Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Loophole Entrepreneurship, Brian M. Sirman

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

All entrepreneurs seek favorable legal or regulatory treatment for their businesses. Sometimes this leads an entrepreneur to build a business within a gap in the law—a loophole. In so doing, these “loophole entrepreneurs” may avoid steep regulatory compliance costs that otherwise would beset (or perhaps prohibit) their businesses, thereby gaining advantages over competitors. Despite these benefits, loophole entrepreneurship is fraught with risks. Loopholes, by nature, are fragile, and their contours are often uncertain. Moreover, the stigma of “exploiting a loophole” (which connotes unfairness or deception) can provoke ill will among competitors, policymakers, and the public.

The ranks of loophole entrepreneurs …

Building Success In The Philippine Retail Sector, Jimmy Thai

Asian Management Insights

Jimmy Thai tells us about how the Primer Group has expanded to become the retail giant it is now.

Achieving Success In Silicon Valley, Desmond Lim

Asian Management Insights

Desmond Lim tried, failed, and finally succeeded with Workstream, an app that helps businesses hire and manage hourly workers.

From The Village To Entrepreneurial Mentality: A Transformative Path For Africa's Economic Development, Morris Tsuma

Honors Theses

Because the economic development in Africa is at an inflection point, the continent needs to use the transformative process of going from the village mentality to the entrepreneurial mentality. They need to go from the dependency village mentality to the free market entrepreneurial mentality to affect Africa’s economic future.

Many factors affect the path from the village mentality to the entrepreneurial mentality. Some of these factors and examples that I explore in this paper are international companies investing in local intelligence and people finding role models/goals to aspire to. Another factor is individuals going through difficulty and needing change. However, …

Developing The Nonprofit Theatre: Building A Foundation For The Emerging Theatre Company, Kelsey Mcmillan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper aims to guide entrepreneurial theatre artists in beginning a nonprofit theatre arts venture. It will provide an in-depth analysis of the foundations required to begin a nonprofit theatre organization and analyze the need for expanding upon traditional structures and styles. Incorporating evidence and research from relevant literature, coursework, and market data as well as analysis of a strategic plan for The Common Theatre Company, this paper finds that non-profit theatre companies can be positively served by developing unique products and services and a nontraditional governance model as an extension of the foundational needs of a nonprofit organization. The …

Rural Entrepreneurs Under Fire: Pandemic Reveals Need For Collaboration And Support, Jacob A. Dolence, James C. Haug

Journal of Business & Entrepreneurship

This article summarizes a research study done from April 2020 until April 2021 to examine the challenges, response, and tactics, of entrepreneurs in rural southern Virginia. In particular, the research goes into depth of how the COVID-19 pandemic effected operations, how entrepreneurs responded, and what measures they took to stay viable. Finally, the article proposes a framework for rapid response in the case of future pandemics, natural disasters, or economic events that cause similar disruptions.

Don't Try To Be A Superman, N. Edwin Widjornako

Asian Management Insights

N. Edwin Widjonarko, co-founder and Director of Technology of Xurya, speaks about his entrepreneurial journey in Indonesia’s solar power generation space.

Digital Platforms And Entrepreneurial Support: A Field Experiment In Online Mentoring, Saurabh A. Lall, Li-Wei Chen, Dyana P. Mason

Management Faculty Publications

The benefits of entrepreneurial mentorship are well documented, but there is limited research on how entrepreneurs connect with mentors, especially in digital settings. We partnered with an online platform that connects entrepreneurs to potential mentors to conduct a field experiment in online mentoring. Drawing on literature on entrepreneurial mentorship and Social Cognitive Theory, we compared the effects of three interventions on the likelihood of reaching out and making a connection with a mentor in a digital setting. We find that showing entrepreneurs a video of a successful mentor–mentee relationship increases the chances that they will reach out to a potential …

Relationship Between An Entrepreneur’S Self-Efficacy, Self-Leadership, And Startup Sustainability In Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-efficacy and self-leadership have been identified as important indicators of business sustainability. Business owners and investors are concerned about sustainability because most businesses fail within the first five years. Grounded in self-efficacy and self-leadership theories, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy, self-leadership and startup sustainability. The participants were 156 entrepreneurs who completed the entrepreneurial self-efficacy scale and the abbreviated self-leadership questionnaire delivered via email. The multiple linear regression analysis results indicated the model was able to significantly predict startup sustainability, F(2, 129) = 432.47, p < .001, R2 = .87. Self-efficacy provided a significant contribution to the model (t = 8.424, p = < .001, β = .914). In contrast, the contribution of self-leadership was not significant (t = 0.185, p = .853, β = .20). A key recommendation is the utilization of mentoring programs and structured leadership internships that enhance self-efficacy by providing startup leaders with exposure to more seasoned corporate leaders, and successful peers who have had similar experiences to theirs. The implications for positive social change include the potential development of training and capacity-building programs that can be provided to entrepreneurs and other startup leaders to enhance their ability to sustain their startups, leading to more successful businesses, job creation, and economic growth.

Relationship Between An Entrepreneur’S Self-Efficacy, Self-Leadership, And Startup Sustainability In Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-efficacy and self-leadership have been identified as important indicators of business sustainability. Business owners and investors are concerned about sustainability because most businesses fail within the first five years. Grounded in self-efficacy and self-leadership theories, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy, self-leadership and startup sustainability. The participants were 156 entrepreneurs who completed the entrepreneurial self-efficacy scale and the abbreviated self-leadership questionnaire delivered via email. The multiple linear regression analysis results indicated the model was able to significantly predict startup sustainability, F(2, 129) = 432.47, p < .001, R2 = .87. Self-efficacy provided a significant contribution to the model (t = 8.424, p = < .001, β = .914). In contrast, the contribution of self-leadership was not significant (t = 0.185, p = .853, β = .20). A key recommendation is the utilization of mentoring programs and structured leadership internships that enhance self-efficacy by providing startup leaders with exposure to more seasoned corporate leaders, and successful peers who have had similar experiences to theirs. The implications for positive social change include the potential development of training and capacity-building programs that can be provided to entrepreneurs and other startup leaders to enhance their ability to sustain their startups, leading to more successful businesses, job creation, and economic growth.

Relationship Between An Entrepreneur’S Self-Efficacy, Self-Leadership, And Startup Sustainability In Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-efficacy and self-leadership have been identified as important indicators of business sustainability. Business owners and investors are concerned about sustainability because most businesses fail within the first five years. Grounded in self-efficacy and self-leadership theories, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy, self-leadership and startup sustainability. The participants were 156 entrepreneurs who completed the entrepreneurial self-efficacy scale and the abbreviated self-leadership questionnaire delivered via email. The multiple linear regression analysis results indicated the model was able to significantly predict startup sustainability, F(2, 129) = 432.47, p < .001, R2 = .87. Self-efficacy provided a significant contribution to the model (t = 8.424, p = < .001, β = .914). In contrast, the contribution of self-leadership was not significant (t = 0.185, p = .853, β = .20). A key recommendation is the utilization of mentoring programs and structured leadership internships that enhance self-efficacy by providing startup leaders with exposure to more seasoned corporate leaders, and successful peers who have had similar experiences to theirs. The implications for positive social change include the potential development of training and capacity-building programs that can be provided to entrepreneurs and other startup leaders to enhance their ability to sustain their startups, leading to more successful businesses, job creation, and economic growth.

Microbusinesses Practices During Disruptor Events: Perceptions, Adaptations, And Performance, Debra Lynn Frank

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During COVID-19 closures, business owners and managers experienced a disruptor event that pushed them to find new ways to navigate their businesses practices. The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn how business owners and managers adapt their business models to survive disruptor events. The objective was identification of factors owners and managers of microbusinesses perceived as critical to avoiding closures, assessment of the effectiveness of the adaptations adopted during closures that enabled businesses to remain open, and analysis of the results of those adaptations. Owners and managers of businesses in the craft brewing industry were interviewed. The four …

Navigating Economic Headwinds, Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara

Perspectives@SMU

Temasek’s CEO Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara believes Southeast Asia will be a bright spot amidst global headwinds. Being a networked organisation could make all the difference.

The 1-2-3 Of Market Research For Business Startups: A Case Study In Library Instruction, Daniel Le, Marie-Louise Watson

Georgia Library Quarterly

This article describes a practical way to teach student entrepreneurs to search and use market data for business startup plans. The conventional way of teaching students to find articles and business intelligence based on a class assignment can be challenging for many students without an academic business background. This library instruction approach sequentially uses three databases enriched with business data and infographics to support the development of critical thinking for student entrepreneurs. It teaches entrepreneurial personality support, analysis, visualization, and market mapping.

Assessment Of Students' Attitudes Towards Entrepreneurship Development Initiatives In Kwara State University, Malete (Case Study Of Faculty Of Communication And Information Science), Yakub Olayinka Ahmed, Abdulakeem Sodeeq Sulyman

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study assesses the attitudes of students of Faculty of Communication and Information Science, Kwara State University, Malete, towards entrepreneurship development initiatives. It raises five (5) objectives and questions to achieve its aims. It adopts case study method as its research design and the students of Faculty of Communication and Information Science are its population. It uses simple random sampling technique to administer questionnaires to 250 students. Out of the 250 questionnaires administered, only 200 are returned, representing 80% return rate. The study’s findings reveal that the students are aware of entrepreneurship initiatives through the Centre for Technical, Vocational and …

An Entrepreneur’S Perspective On Entrepreneurial Recycling, Alenka Slavec Gomezel, Rok Stritar

Economic and Business Review

We propose new insights into entrepreneurial recycling, focusing on the entrepreneur’s perspective on the role of recycling. We define entrepreneurial recycling as the process by which entrepreneurs share, receive, and transform human, social, organizational, and financial capital throughout the entire entrepreneurial lifecycle: entry, growth and exit. However, research on this topic remains fragmented and underdeveloped. We applied a qualitative, interpretive, and inductive lens to explore the lived experience of six entrepreneurs in order to conceptualize entrepreneurial recycling and understand the implications for entrepreneurial theory and practice. We argue that when entrepreneurs recycle, they trigger a reciprocal trust loop with benefits …

The Creative Response And The Entrepreneur, Martin Jes Iversen

Perspectives@SMU

Schumpeter’s 1947 essay still holds valuable lessons in the 21st century

Entrepreneurship And Ot, Alex Heumann, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this project was to discover the perceived and actual barriers to business ownership through research with current OT businesses and create a deliverable supporting OTs entering business ownership.

Strengthening The Entrepreneurial Support Community, Andrew J. Hafer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to discover ways of improving the impact and effectiveness of entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem of Tampa Bay, Florida. First, the study establishes a comprehensive catalog (called the “Superset”) of potential support programs that might be offered by ESOs and consumed by entrepreneurs. Through empirical data collection, the programs in the Superset are ranked by entrepreneurs and ESO leaders according to their opinion of perceived value and importance for gaining the competency in said program. The rankings allow a mapping of the regional ecosystem to identify gaps, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities.

The study …

Business Families As Stewards Of Sustainability, John Cheng, Ankesh Shahra, Cynthia Handriani Wijaya, Louise Dudley

Perspectives@SMU

The drive to preserve the business for future generations makes family-owned enterprises especially suited to sustainability initiatives. Embracing ESG frameworks will help measure their effectiveness

Understanding How Individual Decisions Contribute To The Success Or Failure Of First-Generation Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Case Studies Of The Nepali Bhutanese In Pittsburgh, Jodi Greco Carver

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) began the process of resettling Bhutanese refugees in U.S. cities in 2008 after many had spent up to 17 years in refugee camps in Nepal. At that time, Pittsburgh became home to 1,000 of these refugees and more than a decade later, their community has grown to an estimated 7,000-8,000 with many entrepreneurs among them (BCAP, 2021). The study included six cases of Nepali Bhutanese entrepreneurs in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area which were compared to better grasp the operational links between decision making and business success or failure while considering how embeddedness …

Perceived Entrepreneur Quality And Company Performance: A Study Of Accelerator Impact On Startups., Henry Canfield

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When talking about entrepreneurship, an immense ecosystem appears, from startups success and funding, to public policies and the entrepreneur itself. This applied research study the entrepreneur’s characteristics, using as guide the Traits, Skills and Motivation model from Baum and Locke (2004), within a selected group of entrepreneurs that are part of Accelerator programs, focused to understanding the accelerator contribution to the entrepreneur and its company growth. The study was developed by a qualitative phase with semi-structure in-depth interviews with these entrepreneurs and accelerator’s executives, resulting in rich data coded using Nvivo software, and serving as base for the model design …

Digitally Transforming Chicken Rice, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Lao Hung Jia's dreams of selling Singapore’s national dish all over the world might just happen thanks to cashless payment and a matured food delivery ecosystem. There is just one problem: sorting out the pre-packed chilli sauce

Lead With Your Heart, Hyper Innovate, And Make A Difference, Steve Johanns, Singapore Management University

Asian Management Insights

Steve Johanns, founder and former Chairman of Veriown Global, is now taking smart villages into Sub-Saharan Africa through his company Villedge Solutions. He talks about his entrepreneurial journey in the world of hyper innovation and the secrets found in last mile empowerment.

Immigrant Entrepreneurship And Job Creation In The United States: A Historical Analysis And Future Projection Model, Joelle M. Jarjoura

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property For New Entrepreneurs, Michael Johnston

Honors Projects

Abstract – New entrepreneurs, regardless of age, encounter several barriers regarding intellectual property. My research posits that new entrepreneurs are burdened by both informational barriers and lack of resources. A data driven analysis of this problem produced an easy to comprehend guide targeted to new entrepreneurs. This paper presents a subjective guide for entrepreneurs that details patents, trademarks, copyrights, and licensing.

Will Vcs Invest At A Distance During And After A Crisis? Evidence From The 2008 Financial Crisis, Samuel Wilson, Christopher Willis, Jing Zhang

College of Business (Strome) Posters

We will explore how large-scale exogenous crises impact venture capital firms’ investment scope decisions during and after a crisis. We will analyze a population of 11,564 funding rounds announced between 2005Q1 until 2012Q4 in the US. Analysis shows that the 2008 Financial Crisis caused a short-term change in the geographical areas where VCs invest, and after the crisis firms tend to look further afield to locate viable investment targets. This study will contribute to entrepreneurial finance research by offering theoretical and empirical insights on how major crises affect venture capital investment and entrepreneurial activities.

From Bus Uncle To Botdistrikt, Abhilash Murthy

Perspectives@SMU

How Abhilash Murthy turned a fun project into a successful chatbot company

Growing Startups In Asia, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Localisation matters, but would-be startup founders should focus on customer needs rather than being fixated on being the next unicorn

How Is Fintech Helping Digital Entrepreneurs In Developing Communities?, Carmen Leong

Perspectives@SMU

FinTech is playing an important role in helping digital entrepreneurs tap into growth opportunities in Indonesia's developing communities, according to UNSW Business School research