Center Seeks Clients to Conduct Market Research Reports
The Global Business Resource Center in the School of Business at the College of Charleston is accepting proposals from small businesses in need of trade-related research analysis and reporting in order to expand in global markets.
The free research will be conducted in the spring 2014 semester by business interns and directed by Rene Mueller, CGBP®, director of the GBRC and professor of marketing and international business. Any small business in need of industry analysis, cost analysis, foreign market research including business climate, import requirements and regulations, or general recommendations for in-country market strategies are encouraged to submit a proposal by January 20th, 2014.
“Through applied coursework, our student interns have developed research skills that enable them to help businesses to assess international markets,” Mueller said. “They can navigate research tools like UN Comtrade and Kompass and leverage connections with the S.C. and U.S. Departments of Commerce to deliver results to the small businesses we support through this opportunity.”
Each semester, two or three interns work free of charge approximately 120 hours each and access over 100 web-based data resources to perform secondary market research for the client companies. Result of the interns’ work include a management-level report that focuses on a single opportunity or challenge, export potential of a new foreign market, or improved import sourcing strategy.
Businesses interested in submitting a brief proposal for consideration by the Center should contact Mary Katharine Bowen, associate director of the Global Business Resource Center, at 843.953.6621 or bowenm1@cofc.edu by January 20th, 2014. Client companies are not required to be located in the Charleston area.
