Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Alternative Modes Of Entry And Unexpected Events In Franchising, Alexander Rosado-Serrano, Antonio Navarro-García

Journal of Global Business Insights

Store-in-store franchising or corner franchising is the application of a franchise format within another business, such as big box retailers, supermarkets, and gas stations; and pop-up stores are temporary store formats opened in shopping malls or other venues for a short period. Despite the regular application of these strategies by franchisers, the academic literature on store-in-store franchising and pop-up stores is relatively limited. There is a particular need after the COVID-19 outbreak to construct new lenses through which to explore how these modes of entry adapt to the new environment of business interruptions and border closures. Motivated by this research ...

Executive Peer Advisory Groups: Who They Are? What Are Their Benefits? Why Do Members Join And Stay?, Andrew Feghali

Dissertations

Executive peer advisory groups (EPAGs) are exclusive organizations in which chief executive officers (CEOs) and presidents of businesses can problem solve business challenges, discuss business strategies, share best practices, and solve critical growth and performance issues. Executive peer advisory groups are based on the premise that the collective experience and resources of peer groups empower like-minded executives to solve challenges more effectively and more rapidly than they could do on their own. A key component of EPAGs is the forum, in which six to 16 members meet, typically monthly, in small-group sessions to function as each other’s personal advisory ...

Getting Ahead And Getting Along In Entrepreneurial Networks: Network Effects Of The “Dark” And “Light” Sides Of Personality In New Venture Performance, Victoria Antin Yates

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how dark and light personality traits influence venture performance via mediating effects of social structure. Because entrepreneurship is an inherently social process, theoretical perspectives of social network theory and social comparison theory are used to examine how entrepreneurs’ dark and light personality traits interact with personality traits of socially proximal others to influence venture performance via network structure. These perspectives are drawn together using socioanalytic theory. This dissertation argues that agreeableness and narcissism interact with the personality traits of network others at the group-level to influence structural hole positioning within entrepreneurial networks; in turn, structural holes are ...

Veteran Entrepreneurs – Founder Social Identities, Edward Papabathini

College of Business Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, entrepreneurs assume a pivotal role in creating jobs, driving innovation and productivity growth, and contributing to the success of the national economy. An often-overlooked segment of this population, Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces create nearly $1 trillion in cash receipts, employ nearly six million Americans, and lead one of every six entrepreneurial initiatives. This study was an investigation of the founder social identities of the 10% of veterans who become entrepreneurs: Darwinism, communitarian, and missionary. Additionally, this study was a means to assess the relationship between specific identities, innovation, financing pattern, and entrepreneurial commitment ...

Creating A Healthy Rural Ecosystem For Community Vitality: Developing Rural Community Business Research, Karalyn Kutzer, Dr. Emily Newell

Thinking Matters Symposium

The objective of this project is to create a model of and mechanism for statewide, systematic data collection to support workforce development pathways for P-20 students in rural Maine to ensure the long-term vitality and success of these communities. Businesses, as sites of financial and social capital development, can be more thoughtfully calibrated to local workforce needs in these communities. However, data is not currently made available to businesses and community leaders that would allow them to make thoughtful decisions about how to use community resources and time in order to create these partnerships. Businesses and economic growth in rural ...

A Seminar For Student Leaders To Engage And Retain Members In Student-Led Organizations, Luke Mcpherson

Honors Theses

The challenge of attracting and maintaining members in student-led organizations (SLO) inspired this thesis. Current research literature was used to create a presentation for student leaders. The presentation applied marketing principles as well as best practices suggested by the research. Interviews with four student leaders and two administrators involved in student activities were conducted to interact with the research. Their insights suggested that the strongest factor in attracting students was social, whether personal invitation or a sense of belonging to the group. The strongest deterrent to participation was a perception that the benefits did not outweigh time commitments to school ...

Conway Properties Llc, Cody Conway

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis shows the business model for Conway Properties, LLC.

Arclothmasks: A Pandemic Startup Journey, Adam Jackson

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

Covid-19 changed the way the world operated when it became a pandemic in 2020. The need for personal protection equipment was unexpected and suppliers were not prepared for the demand. The government mandate of masks furthered the need of PPE across the nation. To help fill this shortage, many companies began to retool their manufacturing processes from clothing to masks. This thesis will dive into one PPE company and its journey from the start of the pandemic. The business plan for the company will follow it along with graphs and charts that help tell the tale of the startup.

Business Plan: Refuge Coffee, Zachary Lewandowski

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Refuge Coffee will be the premier vendor of high-quality and sustainably sourced specialty coffee in Springdale, Arkansas. Its mission is to improve lives by providing a space that reflects the community—a space in which ideas, beliefs, attitudes, and values can be exchanged, with coffee acting as a common denominator. Refuge Coffee will offer specialty coffee beverages, locally baked goods, and merchandise to consumers. We intend to partner with Canopy NWA, a refugee resettlement organization that aims to welcome and equip refugees with all they need to build new lives, through the means of employment for refugees and the continuous ...

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 ...

For The Kingdom, Jack Conway

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

For The Kingdom is a tabletop board game that I have developed for my thesis. In my thesis, I would like to cover three areas that have been crucial to the development of the game- the guidebook created to support and facilitate the board game, the changes made due to player feedback and testing, and the potential paths to getting the game to the market. Before Talking about those three areas, however, I will first describe the games genre and a bit about my approach to developing it.

Insomnovation – Natural Sleep Solutions Business Plan, Nikolas Limperis

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Currently, 70 million Americans suffer from some sort of sleep issues from trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and daytime drowsiness. However, the sleep solutions on the market today are either highly artificial or only address the symptoms of sleep issues rather than the underlying cause. This is what Insomnovation seeks to address. By providing supplementation to seven key vitamins and minerals, Insomnovation hopes to bring a natural solution to put the issue of sleep disorders to rest.

Event Planning: Understanding The Process Through Gained Experience And Research, Taylor M. Ansuini

Creative Studies Graduate Student Master's Projects

Event Planning: Understanding the Process Through Gained Experience and Research

Event planning is a complex and challenging job as it requires a creative, driven individual who excels as a multitasker and problem solver. The focus of this master’s project is to engage in a deeper understanding and gain volunteer experience as part of an event planner’s team in preparation for a desired future career in the field. Both communication with and opportunities to work with local event planners assisted with accelerating experience and insight into the field of event planning. The outcomes of the project include insights into ...

The Many Sides Of Social Capital: How Social Capital Is Related To Entrepreneurship?, Vivian M. Williams

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study explores two questions about the relationship between social capital and entrepreneurship that have not received much attention. The first is, how different dimensions of social capital relate to entrepreneurship? The second is, to what extent community social capital is related to the level of entrepreneurship among marginal and dominant members of a community? Social capital is the benefits derived from social connections. We know about the positive aspects of the relationship between social capital but it is also important to examine if there are negative effects. Further, community social capital, which is the aggregate level of social capital ...

Daan Go: An Entrepreneurial Case Study, Clifford Chuck Long Lam

Major Papers

Daan Go is a brand of Euro-Asian food services, now consisting of only its specialty bakery Daan Go Cake Lab. Having various retail locations across the Greater Toronto Area with current distribution channels that serve both Ontario and Quebec, Daan Go is currently focusing on expanding its bakery operations across Canada. To fulfill its vision of becoming a world-wide desserts brand, Daan Go finds itself facing unique challenges. Based on a case analysis, this report examines how Daan Go can leverage its current key capabilities, while maintaining its competitive position within the niche market it serves.

This report provides an ...

Characteristics Of Effectively Farmer Groups To Manage Agricultural Machinery Rental Business: A Multi-Case Study Approach, Sri Hanggana, Suwarto Suwarto, Bandi Bandi, Sapja Anantanyu

The Qualitative Report

The Ministry of Agriculture provides machinery grants to farmer groups to accelerate agricultural mechanization and rental business capital. Therefore, this study aims to identify the characteristics of farmer groups that were effective in managing agricultural machinery rental businesses. This study used qualitative methods, a multi-case approach, and thematic analysis. The locations were the farmer groups in Kebakkramat District. The Informants from agricultural extension civil servants were selected according to their place of duty. Informants from the chairpersons and members were determined using the snowball sampling method. The data collection techniques used in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. There were two ...

Creation Of A Home Bakery: A Business Plan, Erika Prusak

Honors Projects

Nothing exemplifies business knowledge more than creation of a business plan, and subsequently, creation of a business. Both pull together business knowledge of marketing, management, accounting, business law, supply chain, and finance. Business knowledge is then tied together with the mentality needed of an entrepreneur to tackle challenges and thrive for the moments when everything works out perfectly. Completing a business plan will organize my ideas and help me see my business clearly. It will help me identifies areas that I need to research more as well as areas I cannot figure out until I start it. My business plan ...

Future Proofing Entrepreneurship In The Arab World, Haya Al-Dajani

Arab Economic and Business Journal

This conceptual article proposes a cooperative entrepreneurship framework with a producer cooperative enterprise start-up model to contribute to addressing the complex consequences of the social, political and economic challenges affecting the Arab world. The article argues that the adoption of a producer cooperative enterprise start-up model will contribute to future proofing entrepreneurship in the Arab world, and avoid a return to a preference for public sector employment that will stifle the sustainable social and economic development of the region. As such, the article contributes to bridging the gap in the literature on entrepreneurship start up support initiatives and models in ...

After Writing 730 Newspaper Columns Over 13 Years –Important Lessons Learned And Advice To Others, Don Daake, Edward Piatt

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Dr. Don Daake, Ph.D. (Florida State 1995), Business Professor Emeritus, and Dr. Edward Piatt, Ed.D. (ONU 2011), MBA Adjunct, share their secrets about writing and actually getting published. They are particularly interested in faculty and students who would like to join them as co-authors or anyone who enjoys writing and wants to get published. To paraphrase an old adage, "If a tree falls in the forest with no ears to hear, does it make a sound. It matters not for the tree has fallen." Our version “If you write something and practically no one reads it, have you ...

Paperback Coffee Co., Brevin Brands

Celebration of Research

The purpose of this project was to research, develop, and refine a business plan for a coffee shop located in Orange City, Iowa. The result of research yielded Paperback Coffee Co. The coffee shop will be near Northwestern College’s campus in Orange City. The mission of Paperback Coffee Co is to provide students attending Northwestern College a safe, entertaining, and relaxing late-night hangout and study location where they are able to experience great coffee and be a part of an uplifting community in an off-campus environment.