Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations 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 …

How To Grow My Business On Social Media, Thomas Vehige

Honors Theses

This thesis discussed goals, strategies and tactics to expand an existing freelance sports videography business into a more robust business through the use of targeted social media campaigns. Author discusses demographic choices, social media platform selection and goals for thoughtful evaluation of opportunities and core competencies.

Creative Brief For Bliss Cupcake Cafe, Maggie Moore

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The baking and culinary industry is growing. In fact, in 2020, the market size of the global baking industry was $331.37 billion and is projected to reach $436.91 billion by 2026. Although the recent pandemic made those in the hospitality field struggle due to the canceling of special events such as birthday party gatherings, weddings, and holiday events, the industry is coming back stronger than pre-pandemic times through implementing new practices such as online ordering and delivery practices. With this, in the recent years, supply chain disruptors and inflation have caused materials and labor costs to increase and can be …

Bridging The Gap Between Skidmore Students And Local Businesses, Charlotte Benson

Self-Determined Majors Final Projects

Skidmore students are an underutilized customer base for small businesses in Saratoga Springs. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the purchasing behaviors of Skidmore students in order to determine how local small businesses can better attract them as customers. Current Skidmore students were surveyed and interviewed to ascertain overarching patterns in their purchasing habits. Results show that word of mouth and social media are influential at Skidmore, but are underutilized by local businesses. Findings also suggest that purchasing habits are largely formed during students’ first year at Skidmore. Finally, interview and survey results indicate that Skidmore students most …

Dunites Wine Company: Digital Redesign, Alexandra Messner

Graphic Communication

This project is a digital redesign for Dunites Wine Company, a small San Luis Obispo wine brand. By improving their website usability and consistency, Dunites Wine Co. can generate excitement and awareness about their brand. The end deliverables will include photography, refreshed branding, and an updated website.

Blackstone Launchpad University Of Montana Strategic Analysis/Jacob Treece Honors Capstone Report, Jacob R. Treece

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Mother Lou Studio: Branding For A Handcrafted Jewelry Business, Amanda K. Hall

Graphic Communication

In the height of the pandemic I gained interest in jewelry-making. Needing a new hobby, I researched the many methods of making jewelry and soon began practicing the craft. Sand casting became a form of meditation, and I hope to gain more experience in silver smithing in the near future. For my senior project, I wanted to combine my personal, creative abilities with the skills I have learned through my Graphic Communication courses. This project showcases my design and business skills, while building a unique brand that will be a part of my future career.

The Significance Of Sonic Branding To Strategically Stimulate Consumer Behavior: Content Analysis Of Four Interviews From Jeanna Isham’S “Sound In Marketing” Podcast, Ina Beilina

Student Theses and Dissertations

Purpose:
Sonic branding is not just about composing jingles like McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It.” Sonic branding is an industry that strategically designs a cohesive auditory component of a brand’s corporate identity. This paper examines the psychological impact of music and sound on consumer behavior reviewing studies from the past 40 years and investigates the significance of stimulating auditory perception by infusing sound in consumer experience in the modern 2020s.

Design/methodology/approach:
Qualitative content analysis of audio media was used to test two hypotheses. Four archival oral interview recordings from Jeanna Isham’s podcast “Sound in Marketing” featuring the sonic branding experts …

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.

A Sweet Future For Sugar Makery: A Deeper Dive Into Small Business Consulting, Samuel Lauritsen

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This case study investigates a local candy store in Glenwood and Council Bluffs Iowa. Processes, consistency and concise planning promoted the rapid growth of Sugar Makery into two locations in three short years. Results from the analyses indicate that the main problem facing Sugar Makery is sustaining its differentiated strategy from new industry entrants, key recommendations to sustain its success are presented. Every company has its own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The key is identifying each to be able to capitalize on competitive advantages, mitigate the damage done by weaknesses, take advantage of opportunities and create plans to avoid …

The Use Of Social Media For Marketing By Independent Musicians, Jessica E. Martinez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many musicians have social media presences, but not many know how to begin or how to market their music. Instead, artists find themselves searching for other forms to help them market their music. This leads them to overspend on expensive services in hopes that they can get their names more known. Musicians may feel discouraged when they don’t see the results they hope for, especially online and with other competitors. Because of this, musicians feel less confident in their success in the music industry. There is an imbalance between what the musician wants to achieve and what they need. …

Solución Para El Control Interno En Microempresas Por Medio Del Modelo Adaptado De Control Interno Para Microempresas Colombianas Basado En El Modelo Coco, Luisa María Delgado Caita, Ginary Lorena Chacón Cruz

Contaduría Pública

Mediante un estudio realizado a microempresas se confirmó la hipótesis de que este tipo de empresas en su mayoría no llevan un modelo de control interno o ningún sistema que permita tener un control sobre los procesos ejecutados dentro de la organización; debido a esta situación, se crea una cartilla que fomente en micro empresas la ejecución del control interno con distintos componentes, que además concuerden con los ya propuestos en los modelos anteriormente creados y adaptados que resultan más sencillos de llevar a cabo; ya que las microempresas tiene un nivel inferior de estandarización; estas requieren un sistema distinto …

A Podcasting Series On Employing Podcasts As An Effective Marketing Method For Small Businesses, Sevohn Alexis Bree Hunter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This time has been called the "Golden Age" of podcasting. The number of people listening to podcasts continues to grow year after year as the medium itself continues to evolve. The ability to target specific, or niche, audiences is one reason why podcasting is so attractive to consumers. This also makes podcasts useful for small businesses. Like podcasts, small businesses can target niche audiences and cater to specific needs. The purpose of this project was to investigate the benefits of podcast marketing as it pertains to the uncertainty reduction theory and to create a podcast that can serve as a …

Analysis Of The Podcast Industry And Business Growth Of Upside.Fm, Alyson Stoll, Katelyn Stanoch, John Skakun, Samantha Heim, Maanasa Humchad

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper explores the podcast industry with a focus on business related podcasts about entrepreneurship and startup businesses. The paper works to analyze the podcast industry and midwestern startup cities in order to assist podcast company, Upside.fm, in expanding their business model. The two main ideas researched throughout the paper are consumer behaviors in the podcast industry and the entrepreneurial ecosystems of multiple midwestern cities in the U.S including, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kansas City, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Indianapolis, Indiana. For the consumer behavior aspect of the research, a survey was conducted and analyzed to discover what podcast listeners enjoy and …

Web Analytics: Best Practices For An Organization’S Successful Performance; A Preliminary Analysis, Salma Dahbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research presents an exploratory study concerning organizations’ best practices of Web analytics for a successful performance and the factors influencing the companies’ successful adoption of Web analytics.

A qualitative research methodology was used engaging a comprehension of Web analytics adoption using the Diffusion of Innovation theory (Rogers, 1995) and the theory building approach (Eisenhardt, 1989). Interviews with five companies from different industries were conducted.

Findings suggest that for a successful performance, companies should consider:

• Data for better decision making.

• Web analytics barriers

• Selecting the right KPIs and metrics based on the company’s goals.

• Web analytics …

Elaboración Y Diseño De Un Plan Estratégico Para La Empresa Familiar Lechonería Los Morales, Jeimy Katerin Heredia López, Yenyfer Lizzeth Morales González

Administración de Empresas

No abstract provided.

Plan De Negocios Para El Diseño De Una Empresa De Productos Y Servicios Realizados Con Maquinaria Industrial En La Ciudad De Bogotá, Alisson Danitza Morales Guauque, Diego Felipe Argote Realpe

Administración de Empresas

No abstract provided.

Perfil Del Comprador Y Percepción Respecto A Las Frutas Y Hortalizas Que Se Ofrecen En Los Mercados Campesinos De Plaza De Los Artesanos Y Parque De Alcalá En La Ciudad De Bogotá, César David Aranda Quimbaya

Administración de Agronegocios

Los mercados campesinos constituyen una alternativa para la venta de los productos de pequeños productores, y la compra de alimentos más sanos. En Bogotá, los mercados campesinos son una estrategia, dentro de la política de seguridad alimentaria, necesaria por su aporte a los productores y consumidores. El presente trabajo, tiene como objetivo establecer, en dos de los mercados campesinos realizados en Bogotá por la Secretaría Distrital de Desarrollo Económico, representativos por su valor de ventas, Plaza de los Artesanos y Parque de Alcalá, el perfil del comprador así como sus percepciones respecto a las frutas y hortalizas, grupo que corresponde …

Fresh Squeezed Fitness: A Case Study On The Marketing Of Orangetheory Fitness, Emma Schmidt

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

The fitness industry has grown immensely in the past decade as a form of health management. The industry has expanded to offer niche fitness facilities that cater to individuals’ specific needs and motivations. The purpose of this study was to examine the best marketing and branding practices utilized by Orangetheory Fitness. The research for this study was collected using a case study matrix, developed by the researcher, to evaluate Orangetheory Fitness’ marketing strategies. The study resulted in findings indicating the importance of technology advancement and brand differentiation pertaining to the success of Orangetheory Fitness. It is crucial for Orangetheory Fitness …

The Effects Of Organizational Philanthropic Movements And Related Public Relations Strategies, Gabriella C. Trapani

Journalism

The following is a comprehensive public relations campaign created after extensive research on public relations efforts and corporate social responsibility. The study is mainly focused on establishing the relationship, if any, between a company’s philanthropic efforts and their profits. The study seeks to answer questions such as “Is the return on investment for philanthropic giving worth it?” and “How might this impact company morale?” With a focus on measuring the success of a philanthropic campaign created for Sereno Group Real Estate company, a small to midsize residential real estate company in the Silicon Valley, this study serves as a basis …

Indah: The Unorthodox Rise Of A Columbian Staple, Will Helms

Senior Theses

Over the course of several weeks, I conducted a series of observations at Indah Coffee Co. in order to better understand its marketing and interaction with the neighborhood. After observing the coffee shop several times, I consulted outside sources, a process that is considered to be in the psychological realm of “grounded theory”, constantly comparing them to my own observations. After an interview with Indah’s owner, I began compiling my findings. The following paper is an outline of my findings, including the importance of the product in the coffee industry versus other industries, the power of successful grassroots marketing, and …

Market-Entry Strategies Of Startup Owners, Evgeny Tsaplin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Russia's startups fail at high rates. The purpose of this multiple case study was to understand the market-entry strategies used by accelerated startup managers to succeed in business longer than the first 3 years. The target population for this study was 3 startup owners who completed an acceleration program from the Internet Initiatives Development Fund and continued to operate businesses that generated revenue. The participants in the study were located in 3 different cities in Russia: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Tomsk. The conceptual framework for the study was Raheem and Akhuemonkhan's theory of enterprise development and von Bertalanffy's general system …

Business Model: California Agriculture Marketing Agency, Mary M. Alameda, Emma L. Larson

Agricultural Education and Communication

The importance of creating a marketing agency specializing in agriculture is to bridge the gap between producers and consumers. The lack of transparency from the producer has created a torn industry causing the average consumer to be questioning his or her food, or simply not understanding the agricultural way of life. An agricultural marketing firm in California can represent and advocate for local businesses to start closing the producer to consumer gap.

The American farmer excels at many things, but lacks in public communications. Modern day farmers have been able to produce more food than ever despite fewer resources and …

Effective Strategies Small Retail Leaders Use To Engage Employees, Dr. Janet Lynn Deskins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research suggests that 70% of North American employees are disengaged in the workplace. Some small retail managers lack strategies for engaging employees. Using the employee engagement framework, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore successful strategies that small retail managers use to engage employees. The target population was small retail leaders, purposefully selected because of their success with engaging employees at an Orlando, Florida, company. Data collection was through face-to-face interviews with 5 leaders; and a review of archived organizational documents, including company memorandums, central email software, and online customer reviews through social media websites such as …

The Four-Hour Film Festival, James Christopher Agan

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Legitimacy Of Local Food In The U.S. Market: Comparative Consumer Perspectives, Ali Asgari

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Measures of legitimacy have been described in terms of four legitimacy types, regulatory, normative, cognitive, and industry. This study provides one of the first and only empirical examinations of legitimacy, particularly with an application to local foods and sheds light on how consumers view various types of legitimacy related to local food. To apply the concept of legitimacy to local foods marketing, we take an empirical survey asking about consumer perspectives of local food, along with different shopping behavior questions.

Using cumulative logit models, results of the legitimacy models suggest that core consumers are more likely to place a high …

Business Plan - Art Marketing, Michelle Yu

MA Projects

Michianna & Co. is an art marketing company focusing on promoting Chinese contemporary artists in the Western art market (mainly New York).

Women's Professional Sports: A Case Study On Practices That Could Increase Their Profitability, Danielle H. Mcardle

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Women’s professional sports leagues have often been considered a risky business endeavor. Critics cite low attendance, lack of sponsorships, lack of media rights deals, and numerous other reasons for why women’s professional sports leagues are not profitable. In analyzing the current landscape of women’s professional sport leagues, this paper uses a case study approach to develop a strategy that will highlight lessons learned from past women’s professional sports leagues, current professional sports leagues, sponsorship agreements, fans, social, digital, and mobile marketing strategies, and management practices to show how the business of women’s sports could be made into a more profitable …

Analysis Of Market Demand And Quality Of Infant Toddler Care Programs In Missoula, Montana, Jennifer A. Keller

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

In order to test the hypothesis that there are not enough high quality infant toddler care programs in Missoula to meet the demand of the market, creating an opportunity for a local child care provider to open a high quality infant toddler program as part of the child care services that they offer, an observational study of the current infant toddler care programs in Missoula, Montana was conducted. Spirit at Play, a child care center in Missoula, Montana, is evaluating the current child care market in Missoula to see if, and how many, quality infant toddler programs are being offered …

Marketing Strategies Of Mobile Game Application Entrepreneurs, Talaya Waller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mobile game application entrepreneurs can offer many benefits to the U.S. economy; however, 80% of the entrepreneurs in this study stated that marketing their mobile applications was a major business challenge. Successful strategies that entrepreneurs have used to overcome their mobile game application marketing challenges may be beneficial to other entrepreneurs. Based on Schumpeter's theory of economic development and new value creation of technological innovation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the strategies that entrepreneurs have used to market their mobile game application development businesses successfully. Twenty mobile game application entrepreneurs from northern California, who successfully sustained …