Other articles by Bruce Freeman:

Creativity will make your gift to customers stand out Small-Business Professor If stacks of snail mail await you, online bill pay's one way to cope How to meet other owners of businesses Writing a piece on related topic a good way to get PR Devise pithy 1-minute pitch for your firm Blog can be useful to attract customersPrevent employee theft by getting involved in cash handling Spot on Internet now important as a phone number Thank-you note costs very little, but payoff is big

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Q I am a small-business person. I own a pizzeria which is doing fine. I have four people making the pizzas, two people serving and one person delivering the telephone orders. I have been considering two expansion options, either adding a formal dining area with a full menu or opening up one or two more pizza shops.

A There is no better time to be asking for help. At last there is a growing trend among economic-development agencies across the nation who are starting to chase (and support) the entrepreneurs who can create the next big business instead of chasing the big business that are often just seeking tax credits. The concept is called Economic Gardening.

The Economic Gardening concept, first developed in Littleton, Colo., in 1987 is an innovative approach to economic development that helps local businesses grow by providing them customized market analysis and data that open the door to new growth opportunity. The fundamental principle of Economic Gardening is to build the business base from the inside out by providing support to local entrepreneurs and businesses.

University-based entrepreneurship programs across the country that are looking to offer their students' unique learning opportunities have made consulting programs available to their communities. David Des-places, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at the School of Business and Economics at the College of Charleston, co-founded such an initiative called the Connecticut Economic Gardening Group (CT-EGG) in Hartford that he hopes to duplicate for Charleston County, S.C., in the years to come.

"We created a win-win-win situation where students turned consultants developed competitive intelligence reports, market analysis and business assessments," he said.

The concept is designed to leverage a collaborative group of private, public and academic resources to provide these services in support of business-development initiatives, realizing that sustaining a robust and vibrant regional economy is largely dependent on job growth and an ability to compete in the competitive market environment (like your pizzeria).

Fred Wergeles, president and co-founder of CT-EGG, explains that, "This partnership leverages the intellectual capital of universities and its surrounding communities. These much-needed consulting services are provided free to businesses. Student consultants work to provide businesses with actionable solutions to their problem." Under the direction and supervision of both faculty and project managers, both graduate and undergraduate students can provide the above support services to entrepreneurs and growing businesses. Simply call your local university or college.

For further information, please visit www.CT-EGG.org.