Senior Business Advisor – Full-Time – Grant-Funded Position

Job Title: Senior Business Advisor – Full-Time – Grant-Funded Position

Supervisor’s Title: Women’s Business Center (BC WBC) Executive Director

Salary: $56,000

Basic Functions

Under the general direction of the Women’s Business Center Executive Director, the Senior Business Advisor assists clients in business creation and expansion of small businesses, with a focus on creating sustainable and profitable businesses. S/he will perform a variety of financial/business management advisement, technical assistance, and related educational services to new and existing small businesses. This position will serve as the Center’s subject matter expert in financial management business advisement.

Principal Accountability

• Interview and assess client’s needs.
• Provide counseling or e-counseling that includes feasibility, financial, regulatory, and operational guidance and technical assistance on the various aspects of starting and expanding a successful small business including, but not limited to:
  • analyzing the specific business and industry data in finance, marketing, management and operations,
  • providing guidance in the development of business plans and financial packages,
  • calculating and interpreting historical and projected financial ratios,
  • reviewing pro forma cash flow and financial statements,
  • troubleshooting to identify problems and areas for improvement,
  • providing guidance on expansion to include employment requirements, government contracting, and technology commercialization, and
  • providing guidance in loan packaging to pre-venture, start-up, or advanced stage existing businesses.
• Develop a resource network to be used in providing referrals to appropriate resources.
• Promote the WBC through presentations to communities and entities.
• Develop relationships with key stakeholders including, but not limited to: SBA, SBDC, banks, community development financial institutions, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, trade groups, and educational institutions.
• Plan and market no- to low-cost training on subjects relevant to small business start-up and growth.
• Recruit government, private and public entities, as well as businesses and businesspersons to provide voluntary presentations and training.
• Assist in the evaluation of programs’ and services’ effectiveness and impact.
• Ensure timely and accurate counseling data input into the Center’s client information management system (i.e., NeoSerra).

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• High financial proficiency
• Proven experience as a business advisor/consultant or equivalent
• Familiarity with business management software (e.g., CRM, ERP, etc.) and databases
• Proficient in MS Office.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Analytical mind with excellent data collection and analysis skills.
• Aptitude in creative problem-solving.

Minimum Training and Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Management, Accounting or related field
• Founder-friendly approach and knowledge of the entrepreneurial ecosystem
• Execution-focused with a sense of urgency, solutions orientation, and resourcefulness

Preferred Experience

• Two to five years of experience as a successful business consultant
• Proven experience working with business start-ups, expansions, and turn-around problem-solving.
• Solid understanding of the life cycles of a successful business.