Business and Entrepreneurship Clinic
In 2013, the Wisconsin School of Business and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) funded a new program aimed at helping nascent entrepreneurs navigate through the many business issues that arise when starting and growing a new business. This program is known as the Business and Entrepreneurship Clinic.
Our Mission
The Business and Entrepreneurship Clinic, in collaboration with the Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic (L&E), the Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery, and WARF, provides free business advice and services for Wisconsin-based entrepreneurs. Under the direction of Michael Williams, MBA students and senior-level undergraduates undertake various projects that the businesses require.
Helping researchers, students, and university affiliates start new businesses
Expanding business support for entrepreneurs in the local community, starting with researchers at UW–Madison
Expanding experiential learning opportunities for business students and law students at the intersection of their respective fields and in the domain of entrepreneurship
How we can help your business
The Business and Entrepreneurship Clinic provides assistance and advice in the following areas:
- Vision / Mission
- Entrepreneurial, Business and Personal Goals
- Compensation (deferred, competitive, analysis)
- Structure of Equity
- Roles of Founders and Top Management Team
- Management Hiring and Development
- Accounting Software Analysis
- Accounting System Setup
- Proforma Analysis
- Summary Financials with Relevant Metrics
- Sources and Uses of Funds
- Balance Sheets
- Income Statement
- Cash Flow/Table
- Controls
- A/R Collections Monitoring
- Billing
- Target Market
- Market Sizing
- Pricing Structure
- Revenue Modeling
- Customer Service Model
- Brand
- Pricing
- Customer Acquisition Strategy
- Advertising – Entry into Markets
- Direct/Indirect Analysis
- Sales Cycles
- Sales Compensation Structure
- Sales Goals
- Competitive Advantage
- Number of Current Competitors
- Number of Substitute Products
- Pricing Structure of Competition
- Comparative Analysis of Competition vs COMPANY
- IP Barriers
- Future Potential Competitors
- Derive Estimate of Window of Opportunity
- Customer Service
- Warehouse/Manufacturing Process – Identification of Systems
- IT Infrastructure
- Supply Chain Contracts
- Capital Equipment Needs
- Location (Choice, Evaluation, Valuation, Lease Negotiations)
- People – Organizational Charts (over time)
- Total Capital Needed
Apply for Services
If you need us to evaluate your business needs and determine if we can help your business, please apply for services.
Potential clients need to fill out a survey and complete an interview to better evaluate the company’s business needs. Should the Business and Entrepreneurship Clinic decide to provide services, a Scope of Work (SoW) will be defined. We recognize that every business has different needs and timelines, all of this will be taken into consideration when defining the SoW.
After you’ve completed your application, we will contact you about setting up a 30-45 minute intake meeting. We can meet virtually or in-person during our office hours. Currently, our office hours are on Fridays from 9am – 12pm. For more information about the clinic, please contact us at beclinic@bus.wisc.edu.
B&E Clinic Features
Consultant Biographies
Michael Williams
Michael Williams has over 23 years of experience as a financial and operations executive in small, mid-sized and large companies. He has experience in accounting, finance, treasury, sales operations, budgeting and strategic planning. He has direct experience in managing small and mid-sized companies through expansive growth. Mr. Williams is well versed in start-up businesses’ challenges and their specific needs. He also has experience starting and running his own consulting business that helped small to mid-sized companies raise capital for growth. He is currently the Director of Entrepreneurship Activities and the Director of the Business and Entrepreneurship Clinic at the Wisconsin School of Business.
Connor Neikirk
Connor Neikirk is thrilled to join the B&E clinic and support local entrepreneurs in achieving their business goals. Since his first lemonade stand as a child, entrepreneurship has constantly shaped his experiences inspiring him to see opportunities in everyday challenges.
Connor is majoring in Entrepreneurship and Marketing at the Wisconsin School of Business. Connor also continues to run a successful business on eBay which he started over three years ago. Outside of work, Connor enjoys golfing, playing soccer, fishing, and watching sports.
Luke Adams
Luke Adams is excited to join the Business & Entrepreneurship Clinic and support local startups and businesses in reaching their full potential. Majoring in Finance and Entrepreneurship, Luke has been actively engaged with the Madison business community throughout his time at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Luke draws upon valuable experience gained at Interplay Venture Capital, an early stage Venture Capital firm, where he contributed to the identification and development of portfolio companies. He also worked with a search fund, actively sourcing and evaluating acquisition targets, culminating in a successful deal closure. Outside of the classroom, Luke enjoys discussing professional and collegiate sports, exploring new restaurants, and skiing.
David Skadron
David Skadron is excited to join the Business & Entrepreneurship Clinic and support local startups and businesses in reaching their full potential. Majoring in Communications with minors in Digital Studies, Entrepreneurship, and Sports Communications at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, David has been actively engaged with the Madison business community. Outside of the classroom, David enjoys Minnesota sports, exploring the frozen meal selection in grocery stores, and being in nature!
Urmika Banerjee
Urmika Banerjee is an undergraduate student double majoring in Economics and Data Science with a minor in Entrepreneurship. I am passionate about using my analytical skills and expertise in tools like Excel, Power BI, R, and Python to solve business problems and improve performance in various sectors. My interest in combining Economics and Data Science grew during an internship at Engineers India Ltd., where I analyzed the economic viability of renewable energy projects.
My coursework has provided me with a strong foundation in quantitative areas, including data visualization, coding, and econometrics, allowing me to identify business solutions using big data. Outside of academics, I serve as the External President of the university-based dance group “Vivid,” which performs Hip hop and K-pop dance covers on campus and shares them on YouTube.