Streamlining HBSCNY's Small Business Initiative
Harvard Business School Club of New York
The Harvard Business School Club of New York (HBSCNY) sought to improve its Small Business Program Initiative (SBPI), a consulting service offered pro bono to small businesses. They encountered issues with manual communication, scattered data, and slow volunteer onboarding, prompting a need to streamline their operations while enhancing the experiences of both volunteers and clients. To address these challenges, they developed a custom no-code platform that incorporated Airtable, Softr, and Make (Integromat) to automate essential tasks. Airtable functioned as a centralized database for volunteers, clients, and projects, facilitating automated onboarding and project assignments. Softr created a secure portal for real-time access to information and communication, and Make was responsible for automating verifications and notifications. The results were immediate and profound: administrative burdens decreased substantially, enabling the team to concentrate on delivering quality consultations. The program experienced rapid growth, onboarding 180 clients and 32 volunteers in the first four months of 2023, compared to 150 clients and 25 volunteers for all of 2022. The turnaround time for consultations was reduced by half, while client feedback scores improved significantly. The success of this new system has led to opportunities for its use in other HBSCNY programs, demonstrating the transformative capabilities of no-code solutions. This case study highlights how innovative technology and effective workflow design can resolve operational challenges and create new opportunities for growth and impact.