RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Running a small business or nonprofit can be difficult.
According to recent statistics, almost 20 percent of small businesses fail within the first year. Half close the business within five years. About 65 percent do not reach the tenth year.
There is a group of students at North Carolina State University who hope to change those numbers.
One place they are helping is the nonprofit Made-4-Me in Raleigh. Volunteers make custom items for children with special needs, such as desks, chairs and anything else they need.
“And it’s made entirely of cardboard and at no cost to the family,” said Michael Gianakos, CEO of Made-4-Me.
The company supplies what it builds specifically for the needs of the child. All products are made of durable and extremely resistant cardboard.
“Once they receive the item and their face lights up, the child sees the images and colors they love and the caregiver sees its function and how it will improve their lives,” Gianakos said.
While the volunteers work, another group of volunteers watches them.
They are students from North Carolina State University in a group”Consult your community.”
“What we do is provide pro-bono consulting services primarily to women- and minority-owned small businesses and nonprofits.”
They do everything from helping with financial modeling, software development, marketing, and supply chain management. They are even looking at how Made-4-Me has set up their workspace to see if anything can be optimized.
“They give us a lot of resources through the university, also through our national organization, through the CIC. So, we have a lot of things we can offer.”
And what they offer (for small businesses and nonprofits like Made-4-Me) is invaluable.
Made 4 Me will have an event called Superhero Blast. It’s a fundraiser at the Marbles Children’s Museum. click here for more information. Consult Your Community will host a small business fair on April 9 at Stafford Commons from 1 to 6 p.m.