Entrepreneurial Program Advisor

Small Business Advising at HCC Alief Hayes

Schedule to meet with an Advisor on Tuesdays (by appointment only)

Whether you are just starting a business or expanding an established business, the HCC Northwest Center for Entrepreneurship can assist you. We offer aspiring and existing entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a business counselor at our Center for Entrepreneurship at the HCC Alief Hayes Campus.

We provide business counseling through our Entrepreneur in Residence and our strategic partners SCORE and Silver Fox Advisors. We can also schedule mentoring appointments with strategic partners such as Constant Contact (regarding eMarketing) and with funders such as Wallis State Bank, Amegy Bank and LiftFund to assist you in building relationships to seek funding to start or grow your business. We are here to help you succeed. Meet with a business counselor to develop your business plan, discuss a new idea or tackle a business problem.

To schedule an appointment:

    • Email us at: c43@hccs.edu or call Sabiha Patwa at 713.718.6650.
    • Time:  9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. All appointments are booked in advance. NO walk-ins.
    • Place: 2811 Hayes Road, Houston, TX 77082, Center for Entrepreneurship, HCC Alief Hayes Campus, Third Floor, Suite A321
    • Cost:  There is no charge for business advising, although we do expect you to do your part and take action to further your plans between sessions to start or grow your business. Each session will last 30 minutes to one hour. We are interested in your progress, so follow-up sessions are encouraged.

Your Experience can Empower our Entrepreneurs

The Houston City College Center for Entrepreneurship is preparing for the 19th annual HCC Business Plan Competition. We accept proposed, startup and existing companies who are entering to create refined and polished plans to start and/or grow their businesses.

Twenty-five entrepreneur teams will be accepted into the 2026 Competition. Each team (of 1 to 5 contestants) will move through the competition training and advising from late February through April. Each of the contestant teams will be matched with two expert Advisors. If you are selected as an Advisor, you will be matched to a team based on your preferences and the team’s business concept and needs.

Advisors are critical to the success of the Competition

  • Encourage contestants to meet deadlines and complete competition;
  • Review contestants’ work regularly;
  • Advise and guide contestants pointing out deficiencies and making suggestions;
  • Lead by example: meet commitments, keep contestant(s) positive, encourage timeliness and complete work, follow-up on status of suggestions made at previous meeting; and
  • Serve as a Business Plan Reviewer.

Give the Business Plan Contestants the advice and guidance you wish you had when you started or wanted to grow your business.

  • Your time commitment is about 25 hours between February and May of the current competition year.
  • Optional Attendance for Business Plan Competition Reception
  • Advisor Orientation
  • Five Contestant Training Sessions: Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
  • Meetings with Contestants – Four meetings of two hours each throughout the competition – usually held immediately before or after one of the training sessions.
  • Optional Attendance at Business Plan Pitches (if your team makes the finals!)
  • Optional Attendance at Awards Ceremony in June.

Join other experienced entrepreneurial, business and technology experts by applying to become an Advisor today. We will respond to your application shortly after you submit it with questions or acceptance into the Advisor cohort.

Advisors are a powerful and sustaining thread in the program; as an Advisor you will have an opportunity to help entrepreneurs of all ages who are entering the HCC Business Plan Competition to take expert advice and use it to become more successful.

Apply to become an Advisor Today