Business Commons^™

A Review Of The Business Capstone: Working With An Education Program, Hanna Tran

University Honors Theses

This review thesis walks through the business capstone process which is a hands-on experience with a local business client. The business client, Company A, is an arts and education program that has reached out to the School of Business's capstone class to help them improve their reach to potential customers and find alternative funding other than student tuition and donations. To achieve these goals, our group conducted several analyses and thorough research combined with our existing business education. Our findings and final recommendations are shown in presentations and a final report that the business client can utilize for their future …

Yala Designs Marketing Strategy, Anna Buckley

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper dives into the complexities of a sustainable pajama company's social media marketing strategy. This paper also analyzes the strategies of competitors and market leaders in an attempt to formulate suggested strategies based off their success.

Rebranding Lauren Hope Photography, Lauren H. Toomey

Graphic Communication

Lauren Toomey has been building her business, Lauren Hope Photography, for the past six years. During this time, she has developed a website as well as a social media presence, but has yet to establish a clear brand identity. This project served as motivation for Lauren to define her brand identity, which allowed her to create branding guidelines that could then be implemented across print and digital media.

Local Label: Why Localism Matters And A Business Plan To Address It., Sydnie Wilson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The use of technology within business is evolving and increasing in necessity. As large businesses and corporations invest in research and development, innovations, and data analytics, the ability to serve customers more effectively and efficiently increases substantially. Local Label is a solution for this need.

Local Label is a mobile retail app that connects local consumers to all accessories, shoes, and clothes available at local retailers. The app would be a hub for local retailers to promote their apparel and accessories. Local Label leverages its marketing to be in sync with local events, special occasions, and holidays. The app’s front-face …

Social Media Marketing Strategies For Small Businesses: A Comprehensive Guide To Success And Growth, Isaac Deel

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses: A Comprehensive Guide to Success and Growth, explores the use of social media marketing strategies for small businesses.The purpose of this study is to identify specific strategies, techniques, and best practices for successful social media marketing. Social media has become a powerful marketing tool for businesses to promote their products and services. However, small businesses face unique challenges in the marketing landscape, including limited resources and low marketing budgets. Social media provides a low-cost, highly effective way for small businesses to reach new audiences and communicate with potential customers. With the right strategies, …

The Making Of The Vintage Boutique, Lisa Jones

Liberal Studies (MA) Final Essays

Reason

The Vintage Boutique was opened in the city of Danville, Virginia in 2012. This business is listed as a resale and green boutique. The boutique sells gently used vintage and vintaged inspired clothing and accessories. The boutique is unique in that we are using the boutique to teach the community about recycling and honoring our ancestors all in one step. This adventure has been well accepted by the community at large and we are proud to be going into our 10^th year in business.

Problem

I embarked upon this project to bring awareness to the younger generation and …

Effective Business Survival Strategies Among Women-Owned Small And Medium Enterprises After A Natural Disaster, Clorinda Valentina Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women business owners (WBOs) who experience natural disasters face significant challenges, such as disruption of business operations, damage, or detriment to infrastructure, decreased revenue, and low customer confidence. WBOs are concerned with business continuity and the social and economic impact of natural disasters in their communities. Grounded in the resource-based view and marketing entrepreneurship theories, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies WBOs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) use to survive a natural disaster. The participants were four women SME owners in northeast Florida who implemented strategies to maintain business continuity during and after …

Small Beauty Salon Business Strategies For Sustaining Operations Beyond 5 Years, Yolanda Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFifty percent of all small businesses fail within the first 5 years of operation, which includes some small salon business owners who lack effective strategies to sustain and maintain their businesses beyond 5 years. Using contingency theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies some small salon business owners use to sustain and maintain their business beyond 5 years. Five small beauty salon business owners in Georgia were selected based on their strategies to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and public documents from participants’ business websites and social …

Strategies Used By Small Traditional Retail Business Owners For Sustainability, Linda Ogbah Faas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses fail at an alarming rate, negatively affecting job creation because small business owners create a major portion of jobs in the United States. In March of 2020, 274,000 businesses failed in the United States, resulting in 76,000 lost jobs. Owners of small traditional retail stores are significantly challenged to avoid financial failure. Grounded in Schumpeter’s entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies owners of small traditional retail stores used to survive beyond the first 5 years of operations. Participants included five owners of small traditional retail stores in Missouri whose businesses survived …

Informal Education Experiences Of Black Women-Owned Healthcare Small Businesses In Mississippi, Timothy E. Lampkin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Small businesses are critical to the economic success of the United States, and several states, such as Mississippi, have a strong reliance on small business development. Through small, individually owned businesses, the overall economy is enhanced, and the quality of life for many is improved. A growing trend within the small business community is private ownership by Black women. This population segment has dramatically grown in their presence within business ownership, and it is necessary to describe elements of their success. The proposed research focuses on informal education as an enabler of this small business success. Informal education is a …

Helping Small Businesses In Belize, Laura Hollingsworth

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper will discuss my summer internship project with Peacework in Belize. The study abroad Special Projects in Belize with Peacework was supposed to be the summer of 2019. The trip was going to be two months long and while there we were going to get paired with a community leader or a local development organization to work on a community project in Dangriga, Belize. Because of COVID-19, the trip was cancelled for the summer of 2019 and then for the summer of 2020 it was moved to virtual. The Belize team was still paired with people from the community …

Implementing A Micro-Business Internship Program In Dangriga, Belize, Shaadee Shojai

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the Summer, I was able to work with Peacework in Belize through the University of Arkansas. While I was unable to physically go to Belize due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, I feel that I was still able to learn about the culture, in both the casual and business workplace, as well as help the people of Dangriga. The goal of my project was to help consult with the Tourism Department of Dangriga to help develop their small business into businesses that were more appealing to tourists. Unfortunately, most people who own small businesses in Dangriga can’t support themselves with …

Technology Strategies To Sustain Small Business Enterprises Beyond 5 Years, Eunice Colon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall businesses employ over half of the U.S. labor force, yet only 50% of small businesses survive beyond five years. Small business owners who do not sustain their businesses force employees to seek new employment and adversely impact the local economy. Grounded in Porter’s five forces model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore technology strategies used by small businesses to achieve and maintain sustainability beyond the first five years of operations. The participants were four small business owners from Maryland who implemented successful technology strategies to achieve and maintain sustainability for more than five years. …

Strategies For Information Technology Small Business Owners To Sustain Beyond The First 5 Years, Edward Alan Rodarte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses are the foundation of an economy and spawn innovation, but small business owners fail at an alarming rate because they lack strategies to sustain business operations. Since 50% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years, small business sustainability research is critical to support small business owners. Grounded in entrepreneurial theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to identify strategies information technology (IT) small business owners use to sustain operation beyond the first 5 years. The participants included four IT small business owners in the Southwestern United States who sustained operations beyond the first 5 …

Small And Micro Business Resources In The Post-Pandemic Period: A Perspective From Local Bridal Boutique Businesses In West Virginia, Ishtehar Sharif Swazan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In widely dispersed small communities, local and regional businesses dominate West Virginia, an eastern state of the United States in the Appalachian Mountains where small and micro businesses constitute 98.9% of all businesses and contributes 49.1% of the state’s total employment. These businesses create jobs, help build a strong financial position for the state, and promote community-building and social activities. These businesses are unique as they sustain themselves while competing with national and regional retail chains and carving out a customer for themselves. However, the damage caused by the spread of Covid-19 is having a devastating effect on the small …

Evaluating The Entrepreneurship Ecosystem In Stockton, California, Angelina Abella

Master's Projects

In any community, entrepreneurs and small business owners play an important role in the fabric of the community. The concept of “community wealth-building” is the idea that cooperatives, Community Development Financial Institutes (CDFIs), impact investors, and local governments, can “...strengthen locally-rooted and locally-held businesses and investing vehicles…” (Field, 2015, n.p.). It is believed that keeping businesses local results in “...more local tax revenue, more local business activity and more local employment” (Field, 2015, n.p.).

Therefore, supporting an entrepreneur may contribute to the overall quality of life of the community by supporting them, their families, and their employees. This can be …

Innovation Strategies For Rural Micro And Small Businesses, Suzanne K. Larsen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Facing many unique challenges compared to their urban counterparts, rural business owners rely on innovation strategies to successfully operate their businesses. Reflecting only 14% of the population but occupying more than 72% of the geographic United States, the failure of rural business owners jeopardizes the network of goods and services that feed and support the entire nation. Grounded in Castle’s rural capital framework and Van de Ven’s innovation framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies rural small business owners use to ensure business innovation. The participants were eight successful rural small business owners …

Strategies For Reducing Voluntary Employee Turnover In Small Business, Sherale Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners who lack strategies to reduce high rates of voluntary employee turnover experience decreased organizational performance. Grounded in the two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that small business owners use to reduce high voluntary employee turnover to increase organizational performance. Participants were four small business owners from Midwestern Illinois who successfully used strategies to reduce high voluntary employee turnover. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and internal documents and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) employee turnover, (b) job satisfaction, (c) employee engagement, and (d) monetary incentives. A …

Strategies For Using Crowdsourcing As A Product Development Tool To Increase Innovation, Beryl Jessamyn Castillo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFailure to increase innovation and revenue can harm business operations. Small business owners must explore strategies to increase innovation and revenue to remain competitive. Grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business leaders use to successfully integrate crowdsourcing into business operations to increase innovation and revenue. The participants were five small business leaders in northern Utah who engaged in collaboration initiatives to increase innovation and revenue. Data were collected from semistructured face-to-face interviews, member checking, field notes, a review of company documents, and artifacts. Data were analyzed …

Strategies To Reduce Entrepreneurial Burnout, Eva Singleton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout is a threat to small business sustainability. Many small business entrepreneurs start their business endeavors lacking strategies to reduce burnout that could lead to business failure. Grounded in self-leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies small business entrepreneurs use to reduce burnout in their initial three years in business. The participants were four South Carolina licensed barbers in business for a minimum of three years who had successfully implemented strategies to reduce burnout. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and public documents from participants’ business websites and social media. Thematic data analysis resulted …

Strategies For Achieving Sustainability Of Small Business Restaurants, Tanisha Thomas-Beard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small business restaurant owners perform unprofitably and fail within 5 years of opening. Small business restaurant owners are concerned about sustainability as approximately 50% of small businesses that start up do not last beyond the fifth year. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business restaurant owners use to grow and maintain profitability to sustain business beyond 5 years. The participants were five small business restaurant owners in the Southeastern region of the United States who sustained their business beyond 5 years. The data were analyzed using …

Employee Training Strategies For New Technology Implementation In Small Business, Eddy Varela

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to implement new technology creates a barrier to success for small businesses. Small business owners must create competitive advantages by implementing new technology as there is a need to maintain an advantage when competing in the local market economy. Grounded in the human capital theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the employee training strategies small business owners use to implement new technology. The participants were five small business owners in Central Florida who used employee training strategies to implement new technologies Data were collected using (a) semistructured interviews, (b) member checking interviews, (c) …

Strategies To Improve Minority Business Enterprises’ Access To Capital For Competitive Positioning And Profitability, Darlene Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some minority business enterprises (MBEs) have limited capital for setting up their businesses, which often leads to business failure. Grounded in entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies MBEs used to access capital to improve their competitive positioning and profitability. The participants were six MBE owners from Alabama who demonstrated success at maintaining and securing working capital to maintain a profitable business for a minimum of 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and reviews of organization documents and websites. Using Yin’s five-step data analysis process, four themes emerged: owner financing, government loans …

Strategies To Improve Minority Business Enterprises’ Access To Capital For Competitive Positioning And Profitability, Darlene Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some minority business enterprises (MBEs) have limited capital for setting up their businesses, which often leads to business failure. Grounded in entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies MBEs used to access capital to improve their competitive positioning and profitability. The participants were six MBE owners from Alabama who demonstrated success at maintaining and securing working capital to maintain a profitable business for a minimum of 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and reviews of organization documents and websites. Using Yin’s five-step data analysis process, four themes emerged: owner financing, government loans …

Strategies Small-Business Leaders Use To Prevent Employee Fraud, Israel Chand

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee fraud is a crime committed against an employer and results in the loss of a small business's assets, revenues, and reputation. Leaders of small businesses who fail to prevent employee fraud may experience decreased profitability and reputational loss in their community. Grounded in Bandura’s social cogitative theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies that leaders of small businesses use to prevent employee fraud. Data were collected from five small-business leaders in the southeastern United States who applied strategies to prevent employee fraud through interviews and reviews of business documents and archival records. Applying Akinyode …

Empowerment Strategies For Sustaining Small Business Moving Companies, Leroy Jr Peter Fontenette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of empowerment strategies can cause high employee attrition for small moving company owners and lead to business closures within 5 years. Small moving company owners using effective empowerment strategies can reduce attrition and increase business longevity. Grounded in the transformational theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore empowerment strategies three small moving company owners in California used for sustaining their business beyond 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents, such as logistics instruments, a combined agreement contract for moving services, and a freight bill. Using thematic analysis, the three …

Total Quality Management Strategies To Sustain Business Beyond 5 Years, Nida Guzon Palmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small business leaders lack total quality management strategies to sustain their business beyond 5 years. Small business leaders are concerned that their businesses will not survive beyond 5 years without total quality management strategies. Grounded in the Deming 14 points model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business leaders use to sustain their business beyond 5 years of operation. The participants were five small business leaders from Central Valley, California, who sustained their businesses for more than 5 years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a review of company documents. Thematic …

Financial Recordkeeping Strategies For Small Businesses, Dominique Latrice Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small retail business owners with inadequate record-keeping strategies struggle with the success of their businesses. Business owners who do not have the requisite financial knowledge may not have the skills required to manage the financial affairs of their business. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to investigate strategies small retail business owners use to adopt financial record-keeping strategies to sustain a small retail business beyond 5 years. Data were collected from a review of organizational artifacts and semistructured interviews with three retail small business owners who successfully adopted financial record-keeping …

Exploring Strategies For Small Business Owners Operating In A Small Town, Jacqueline Rabb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Brick and mortar small businesses are the hubs of many small towns. However, some small business owners lack strategies to operate in a small town impacted by unstable economic conditions. Brick and mortar small business owners may experience a higher risk of failure if strategies to overcome the challenges of operating in a small town are not effectively implemented. Grounded in the contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies some brick and mortar small business leaders could implement for survival in a post-recession, small-town economy. The participants comprised three small business owners in …

Artisan Tea Project Re-Brand, Alyssa J. Tong

Graphic Communication

Artisan Tea Project, a local cold brew tea pop-up in San Luis Obispo, aims to communicate the brand’s quality, simplicity, and creativity. The company is in need of design collateral that can best market the nuances of their product to target audiences, especially through digital means. The end result of the project is a fully re-branded company with a cohesive brand image that supports the company’s products, mission, and vision.