reach varied and additional audiences.

• UBI Client Consults

UBI staff and volunteers conduct the individual consultations with entrepreneurs, a maximum of five hours of one on one consultations that include business planning and financial planning.  Clients that qualify are referred to consulting projects.

• UBI/Covenant First Step Fund

A collaboration with Covenant First Step Fund offering persons a low-interest micro-loan from $1,000 - $12,000 without a credit, background, or collateral check.  Loan recipients must present a business plan to a team of other micro-loan recipients, commit to continuing business education, and attend various support group meetings.  Program participants are encouraged to improve their credit and build collateral while in the program to increase their access to the traditional business loan market.  UBI's involvement includes helping to identify potential loan candidates and provide continuing business education.

• Leadership Development Program (UBILDP)

UBI will work with corporations to recruit young professionals whose career would benefit from additional real-world business exposure that UBI client projects and and seminars offer.  The UBILDP volunteers commit to a 2-year volunteer term during which they will be asked to commit a certain number of hours to consulting programs, teaching classes, and offering administrative assistance.  At the end of the project, the volunteer is awarded a certificate of completion.  UBI will also work to ensure that the UBILDP certificate gains credibility among hiring managers and human resource workers as a benefit in hiring and promoting professionals.

• UBI Roundtable

Community businesses participate in a confidential non-selling, non-competitive forum that allows each business to share, with a diverse group of their peers, the challenges encountered by small businesses.  The goal of roundtable participation is to provide its members with practical knowledge and advice to improve their business' bottom line.

• Project Revive Houston

Project Revive Houston is a HUD-funded collaboration between UBI and HCC whereby we are asked to educate or consult with 100 Hispanic persons per year (Spanish or English speaking) living or owning a business in the Federal Enhanced Enterprise Community as a condition of grant funding.  Note: During the Katrina displacement, Project Revive Houston has also been asked to provide consults to Katrina displaced persons as part of the PRH program.

• Small Business Education Center

UBI has a resource library with over 350 books of varied business topics in English and Spanish and four computer stations with business applications.