In October, the project of the Advisory Board of the UCU Business School Alumni Association begins. Through a pro bono consulting project the alumni community will help Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses, which are operating in difficult conditions. Registration for the Advisory Council will continue until the end of October.
“Uniting in order to overcome challenges in all possible forms is an advantage of Ukrainians, as well as an irreplaceable element of stability. Therefore, as a Community of Graduates of the UCU Business School, we have decided to help Ukrainian businesses operating in difficult conditions through a pro bono consulting project. Yes, among our graduates there are business representatives who have successfully survived a year of full-scale invasion and can now lend a helping hand to others – small and medium-sized businesses that need such help,” the project team notes.
The consulting project of the UCU Business School was launched during the crisis related to COVID-19; it resulted in successful cases of overcoming crisis situations in business and positive feedback from owners, top managers, and 59 grateful teams. Among the experts in the project were graduates of the business school, carefully selected by the commission, as well as teachers and representatives of the business school – Sofia Opatska, Mykhailo Salo, Roksoliana Voronovska, Andriy Kostiuk, Ihor Blystiv. Experts led by Roksoliana Voronovska, the then the head of LvBS Consulting, provided consultations in the format of blitz meetings for 1.5 hours, where, depending on the client’s request, they answered questions in the field of strategy, finance, sales, HR, marketing, etc.
The Council of the UCU Business School Alumni Association has decided to restore the project and transform it according to the demands of the present time.
What are the UCU Business School Alumni Advisory Boards?
Advisory councils are a project of graduates of the UCU Business School with experts from various fields and industries, which supports adaptation to new conditions and, potentially, business transformation to enable small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine to rescale or recover.
Who is this project for?
For representatives of small and medium-sized businesses that:
- operate, but have faced challenges related to both external factors (changes in the market situation, disruption of supply chains, access to foreign markets),
- and internal circumstances (attrition, process changes, reorganization, etc.)
- for a business that was partially suspended during the full-scale war, but is looking to resume.
Business owners and managers who are looking for advice, a new perspective on the situation and solutions, as well as in search of new opportunities for development and growth, can apply for advice through the application form, in which they should describe their problem in detail and receive advice from the experts with relevant experience . These are, as a rule, 3-6 experienced management specialists who have wide experience and can see more effective ways and approaches than a business owner or a top manager alone.
Why does business need it?
In today’s challenging times, managers and business owners have to make difficult decisions every day. The speed of adaptation depends, in particular, on the knowledge, experience and portfolio of competencies of the team in business. However, it is extremely difficult and expensive to have this entire range and set now, which is why such a tool as the Advisory Council can offer high-quality options for solving problems, give a vision of desired goals, in particular, give an understanding that you are not alone with your problems.
What problems does it help to solve?
The service of quick consultation from the Advisory Councils in the format of a 1.5-hour online meeting allows you to get an assessment of the processes and single out critical points that require a quick response. This is a quick diagnosis that helps managers move from the point of:
- feeling hopeless;
- doubting about the next steps for the business;
- development of an idea and its verification.
Business tools of the Advisory Board:
- independent analysis of the participant’s request done by experts
- a look at the company’s strategy from a different angle
- scenarios of the company’s prospects
- consulting on updating/improving the business model and/or business processes
How to get a consultation?
Business applications for participation in the project are collected through the online application form . According to the request and the criteria that the business must meet, the project team ensures the selection of graduate experts whose activities and professional experience are the most suitable for the participant and his/her case.
During the selection of participants, additional meetings may be held in order to understand the needs of the business.
Next, the request is coordinated with the invited experts and a meeting is organized at a specified time with a set duration of the advisory consultation.
The project team is Yaryna Boychuk, Olena Sozanska, Halyna Zherebetska, Iryna Dmyterko, Valery Shipunov, Tetiana Novolodska.
We can help:
- determine the tasks and goals of the advisory consultation;
- organize a meeting of experts and company management;
- if necessary, additionally invite other experts to the Advisory Board.
What are the selection criteria for consultation?
completed application form
motivation for participating in the questionnaire as described above
formed (or almost formed) case and request
screening in an interview (live or telephone format)
Cost for the participation in the project – a contribution to the DoNation project from UAH 1,000. More information about the DoNation project at the link: https://supporting.ucu.edu.ua/donation/
We invite you to take advantage of the strength of the UCU Business School Community, which we have been creating together for 15 years!
Contact Person:
Tetiana Novolodska
Community and Alumni association LvBS manager
+38 (063) 861 93 92
tnovolodska@lvbs.com.ua
