Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Connecting With Others Brings Business Success: Are You Engaged? A Guide To Effective Networking For Small Business Owners., Glenn Muske, Connie Hancock, Connie Reimers-Hild, Alyssa Dye

Community Vitality Initiative

Finding answers to your questions often starts with knowing who to call. And knowing who to call is made easier by building and maintaining an effective network.

Glenn Muske, small business specialist for North Dakota State University Extension, outlines effective ways to build your network online and in-person. Check out the Glenn’s small business guide to networking, "Effective Networking: A Key Business Success Factor," and add it to small business game plan for success!

Marketing And Your Small Business: A Guide For Small Business Owners, Glenn Muske, Connie Hancock, Connie Reimers-Hild, Alyssa Dye

Community Vitality Initiative

It can’t be said enough that “build it and they will come” is just a myth. A “one-and-done” effort will not get you what you want, either. Developing a successful business means putting a marketing plan that creates and maintains awareness of your product and/or services.

Learn how to build your marketing plan from Glenn Muske, small business specialist for North Dakota State University Extension with his guide on "Marketing and Your Small Business."

Students Hone Creativity In [Nebraska] Innovation Studio Course, Troy Fedderson

Nebraska Innovation Studio

Students hone creativity in Nebraska Innovation Studio course.

This is the true story of twenty-three University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) students from various academic backgrounds, picked to work together and learn about new technologies; to find out what happens when people start tinkering and begin to develop bigger ideas.

This is "Making for Innovation," a unique, first-time UNL course offered in the new Nebraska Innovation Studio at Nebraska Innovation Campus.

The class, which is worth three credit hours and meets for lectures on Tuesdays and lab projects on Thursdays, is taught by Shane Farritor, Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and …

Optimism In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Perceptions Of Well-Being, 2015 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy

Nebraska Rural Poll

This year, rural Nebraskans are the most positive about their current situation as they’ve been in all 20 years of this study. Just over one-half (53%) of rural Nebraskans believe they are better off than they were five years ago (the highest proportion in all 20 years of this study, tied in 2008). This is up slightly from 50 percent last year. And, rural Nebraskans’ outlook on their future is the most optimistic in all 20 years of this study. Almost one-half of rural Nebraskans (48%) believe they will be better off ten years from now (the highest of all …

'Making For Innovation' Will Be First Class At Nic [Nebraska Innovation Campus], Troy Fedderson

Nebraska Innovation Studio

'Making for Innovation' will be first class at Nebraska Innovation Campus.

A new course will allow up to thirty students to get hands-on experience and help launch the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Maker Space in the spring semester.

The course, "Making for Innovation," will be the first to meet at Nebraska Innovation Studio — formerly the UNL Maker Space — on Nebraska Innovation Campus (http://innovate.unl.edu). Shane Farritor, Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and Liana Owad, Maker Space Coordinator, will guide the class.

A New Course Offered At Nebraska Innovation Studio On Nebraska Innovation Campus, Nebraska Innovation Campus

Nebraska Innovation Studio

A new course offered at Nebraska Innovation Studio on Nebraska Innovation Campus.

In spring semester 2014, Shane Farritor, PhD, and Liana Owad, MFA, taught “Making for Innovation” which covered techniques used to bring ideas to reality. This was the first class to meet at Nebraska Innovation Studio – the UNL makerspace – located on Nebraska Innovation Campus.

The course was built on two basic ideas. The first, that building and hands-on problem solving are important paths to innovation. The act of building prototypes and physical models leads to improved creative thinking and is in important path to the conception of …

Successful Communities: What Is Desired And What Is Present In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska, 2014 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

Rural Nebraskans are looking for many things in a community. The characteristics of a community that most believe are absolutely essential include social dimensions (sense of personal safety), economic dimensions (jobs/economic opportunities), some basic services (a quality school system, available medical services, affordable housing, quality housing and well maintained infrastructure) and environmental dimensions (a clean and attractive natural environment).

Unfortunately, when asked if these characteristics are present in their current community, some of these areas are lacking. One of the more extreme cases involves jobs/economic opportunities. Seventy-seven percent of the respondents say these are absolutely essential in order for them …

Perceptions Of Crime And Safety In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: 2014 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

Most rural Nebraskans are not worried or not very worried about either crime in their community or about personally being a victim of crime. However, persons living in or near larger communities are more likely than persons living in or near smaller communities to be worried or very worried about crime. Furthermore, most persons living in or near communities with populations less than 10,000 are not worried or not very worried about crime in their community.

Trust also remains high in the rural areas. Most rural Nebraskans say they count on their neighbors to watch their property while they are …

Life In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Perceptions Of Well-Being, 2014 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

By many different measures, rural Nebraskans are positive about their community. Many rural Nebraskans rate their community as friendly, trusting and supportive. Most rural Nebraskans also say it would be difficult to leave their community. In addition, most rural Nebraskans disagree that their community is powerless to control its future.

Differences of opinion exist by the size of their community. Residents of smaller communities are more likely than residents of larger communities to rate their community favorably on its social dimensions. However, residents of larger communities are more likely than residents of smaller communities to say their community has changed …

A Conceptualization And Empirical Examination Of The Effects Of Marketing Alignment On Franchising Relationships, Joseph Matthes

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Franchising is a widely utilized business format that continues to grow in popularity both domestically and abroad. Through the recruitment of franchisees as agents, franchisors are able to access additional resources and rapidly expand their networks. The marketing relationship between franchising partners presents unique opportunities and challenges due to this captive and codependent channel structure. In order to fill a gap in the literature and better understand franchisee-franchisor relationships, the author conceptualizes marketing alignment as being comprised of both agreement and cooperation across the dimensions of strategies, operations, and values. A conceptual model is developed that addresses the following research …

[Shane] Farritor, Student Group Help Propel Maker Space Concept, Troy Fedderson

Nebraska Innovation Studio

Shane Farritor, student group help propel Maker Space concept.

A quiet staging area for ongoing NIC construction, the space is reservedfor a proposed Maker Space and the private/public research campus’ new business accelerator. NIC planners and UNL administrators hope the mix bubbles forth into a cauldron of hands-on creativity and innovation.

“That is an area of Nebraska Innovation Campus that is generating a lot of excitement,” said Dan Duncan, NIC’s executive director. “The general idea is to create the Maker Space where individuals can come to work on projects and interact with others, including people who are in a business …

Earning A Living In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: 2014 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

Most rural Nebraskan households have full-time employment and many employed households derive part of their household income from self-employment. Self-employment is more prevalent in smaller communities. Most rural Nebraskans living in or near the smallest communities have self-employment in their household.

Some rural Nebraska households also have multiple job holding by members of the household. Again, this is more likely to occur in the smallest communities.

Most self-employed rural Nebraskan households get less than one-half of their total household income from self-employment. However, over one-quarter (29%) of self-employed rural Nebraskans get almost all of their household income from self-employment. Many …

Smarter Intentions And Authentic Goals (2014 Edition), Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

Intentions influence our actions and behaviors. If intentions are established with awareness, truth, and meaning, they help us experience a life filled with passion and personal fulfillment. Lack of understanding around our true intentions often causes frustration and confusion, which is one reason people oftentimes do not achieve their goals. Many goals are written; however, they are not established with honest intent.

It’s time to get brutally honest about your true intentions so you can achieve authentic goals. Intentions have the power to strengthen your Inner Leader and help you move forward in a meaningful way as long as they …

Entr/Mgnt 421: Initiating And Managing Entrepreneurial Growth—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Varkey K. Titus Jr.

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

My primary goal for this portfolio is to codify the processes and goals of this course in a manner that can be transferred to other instructors. Students consistently comment on how much they enjoy the participatory and interactive nature of the course; I would like to formally document methods to create an interactive classroom that aligns with the expectations we have of senior-level entrepreneurship students regarding critical thinking and communication skills.

Funding Public Services: Opinions Of Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans, 2013 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Eric Thompson

Nebraska Rural Poll

Most rural Nebraskans seem content with current levels of spending on many public services and activities. Over one-half propose no changes in the level of spending for most of the public services listed. Only one item, unemployment compensation, had a majority say they would like to see less spending for it. And, many rural Nebraskans would propose an increase in spending for education as well as roads and bridges.

Not surprising, many groups favor an increase in spending on items important to them. Younger persons are more likely than older persons to favor an increase in spending for education. Persons …

Community And Individual Well-Being In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: 2013 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

By many different measures, rural Nebraskans are positive about their community. Many rural Nebraskans rate their community as friendly, trusting and supportive. Most rural Nebraskans also say it would be difficult to leave their community. In addition, most rural Nebraskans disagree that their community is powerless to control its future.

Differences of opinion exist by the size of their community. Residents of smaller communities are more likely than residents of larger communities to rate their community favorably on its social dimensions. However, residents of larger communities are more likely than residents of smaller communities to say their community has changed …

Water And Climate: Perceptions Of Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans: 2013 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

Many rural Nebraskans have experienced loss of wildlife and wildlife habitat, voluntary decrease in water usage, decreased farm production and wildfires to some extent as a result of last year’s drought. The majority of persons with occupations in agriculture have experienced decreased farm production and loss of business income as a result of last year’s drought.

Most rural Nebraskans rate indoor use in existing homes and agricultural uses (irrigation and livestock) as high priority uses of water. Uses of water that were not ranked very high include swimming pools for individual homes, watering golf courses and transferring water to other …

Health Care Reform: Perceptions Of Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans, 2013 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

Most rural Nebraskans currently have health insurance. Only nine percent of rural Nebraskans do not have health insurance while the majority of residents have health insurance through job benefits. These responses are nearly identical to 2004 when this question was last asked.

Persons living in the North Central region, persons with lower household incomes, persons who have never married, persons with lower education levels and persons with food service or personal care occupations are the groups most likely to be uninsured.

Most rural Nebraskans expect to have health insurance next year. Only two percent of residents do not plan on …

State Entrepreneurship Index, Eric Thompson, William Walstad

Business in Nebraska

STATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP INDEX

Unemployment rates and job growth are popular measures for state economies. However, these trends may differ from the state’s performance in core measures of underlying economic strength such as entrepreneurship, net migration and capital formation. Given this, the University of Nebraska - Lincoln Bureau of Business Research seeks to track these core economic measures in Nebraska and in all U.S. states.

The State Entrepreneurship Index is one effort to track these core trends. Specifically, the index is used to track entrepreneurship in all 50 states. The index was initially developed by Eric C. Thompson and William B. …

Real Impact Of Migration, Eric Thompson, Ziwen Zhang, Trung Pham, Elliot Campbell

Business in Nebraska

REAL IMPACT OF MIGRATION

Introduction

In response to economic shocks, such as the Great Recession, people seek out opportunities to return to normalcy. One way is to relocate to a new area. This study examines the people who move from one state to another, seeking better opportunities, and in the process, aiding to rebuild the U.S. economy.

This study does not simply count the number of mi-grants, it also examines the attributes of migrants to determine the human capital, or productive skills, they possess and are willing to provide to the market. Each person, due to characteristics such as education …

Natural Resources In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Use And Priorities: 2012 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

Many rural Nebraskans say they already recycle a lot and face no barriers. However, many rural Nebraskans cite lack of programs and difficulty getting materials to drop-off sites as barriers to recycling. Persons living in or near smaller communities are more likely than persons living in or near larger communities to say their community doesn’t offer recycling. However, most rural Nebraskans say their community offers either curbside pickup or drop-off recycling for all of the materials listed with the exception of glass bottles.

Most rural Nebraskans are in favor of building the Keystone XL pipeline, but think it should be …

Quality Of Life In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Perceptions Of Well-Being And Church Life: 2012 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Philip Schwadel

Nebraska Rural Poll

Most rural Nebraskans are positive about their current situation. And, they continue to be generally positive about their future situation. Over one-half (51%) of rural Nebraskans think they are better off than they were five years ago and just under one-half (45%) think they will be better off ten years from now. Certain groups remain pessimistic about their situation. Persons with lower household incomes, older persons, and persons with lower educational levels are the groups most likely to be pessimistic about the present and the future.

When asked if they believe people are powerless to control their own lives, most …

Sustained Growth, Eric Thompson, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Business in Nebraska

U.S. Macroeconomic Outlook

he U.S. economy remains on a path of sustained, moderate economic recovery. Growth persists despite a stalled U.S. housing sector, recession in Europe and slowing growth in China and much of the developing world. These factors undoubtedly have slowed growth in the U.S. economy, and are a continuing source of uncertainty, but U.S. economic growth has continued just the same. The credit must go to a flexible and agile U.S. private sector. Since the financial crisis began, businesses have continued to improve their balance sheets, invest in productivity, and seek out opportunities in growing sectors of the …

Slow Growth And Uncertainty, Eric Thompson, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Business in Nebraska

SLOW GROWTH AND UNCERTAINTY

U.S. Macroeconomic Outlook

A lingering financial crisis, economic shocks, and economic policy have combined to derail the self-sustaining recovery in the United State economy. Growth has slowed to a crawl and the risk of another recession runs high. What has happened? To begin with, the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009 continues to impact the construction sector and state and local government employment. New housing construction remains depressed, causing construction employment to drift downward. With tax revenues below pre-recession levels, state and local government employment continues a steady decline. The market also continues to face unexpected …

Entrepreneurship In Nebraska, Van Tran, Eric Thompson, William Walstad

Business in Nebraska

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN NEBRASKA

Recent trends in economic indicators such as unemployment rates and job growth clearly favor Nebraska. However, these trends may differ from the state’s performance in core measures of economic strength such as entrepreneurship, net migration and capital formation. Given this, the University of Nebraska - Lincoln Bureau of Business Research seeks to track these core economic measures in Nebraska and in all U.S. states.

The state entrepreneurship index is one effort to track these core trends. Specifically, the index is used to track entrepreneurship in Nebraska and compare with the other forty-nine states.

The index was developed …

Developing A Sustainable Business Plan At The Shopping Center Of Southpointe Mall In Lincoln, Nebraska, Jessica Marie Hanson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This project consists of creating sustainable business plans for a group of diverse retail stores at the mall of SouthPointe Pavilions in Lincoln, Nebraska. A series of interviews took place with five managers at the businesses including: Scheels, Old Chicago, Bed Bath and Beyond, Von Maur, and Barnes and Noble. The questions were based around five different topics including: Technological, Environment, Socio-Cultural, Economic, and Public Policy. The Technological area includes processes with the product (or service) that occur before it arrives, during, and after it is sold. The Public Policy area includes if the business has an environmental policy, how …

Becoming A Firm: An Investigation Of How One-Person Enterprises Construct The Problem Of Becoming An Employer, Ronda M. Smith Nelson

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study draws on Coase’s (1937) Theory of the Firm, that suggests a firm exists only after it has employees and Penrose’s (1959) Theory of the Growth of the Firm which suggests human resources are a critical asset to the firm as a means to better   understand the issue of job creation in the United States especially among one-person enterprises (OPEs).  From the perspective of entrepreneurial cognition, and in the context of ill-defined problems (Abelson & Levi.1985) a survey was conducted to better understand the Becoming an Employer Problem (BEP) as it is perceived by OPEs.  A measure of the …

The Tentative Recovery Strengths, Eric Thompson, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Business in Nebraska

U.S. Macroeconomic Outlook

The U.S. economy has transitioned to a self-sustaining recovery fueled by the private sector. Steady improvement in consumer spending and strong increases in business investment has fueled solid growth in gross domestic product and rapid growth in industrial output. Such a strong industrial economy is typically a bellwether for solid, sustained economic growth. Another reason for optimism is that much of the excess has been wrung out of the U.S. economy. Household spending is now better in-line within income, home prices are at sustainable rather than elevated levels, and balance sheets have improved for many businesses. In …

What's Your Pitch? The Power Of Wow! (Worksheet For The Webinar On January 18, 2011), Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

Elevator pitches are created to sell your idea, business, product or service in 30 seconds or less (the time it takes to go from the first floor to the top of the building in an elevator). A great pitch has the power to help anyone...from a University employee to a new entrepreneur to a team working in a high-growth firm.

It’s important to develop and practice an effective pitch, complete with an awesome "Wow Factor," so you are ready to use it under fire (pretend you just stepped onto an elevator with Warren Buffett or Bill Gates)!

This interactive webinar …

Animal Welfare: Perceptions Of Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans: 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Connie Reimers-Hild

Nebraska Rural Poll

Almost all rural Nebraskans recognize the importance of livestock and poultry production to the state’s economy and most rural Nebraskans are familiar with livestock care practices. In fact, many rural Nebraskans have experience raising beef cattle, poultry and swine. They have less experience with dairy production.

Most rural Nebraskans believe animal welfare means providing adequate exercise, space and social activities for the animals in addition to food, water and shelter. However, the vast majority of rural Nebraskans agree that animal welfare means at least providing adequate food, water and shelter to livestock animals.

Most rural Nebraskans trust livestock farmers and …