Student consultants' resource use in small business deliverables: A case study from the Illinois business consulting program at the University of Illinois

The small business literature and business education literature contain many case studies of students consulting with small business owners and entrepreneurs. However, there appears to be no examination of the types of information resources that students use to support their recommendations to clients. The author attempts to begin addressing this gap in the literature by examining reports or "deliverables" prepared for small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures by one student consulting group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The findings regarding the number, nature, and context of the information resources used by the students may provide insights for librarians who support student consulting groups or who engage in outreach to small businesses and entrepreneurs.