The consulting program works with teams of MBA candidates assembled to assess the needs of the various urban enterprises.

In choosing clients--who rarely pay for the professional advice--the ICIC attempts to create a core group of businesses that it feels can provide a foundation for economic growth in the area.

The original benchmark studies, like the one now being done in Miami, often provide the direction for future consulting efforts.

"We do this detailed research, which gives us a clear road map as to how to leverage our program activity," Habiby says.

Aside from simply providing services, the ICIC has introduced high-profile corporate partners to many of its clients.

Miller says that his auto-parts company has benefited enormously from its new partnership with Textron Inc., a multi-national corporation based in Providence, R.I., that ICIC introduced to his firm.

Start-Up Problems

But such successes have come after a series of initial difficulties.

Last year, Luis Soto's Selmac Food Distribution was just the type of company that the ICIC was looking to help.

Specializing in ethnic foods distributed to Boston bodegas--local grocery stores--Soto was set to capitalize on untapped markets.

An ICIC team from HBS offered to help Soto in the initial stages of his company.

The group conducted research on the firm, examined demographic data and was able to help Selmac focus its marketing.

Unfortunately, the MBA candidates could not prevent the firm from closing later that year.

Soto says that the HBS team was extremely helpful but was unable to solve his more personnel problems.

"The location was excellent, the building was excellent, the problem was that we didn't have the expertise," Soto says. "We just didn't know how to do it."