Are you considering going to school to help you with getting your business started? While heading back to college is a great way to gain the business skills you need to start your own business, you might be interested in checking into the possibility of pairing up with a major corporation to help you make your business ownership dreams a reality.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, there are a number of large corporations that are still actively participating in programs to assist small business owners, despite the current economic climate. The reasons are simple: not only does this type of assistance help promising young companies get the break they need to make it in the industry, it also helps major corporations form beneficial partnerships with potential suppliers.

Take I.B.M., for example. According to the article, I.B.M. is currently working with a small company called Green Ink Communications. By mentoring the company for 18 months, I.B.M. can essentially develop a supplier who can meet the company’s specific needs and that will be willing to form a long-term relationship with the major corporation.

This isn’t the first year that I.B.M. has participated in mentoring projects, however. In fact, the company has been doing this since 2003 and claims to have helped 50 small companies through the program so far. Of course, getting your company selected for the program isn’t a simple task.

“We identify those with good management, and match them with one of our executives to work with them on identifying and developing two or three business areas to focus on improving,” said Michael K. Robinson, who is the director of I.B.M.’s mentoring program, in the New York Times article.

I.B.M. isn’t the only company participating in these programs. In fact, a group of 16 major corporations has come together with I.B.M. to form the Billion Dollar Roundtable, which is dedicated to helping minority and women-owned companies. Each member of the roundtable contributes a whopping $1 billion or more to the cause.

If you are interested in getting a helping hand with your business ventures, there are many programs for you to look into pursuing. Some of these include:

· I.B.M’s Corporate Supplier Diversity Program
· Home Depot’s Corporate Supplier Diversity Program
· The National Minority Supplier Development Council
· Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

By contacting The National Minority Supplier Development Council, which partners with Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, you may have the opportunity to get paired up with a corporate member through its Advanced Management Education Program. Through this program, small businesses participate in a four-day program during which corporate members teach them the skills they need to help their business grow. The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth offers a similar program, which lasts for two weeks, and focuses on teaching specific skills each year. Although this program costs $8,500, Tuck offers $4,000 for minority participants to help offset the cost.

If you are ready to take your business skills to the next level, however, it might be time to earn a business degree. Visit the Top-Colleges home page to get started.