Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Strategies To Improve Small Business Sustainability, Tywon Guy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses are considered the backbone of the U.S. economy with significant contributions in the areas of job creation and economic development. However, 79% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years. This multiple case study aimed to explore strategies and knowledge of resources that owners of small businesses used to sustain business operations for longer than the first 5 years. The population included 5 minority owners of small businesses in Texas. Chaos theory formed the conceptual framework. The data collection process included semistructured interviews, member checks, field notes, company artifacts, and archival documents. Data were analyzed using Yin's …

Small Business Restaurant Owners' Financing Strategies For Sustainability, Cecilia Tobias Vasquez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Owners of small business restaurants experience a high failure rate. Many small business restaurants fail within 5 years of inception because of inadequate business plans, ineffective strategies for changing markets, and a lack of financial capital to achieve profitability, growth, and long-term survivability. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the financial strategies that some owners of small business restaurants used to sustain operations for longer than 5 years. The resource-based view was the conceptual framework for this study. Participants in this study consisted of 5 owners of small business restaurants in northern California who implemented successful …

Financial Strategies For Long-Term Success In Women-Owned Small Businesses, Melissa Renee Dyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, many small businesses fail within the first 5 years due to poor implementation of long term financial strategies. Researchers and business practitioners indicated that women small business owners face challenges in financing their small businesses beyond 5 years due to a lack of long-term financial strategies. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore long term financial strategies women use to sustain their small businesses beyond 5 years. The general theory of entrepreneurship was the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 11 women small business owners in …

Millennial Business Owners' Strategies To Survive In Business, Andrietta Bryant-Minter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals in the millennial generation, born from 1980 to 1996, have many entrepreneurial opportunities; however, many people in the millennial generation lack the skills, motivation, and business strategies to survive in business. Because of the influx of competition, lack of experience, and lack of business-world strategies, entrepreneurs can miss opportunities and fail within the first few years of business operations. Grounded in the systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that business owners in the millennial generation used to survive in business longer than 6 years. Participants consisted of 5 business owners in …

Organizational Strategies To Grow Mature Small Information Technology Businesses, Timothy L. Knox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Standard indicators of slow growth among small businesses are negative job creation and lower tax revenue. Small business success and growth is necessary for increasing productivity, profitability, and job creation. The purpose of this single case study was to explore growth strategies leaders of a mature small information technology (IT) business in the midwestern United States used to grow their organization beyond existing capacity. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and review of organizational documentation. The conceptual framework for the study was general systems theory. The study included a purposeful sample of 2 senior leaders of a mature small IT …

Strategies For Success: How A Small Business Competes In The Motorhome Industry In Ireland., Niamh Lenihan, Catherine Kavanagh

Irish Business Journal

The motorhome industry in the Irish economy has grown and transformed over the last 20 years with a rise in the number of motorhome companies and campsites around Ireland. This is a small competitive industry that has faced numerous economic challenges, in particular since the economic downturn in 2008. The failure of many firms’ strategy can arise from the firm’s inability to gain a competitive advantage (Porter, 2008). This study provides an analysis of how a small Irish motorhome company can achieve a competitive advantage to increase its business profitability, growth and performance. The motorhome industry in Ireland has received …

Social Crm Applications And Impact In Small Businesses, Levi Bridge

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present study explored the effect social customer relationship management (CRM) on. Small businesses typically have limited resources and thus use an informal CRM system causing them to not realize the full sales potential or customer engagement that could occur. The qualitative study consisted of 10 small businesses that utilize social media to engage with customers. The agency theory and resource based view served as the theoretical foundation for the study. One-on-one interviews were conducted with the employee responsible for managing the social media content. From the interviews, three themes emerged that are critical for social CRM success: visibility, interactivity, …

The Importance Of Branding In Small Businesses, Amber J. Rabie

Senior Honors Theses

The Land of Milk & Honey Farm exists to provide quality food produced in facilities that practice good stewardship to the Earth. It is a small business devoted to loving, careful stewardship and the production of quality goods. The mission of The Land of Milk & Honey is to combine traditional farming practices with a sustainable and environment-friendly approach to agriculture. It aims to provide customer satisfaction by being respectful and responsible over animals and the earth, and by producing quality products. To reach this objective, the farm intends to educate consumers and provide an alternative source for truly farm-fresh …

Relationships Between Critical Business Performance Variables And Solo Criminal Law Practitioners Success, Renee Norris-Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Growing numbers of America's 1,281,432 active licensed attorneys open their own law firms due to strained employment opportunities. With 50% of small businesses failing within 5 years, and solo law offices accounting for 75% of attorneys in private practice, there is a need for preparing solo criminal law practitioners for business success. Some solo criminal law practitioners do not understand the critical business performance variables that impact small business success. The total population for this quantitative correlational study included solo criminal law practitioners from the Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Directory and Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers members. Barney's resource-based …

Capitalization Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Richard Basch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 15 years, privately held small businesses generated nearly two-thirds of the net job growth in the United States, yet much of what scholars know regarding the capitalization challenges faced by small businesses is limited to data from large corporations. In 2013 alone, business bankruptcies numbered 33,212, and each year approximately 10% to 12% of U.S. small businesses close. Ineffective capitalization strategies coupled with a limited understanding of funding options frequently results in unsustainable business practices. In this multiple case study, the capital budgeting theory was utilized to explore the capitalization strategies small business owners in the greater …

Exploring Strategies Microenterprise Owners Use To Succeed In Business Beyond 2 Years, Dr. Tamika Ebony Haynes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, microenterprises, critical segment of the small business population, accounts for 110 million small businesses that source new jobs. Despite the increase in the number of created businesses in the U.S., more than 70% of microenterprise business owners are unsuccessful after 2 years. The multiple case study included 6 participants living in Houston, Texas, and intended to explore business strategies microenterprise event management owners used to succeed in business beyond 2 years. The conceptual framework that grounded the study was the 5-stage small business growth model and the 5-stage of the evolution of entrepreneurship theory. The data …

Women Entrepreneurs: Keys To Successful Business Development And Sustainability Beyond Five Years, Delores Duncan Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest growing entrepreneurial populations, accounting for 8 million of the 28 million small businesses in the United States. Small businesses fail at a rate of 55% by the 5th year of operation and women, who own over 30% of all small businesses, contribute significantly to the 55% small business failure rate. Using Schumpeter's framework, this single exploratory case study investigated how women entrepreneurial small business owners use strategies to sustain their business operation beyond 5 years. A purposeful sample identified 2 women salon small business owners located in the Macon, Georgia metro area. Data …

Small Business Survivability Beyond Five Years, Koyandome Freddy Koyagialo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has a high failure rate of small businesses, with 30% of small business failing within the first 2 years. The objective of this case study was to explore strategies successful small business owners use to achieve profitability beyond 5 years. The purposive sample for this study included 4 owners of successful small businesses in Atlanta, Georgia, who have been in business for at least 5 years. The conceptual framework was built upon disruptive innovation and susceptibility theory. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documents. The analysis revealed 3 themes, market research, passion and determination, and …

Exploring Critical Success Factors For Sustainable Togolese-Owned Small Businesses In The United States, Folly Somado Hemazro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, although foreign-born individuals are more than twice as likely to start new ventures, immigrant-owned businesses often fail within the first 5 years. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that U.S.-based Togolese small business owners who were engaged in entrepreneurial activities in Togo. The Schumpeterian entrepreneurship theory underpinned the study and served as a theoretical reference. Interview data were collected from 20 successful Togolese small business owners who resided in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, who were engaged in entrepreneurial activities in Togo, and who had been in business for more …

The Effects Of Using Invoice Factoring To Fund A Small Business, Ivan Justin Salaberrios

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners often do not possess the financial literacy to implement invoice factoring to fund their business. Despite that lack of knowledge, an increasing number of small business owners are using invoice factoring as their primary source of funding. Guided by a systems thinking approach, the purpose of this exploratory multiple case study was to understand the effect of invoice factoring of 5 small business owners, 5 small business finance managers, and 5 factoring program managers, all of whom managed factoring programs and technical services companies with less than $3 million in annual revenues. Participants were located in 6 …

Cultivate: Inspiring Women In Their Pursuit Of Creativity And Entrepreneurship, Ana P. Campbell

Senior Honors Theses

Cultivate Magazine’s purpose is to inspire and educate creative women in their business ventures. Furthermore, Cultivate serves as a catalyst for our readers’ business by featuring insightful interviews from other creative women and practical advice on how to run a successful creative business. In short, Cultivate’s target market is female creative business owners with occupations such as photographers, designers, writers, entrepreneurs, artists, and bloggers.

7 Tips To Grow Your Rural Business With Purpose And Meaning, Connie I. Reimers-Hild, Alyssa Dye

Community Vitality Initiative

No one can predict the future; however, rural entrepreneurs and business owners can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to shape the future of their businesses. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. The purpose of this article is to help rural entrepreneurs discover ways to grow their businesses with Living with Purpose and Meaning Megatrend.

How To Grow Your Rural Business With Purpose And Meaning, Connie I. Reimers-Hild, Alyssa Dye

Community Vitality Initiative

No one can predict the future; however, rural entrepreneurs and business owners can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to shape the future of their businesses. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. The purpose of this article is to help rural entrepreneurs discover ways to grow their businesses with Living with Purpose and Meaning Megatrend.

Become A Future-Focused Leader: Use Three Megatrends To Grow Your Rural Business, Connie Reimers-Hild, Alyssa Dye

Community Vitality Initiative

No one can predict the future; however, rural entrepreneurs and business owners can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to shape the future of their businesses. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. This article discusses three megatrends shaping the future of rural businesses:

1) The Rise of the #GigEconomy

2) Living with Purpose and Meaning

3) The Decentralized Marketplace

The article also provides coaching tips for rural entrepreneurs on how to use megatrends to grow their businesses.

While many companies are struggling to keep up with the rapid rate of change, …

Effective Networking: A Key Success Factor 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!

Standing Out From The Competition Through Marketing: 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 "Standing Out From the Competition Through Marketing."

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."

Exploring Knowledge Management Practices In Service-Based Small Business Enterprises, Orlando Skelton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business enterprises (SBEs) are significant contributors to business growth and employment in the United States, but despite governmental support, the failure rate of SBEs is high. Some small business leaders lack the critical management skills to detect or discover when underperformance in revenue-generation is due to gaps in organizational knowledge or business practices associated with managing knowledge assets. Guided by the knowledge-based view of the firm, the purpose of this multiple case study was to address that gap by exploring the skills needed by leaders to understand how deficiencies in their knowledge management practices contribute to underperformance. Semistructured interview …

Advantages And Challenges Of Incorporating Virtual Currency Into Small Businesses, Spencer Sheehan

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This research paper discusses my findings in assisting Lake Missoula Tea Company become one of the first businesses in Missoula, Montana to accept Bitcoin, a virtual currency, as payment. First, I will offer a background of how Bitcoin technology works, and draw on notable historical issues to better understand its evolution, leading up to how it is currently used. I will explore possible economic benefits realized through utilizing Bitcoin in a business environment, such as transaction fee savings through substitution of traditional credit card processors, alleviating security and privacy issues, as well as publicity and marketing benefits. Serious roadblocks of …

How Millennial Generation Entrepreneurs Use Mentors To Improve Business Performance, Nathanael David Robert Moulson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Successful small businesses are critical to the success of the global economy, but they continue to fail at high rates. Mentoring is a technique proven to improve the performance of new entrepreneurs and their businesses. Building on the conceptual framework of adult learning theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how millennial generation small business owners participating in the Futurpreneur mentoring program used mentors to improve the performance of their small businesses. Data included semistructured interviews with 6 successful participants of the mentoring program, experience profiles of these participants, and public information about Futurpreneur. The intent …

Independent Retail Business Owners' Perceptions Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act., Bradley A. Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2010 prompted the question of how independent businesses may react to the employer mandate in the PPACA. The law is based on the theory of managed competition and it is more likely to affect businesses with fewer employees than to affect larger businesses that already offer health insurance. The purpose of this quantitative, pre-experimental study was to examine the strategic responses of independent retail business owners in Hillsborough County, Florida, regarding their perceptions of the employer mandate in the PPACA. Before 2014, there was a great deal of non-peer-reviewed …

The Anatomy Of A Helping Hand: Women-Owned Small Businesses And Federal Contract Procurement, Lillian F. Mcmanus

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

The New Section 1202 Tax-Free Business Sale: Congress Rewards Small Businesses That Survived The Great Recession, Beckett G. Cantley

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

On September 27, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Creating Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (“SBJA”) that contains a temporary amendment to Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) § 1202. The amendment permits original shareholders of eligible corporation stock to sell the stock without being taxed on the sale. The temporary amendment initially only applied to certain stock acquired after the enactment of the SBJA and before January 1, 2011, but the amendment was extended on December 17, 2010 for another year ending January 1, 2012. With the impending sunset of the 15% capital gains rate at the end of 2012, …

Small Business Strategies Series: Patents & Trademarks, Robert Berry

Librarian Publications

A November 14 2011 presentation by Robert Berry, Research Librarian and Patent and Trademark Resource Center representative for the Sacred Heart University Library.