Buffalo, N.Y., MBA Students Survive Year after Winning Business Start-up Award.

Byline: Matt Glynn

Nov. 19--They've rented modest office space in East Aurora, lined up clients and lost track of how many hours they're spending at their jobs each week.

It's exactly what the founders of Student Voice signed up for.

"This is what we do all day," said Eric Reich, the president.

One year ago, as University at Buffalo MBA students, Reich, Michael Weisman and Matthew Worden won a UB entrepreneurial awards competition and $25,000 in seed capital. Today they're living out their idea: conducting surveys of college students for universities and corporations.

Student Voice equips college students with hand-held personal digital assistants to survey their peers on campus. The fledgling company plays up its ability to gather data quickly and its high survey participation rate, since students are the ones asking the questions.

Each of the three founders is 25 years old. But the venture doesn't fit the stereotype of the start-up that comes out of nowhere, seeks no guidance, blows money on a foosball table, and vanishes.

The Student Voice founders say they've spent their company's money carefully. They've formed partnerships and made deals to keep costs down. For instance, they received an $8,000 commercial …