FAQ

An ideal client is typically a business looking to scale, optimise operations, or explore new growth strategies.
We seek clients who are collaborative, open to new ideas, and ready to engage actively with our student teams.

Possibly. Before you open your doors and get started, it’s essential to have a range of strategies for gaining leads, driving conversion, and managing expenses. If you have a clear understanding of your business model, or at least its first iteration, then we encourage you to apply as we can help you craft or improve those plans.

However, if you’re still in the stages of figuring out what you’ll actually be selling and where your revenue will be coming from, the BDC might not be the right fit for you at this time. This ensures that our program can provide the most value to businesses ready to implement and refine their strategies.

No, we welcome clients from anywhere around the globe.

The BDC has collaborated with clients from all across Victoria, Australia, and internationally, including regions like India and Europe.

Our students are equipped to meet with you virtually using platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, making it convenient for your schedule and ensuring effective collaboration regardless of geographical location.

Short Answer: No, not really.

Longe Answer: At the Deakin Business Development Clinic, we aim for a holistic consulting experience rather than tackling pre-scoped projects. Our approach involves allowing students to conduct a full analysis of your business through a comprehensive “Health Check,” identify growth opportunities, and develop strategic solutions.

This process ensures that students gain a complete 360-degree consulting experience, which allows them to discover and address the most impactful areas for profit enhancement.

We encourage you to enter the program with an open mind, a blank slate, and a readiness to explore the paths our student consultants recommend for boosting profitability.

[If you have a specific problem you’d like tackled, we suggest looking into our Deakin ABC program here, which might better suit your needs for targeted problem-solving.]

Student teams are closely supervised by experienced faculty members and industry professionals who provide ongoing guidance and support throughout the project duration. You can learn more about them here.

The process begins with an initial consultation to understand your business and identify key areas for improvement. This is followed by a deep-dive analysis, strategy development, and culminates in a detailed presentation of recommended solutions and an actionable implementation plan.

Read more about how the program runs here.

Short Answer: About 4-5hours.

Long Answer: Having refined our process over many years, we have streamlined the client involvement to just a few hours of your time, ensuring it is both efficient and impactful.

The program begins for clients with a 90-minute meet-and-greet kick-off meeting, where our student consultants gather a comprehensive understanding of your business.

Over the next six weeks, as our students delve deeper into their analysis, your involvement will mainly consist of responding to a few emails and possibly attending some brief meetings to clarify their findings.

The program concludes with a 30-minute presentation where the students will pitch their strategic solutions to you.

Interactions and meetings with students are primarily conducted virtually, including project presentations.

While there are occasional opportunities for face-to-face meetings if logistics allow, the typical mode of communication is through virtual platforms such as Zoom, Teams, as well as phone and email.

This setup ensures flexibility and accessibility for all parties involved, accommodating various schedules and locations.

While the full program for students runs for 8-10 weeks, clients are actively involved from weeks 3 through 10.

From the client’s perspective, the active engagement period is approximately 6 weeks.

This timeframe ensures that clients can see significant progress and results without a prolonged commitment, fitting conveniently within a single university trimester.

Businesses can expect actionable strategies tailored to their specific challenges, deeper insights into their operations, and innovative solutions that are designed to enhance profitability and efficiency

Read more about how the program runs here.

There is no financial cost for businesses to participate – just a little bit of your time.

Our model is built on providing real-world experience to our students while offering valuable strategic insights to businesses.

Yes, there is a small selection process to ensure a good fit between the business challenges and the educational objectives of our students.

Interested businesses need to apply and discuss their specific needs with our coordinators – but don’t worry it’s not a hard gauntlet to run. There’s a 99.8% chance if you apply, you’ll be a fit.

Register and express your Interest to join an upcoming program cohort and start your journey towards increased profitability and efficiency here.