Do I have to live in NY to volunteer? 
No! At this time and because of the global pandemic, our program is running virtually. We encourage all volunteers and small business owners to connect virtually.

Does Start Small Think Big provide resources to help us get started?  
Yes! For each project or consultation, you will receive a resource to get you started (e.g. creative brief template for website and logo design). If you need additional resources, please reach out to your program contact. 

How do I get in touch with the small business owners? 
Approved volunteers will be given the contact information of the small business owner they are working with. Our team will orient you to the communication expectations based on the type of volunteering you’re doing. Communication from Start Small Think Big is mostly through emails. Once you are connected, you can decide to hold meetings over the phone or via video conference and send updates via email. 

Does the small business pay for the service? Will I get paid to volunteer?  
Small business owners access our services for free. In addition, volunteers offer their time pro bono and are not allowed to charge small business owners for their time or raise expectations of future fees (i.e. soft sell). If a project requires a small business owner to incur costs (e.g. printing business cards, purchasing a website domain, paying for Quickbooks, and incorporation or trademark filing fees), those costs fall on the small business owner. 

How much experience do I need? What are the skillsets you are looking for? 
The experience required varies by program: Marketing volunteers should be knowledgable in the services they wish to provide, those looking to provide logo design and website design services should have an active portfolio and around 3 years of experience. Finance volunteers should at least be analysts, associates and/or upward early career financial professionals with experience in Financial Analysis and Projections (eg. financial statements, spreadsheets, simple modeling/forecasting) and Bookkeeping and Accounting (eg. financial statements, familiarity with Quickbooks/Wave or other small business bookkeeping software)

What time commitment is expected?
Volunteers get to opt in according to the schedules that fit their lifestyle. The specific time commitment varies depending on the project and consultation. Please note, all projects and consultations have a limited scope and duration, our team will orient you on the expectations based on the type of volunteering you’re doing.

What is my liability during my volunteer engagement?
All small businesses we work with sign a liability release form before they accept our services and volunteers are released from any liability arising from or related to the services they offer to small businesses.