Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

How Did The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act Of 2017 Effect Small Businesses?, Jackson Pittman

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 marked a significant overhaul of the United States tax system, promising to stimulate economic growth and enhance the competitiveness of American businesses. Amidst its broad-reaching reforms, the TCJA introduced several provisions directly impacting small businesses, aiming to alleviate their tax burdens and foster entrepreneurial activity. This thesis endeavors to evaluate the multifaceted effects of the TCJA on small businesses, examining its implications for their financial performance, investment behavior, and overall economic contribution.

Preliminary findings suggest that the TCJA has produced a generally positive result for small businesses. On one hand, reduced …

Innovation Unveiled: The Power Of Innovative Experiences On Undergraduate Development, Alexander Cummings

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

A paper analyzing my experiences participating in the McMillon Innovation Studio and other OEI programs and their impact on my development during my undergraduate education.
It explores how these experiences can positively affect students of all backgrounds and how universities can work to improve these programs to further amplify their effects.

Exploring Growth: A Multifaceted Approach To Development In The Stann Creek District Of Belize, Brady A. Voss

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis delves into the multifaceted approach to development within the Stann Creek District of Belize, as undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in collaboration with the international non-profit Peacework. Authored by Brady A. Voss under the guidance of Dr. Amy Farmer, this research is a culmination of efforts aimed at enhancing economic growth and sustainability in the region.

The thesis begins by outlining the author's involvement in three primary projects during a summer internship in 2023: assessing market awareness of dragon fruit, estimating the cost of production for habanero peppers, and formulating a business plan for the …

Bidding Strategy For A Wind Power Producer In Us Energy And Reserve Markets, Anne Stratman

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wind power is one of the world's fastest-growing renewable energy resources and has expanded quickly within the US electric grid. Currently, wind power producers (WPPs) may sell energy products in US markets but are not allowed to sell reserve products, due to the uncertain and intermittent nature of wind power. However, as wind’s share of the power supply grows, it may eventually be necessary for WPPs to contribute to system-wide reserves. This paper proposes a stochastic optimization model to determine the optimal offer strategy for a WPP that participates in the day-ahead and real-time energy and spinning reserve markets. The …

Get Smart About Your Money, Sharonda Singleton Brown, Imani Beverly, Jacquelyn J. Daniel

Georgia Library Quarterly

“Get Smart About Your Money” was an event held at the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library for Money Smart Week 2023. The goal of the event was to introduce the new business librarian, promote financial literacy in the Atlanta University Center community, and participate in National Money Smart Week.

Staff Matters: Utilizing ‘Unretired’ Workers To Address Hiring Challenges, Jodi Schafer Sphr, Shrm-Scp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Jodi Schafer suggests targeting "unretired" workers to address front office staffing challenges in dental practices. These retirees bring valuable experience, reliability, and a commitment to customer service. Strategies include offering flexible schedules and competitive benefits and targeting recruitment efforts through networks frequented by retirees. Utilizing this demographic can supplement and support full-time staff, alleviating hiring difficulties.

The Raci Matrix And Its Use In The Office, Michelle C. Dziurgot Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The RACI Matrix, crucial in office management, delegates tasks efficiently: Responsible individuals, like lead assistants, handle specific duties; Accountable, typically the manager, ensures smooth operations; Consulted, such as patients, provide input; Informed parties, like lab technicians, contribute expertise. By adhering to RACI, dental offices optimize workflow, enhance patient care, and address challenges effectively, ensuring a harmonious and efficient practice.

The Phygital Design Process: Using Emerging Technologies To Create A Phygital Fashion Brand Rooted In Nostalgia, Madeline M. Mcdaniel

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This Master's Project is a comprehensive exploration of the intersection of digital fashion design, nostalgia, and sustainable practices. Its primary objective is to create 'project CYBERBAE,' a phygital fashion collection that draws inspiration from early 2000s video game characters, trends, and aesthetics. The project utilizes advanced digital tools like Clo3D to demonstrate a comprehensive digital fashion design process that emphasizes inclusivity and sustainability. It also pioneers the development of a 3D virtual world, providing users with an immersive environment to interact with and experience digital fashion. This virtual space serves as a platform for a community of fashion, technology, and …

Hogs For A Cause: Art As A Medium For Community Engagement, Jaden Hendrix

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the power to influence various sectors of society, art is a dynamic medium for instituting change. To explore the power of art and its impact on communities, I am organizing an event in Fayetteville, Arkansas called “Hogs for a Cause.” Hogs for a Cause would double as an art competition and a community fundraising event for local charities, ultimately taking a multifaceted approach to enhancing our community through public art. This project will serve several purposes: showcase the work of local artists, support local charities, and foster community engagement and development. I will be collaborating with the …

Impact Of Seasonality On Demand Forecasting Techniques For Small-Scale Food Retailers, Indu Sree Guturu

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explores the impact of seasonality on SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) demand forecasting in small-scale food retailers through the analysis of historical sales data, focusing on four key products, labelled: Product A, Product B, Product C & Product D. The research aims to assess the accuracy of different forecasting models in capturing seasonal fluctuations. The research questions are: (Q1) What is the impact of seasonality on SKU demand forecasting in case of small-scale food retailers. (Q2) How does the efficacy of Traditional model compare to alternative technologically driven forecasting techniques? (Q3) To what extent can the impact of seasonality …

Sports Science: An Entrepreneurial Venture, Nicole J. Jones

Senior Honors Projects

In sports science, ensuring maximum athlete safety and optimizing data utilization are pivotal yet leave room for further work. My project, Unbeaten SafeWare, addresses these critical issues by focusing on two primary concerns: preventing heat-related and cardiac illnesses, which are significant causes of athlete fatalities, and enhancing the transparency and utility of sports data. This initiative involves developing a shirt integrated with sensors to monitor vital signs and an athlete management system to handle data input, storage, analysis, and accessibility for athletes.

The project has advanced through the efforts of a multidisciplinary team, which includes biomedical engineering undergraduates, two faculty …

Resilience, Self-Efficacy, Openness To Change, And Innovativeness Of Msme Owners: A Quantitative-Qualitative Integration Before, During, And After The Covid-19 Crisis, Imelda T. Angeles

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have consistently demonstrated their resilience in the face of economic challenges, particularly during crises. This study delves into how the experiences of MSMEs before, during, and after the COVID-19 crisis have translated into resilience, self-efficacy, openness to change, and innovativeness as they responded to the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic.

Design/Methodology/Approach: This mixed-methods study combines the quantitative analysis of the characteristics of MSME owners with their narratives of their experiences during the COVID-19 crisis, translating adversity into an opportunity.

Research Findings: The integrated results showed how the quantitative-qualitative insights enabled a …

Integrity And Legitimacy Of Halal Products: The Urgency Of Halal Supply Chain Management Technology Adoption In Halal Product Authentication Traceability Evidence From Indonesia, Ari Agung Nugroho, Sumiyati Sumiyati, Hamsani Hamsani

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This research aims to determine how technology, integrity, and the environment affect traceability of halal product certification and its relationship with Halal Value Chain (HVSC) Management in micro, small and medium processing industries.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The quantitative research utilised survey data from 285 respondents who are processing industry players throughout Indonesia. Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) is applied for data analysis.

Research Findings: The study's findings indicate that technology adoption and environmental factors have a significant effect on HVSC traceability. The authentication and legitimacy of halal products are positively impacted by technology adoption, among others, which contributes to …

Credit History Controls The Ability Of Small Businesses To Obtain Working Capital: A Case Study, Tiffany Leeona Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research was to understand how a potential failure of business owners exists and how owners use business credit. In addition, this research includes understanding how business owners obtain working capital within small businesses, resulting in the inability of small businesses to gather the necessary funds to cover the operational costs. I used a flexible design using a qualitative method to gather knowledge from current literature regarding how a lack of credit history in small businesses results in the inability of business owners to obtain working capital. I used a flexible design to identify four elements that …

From Field To Fashion: A Journey In Sustainable Design And Regional Understanding, Lily Turner

Individually Designed Interdepartmental Major Honors Project

As the fashion industry became globalized over the past century, it has become a major environment polluter and exposed laborers to hazardous conditions. This honors project considers sustainability in the textile industry at large and at the regional scale of the Upper Midwest. Its scholarly component offers an overview of the current textile production, details how the industry may become sustainable, and suggests practices of environmentally-conscious and ethical design. The creative component is a soil-to-soil seasonless capsule collection titled From Field View that incorporates biomimicry and interrogates the concept of place by referencing the Midwest’s flora, wool, and linen fibers.

Board Gender Diversity, Ceo Turnover, And Firm Performance In Entrepreneurial Firms, Matthew Imes, Mark West, Jessica West, Shan Yan

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

This article examines recent literature on corporate boards and the interplay between director gender and CEO turnover and how it affects firm performance after CEO turnover. The primary focus is board gender diversity and CEO job embeddedness in entrepreneurial firms. This article discusses gender diversity and the frequency of CEO turnover. This paper finds that board gender diversity is associated with lower CEO involuntary turnovers and better overall performance in entrepreneurial firms. The article highlights how board gender diversity, especially in small firms, provides a unique pathway to create firm value and examines recent evidence on how gender diverse board …

Comercio Informal Y Financiación Informal En Colombia Casos: Cúcuta, Villavicencio, Localidad De Chapinero Y Sector Las Aguas En Bogotá, Olga Marina García Norato, Gustavo Adolfo Diaz Valencia

Ciencias Administrativas, Económicas y Contables

Este libro presenta una serie de investigaciones desarrolladas desde 2016 sobre la informalidad en Colombia, específicamente el comercio informal en el espacio público y las fuentes de financiación de los vendedores informales. La primera investigación, realizada en Chapinero, Bogotá, analizó las condiciones socioeconómicas y las limitaciones financieras de estos comerciantes. En 2017, el estudio se expandió a Villavicencio y Cúcuta, examinando las fuentes de financiación informal y sugiriendo políticas públicas para la inclusión financiera. Los resultados revelan bajos niveles de escolaridad e ingresos entre los vendedores, quienes dependen de prestamistas informales debido a las barreras para acceder al crédito formal, …

Happy Horn Business Plan, Joseph Schwarz

Honors Theses

As a current Starting Gate member and entrepreneurship major at WMU, I am always surrounded by business ideas and the thought of building and growing my own business. This is the main reason I have made a business plan for my business idea, the Happy Horn.

The Happy Horn is an add on horn attachment for every type of bike, E-bike, and E-scooter. This horn quickly and easily attaches to the handle bars and features 4 buttons. The first button being a normal horn sound. However, the other three buttons are linked to different tones. These tones are selected and …

The Evolution Of The Nonprofit Sector In Nepal, Charles Harrington, Davis Jones

SC Upstate Research Symposium

The nonprofit sector in Nepal has grown exponentially over the last decade. Significant growth in the areas of education, economic development, health and human services, tourism, and environmental conservation has created a demonstrable need for nonprofit organizational support and development to address these emerging needs. This paper and accompanying oral presentation will address the underlying factors that have driven the growth of the nonprofit sector in Nepal, including, but not limited to the history of national philanthropy and community service, early formulation of the nonprofit sector, development of civil society, non-government organizational proliferation, earthquake response and resilience, the emergence of …

Exploring Entrepreneurial Intention And Subjective Beliefs: A Comparative Analysis Of General Education Schools And Commercial Schools, Julia Riess, Bettina Fuhrmann, Gerhard Geissler

International Journal for Business Education

This study examines the entrepreneurial intentions of Austrian secondary school students, specifically comparing students from commercial schools with those from general education schools. We analyzed 2,329 data sets and found that subjective beliefs, primarily behavioral and control beliefs, significantly influence entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, demographic factors such as gender, language, acquaintance with entrepreneurs, and school type play a significant role in explaining the variance in entrepreneurial intentions.

Our detailed analysis shows that students from commercial schools have stronger entrepreneurial intentions and subjective beliefs. Particularly notable are the differences in behavioral beliefs, where students from commercial schools find all aspects of …

Upstarts T3: An Asynchronous And Cohort-Based Entrepreneurship Train-The-Trainer Program, Surin Kim, Maria Rosario T. De Guzman, Kieu-Anh Do, Irene Padasas, Claire Nicholas, Olivia Kennedy, Anna Erdmann, Andy Larson

Journal of Extension

UpStarts is a reverse-mentoring youth program designed to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among participants and a sense of connection between youth and adults. Effective facilitators are critical to the success of the program. This paper describes an asynchronous, cohort-based virtual train-the-trainer (T3) program for potential UpStarts facilitators that was developed to navigate the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic. Participants of the initial UpStarts T3 program reported positive feedback for the training and a high sense of efficacy in implementing UpStarts in their communities. The current T3 model is emerging as a promising means of preparing facilitators to implement UpStarts …

Understanding Implications Of Restaurants In A Post-Pandemic World:​ A Tourism And Hospitality Case Study For La Tasca, Callyn Anderson, Marisol Banda, Katie Hale

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The impact of COVID-19 has had implications for every single lifestyle and business (Sharma et al., 2022). Not only did it impact the economy, but the service industry took the brunt of it. The industries most affected by COVID-19 over the period January 2020 to January 2022 included “airlines, automobiles, energy equipment and services, hotels-restaurants-leisure, and specialty retail (Vidovic, 2022). When airlines and recreation parts of the industry did not return to pre- pandemic levels in November of 2021, the United States saw a reflection of the appeal for more local tourism (Linn et al., 2022). Local tourism, including restaurants, …

Organizing Special Events For Uri Greek Life, Jared Hewitt

Senior Honors Projects

Many student organizations at the University of Rhode Island host events throughout the year to support different causes. In my time at the university I have experienced several of these events, but noticed a lack of involvement from the greater community. Many students work or shop at local businesses yet the businesses don’t get involved with these events that could benefit everyone.

During my involvement with Greek Life I have participated and helped plan their annual Greek Week fundraiser in the spring. Through this personal experience I have noticed the large impact 3,000 students have on the community, but see …

Mda At Your Service: What Is The Beneficial Ownership Information Report?, Kristin Johnson Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

MDA Staff, with input from Kristin Johnson, DDS, explains the Beneficial Ownership Information Report required by the Corporate Transparency Act. Dental practices with fewer than 20 full-time employees and <$5M in annual sales must file by Jan. 1, 2025. They also address MIOSHA regulations, dental assistant duties, and access to MDA resources like the Delegation of Duties Chart and educational videos on infant oral health.

Dentistry And The Law: Why Dentists Must Pay Attend To Antitrust Law, Dan Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In this month’s Dentistry and the Law column, Dan Schulte, JD, MDA Legal Counsel, emphasizes the importance of understanding antitrust laws for dentists. He explains that agreements between competitors that restrain trade are illegal and highlights the risks of price-fixing and group boycotts. Dentists should avoid any activities that may be construed as anticompetitive. Enforcement of antitrust laws can lead to criminal or civil actions, making awareness crucial.

Agents Of Change: Which One Are You?, Michelle C. Dziurgot Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In her editorial, Michelle C. Dziurgot, DDS, explores various roles dentists play as agents of change, including catalysts for urgency, collaborators with specialists, diligent workers for accuracy, risk-taking entrepreneurs, charismatic leaders, and peacemakers who resolve conflicts within their practices.

Detecting Barriers And Drivers To The Adoption Of Circular Business Models In Small Companies From Developed And Developing Countries, Nathalie Touratier-Muller, Nikolina Koporcic, Stefan Markovic, Vesna Damnjanovic

AMTP Proceedings 2024

Circular business models (CBMs) have become crucial elements of the ecological and social transition of developed as well as developing countries. However, there is a lack of research focusing on small firms that are adopting CBMs, while facing various resource constraints. As small firms are becoming more conscious of the advantages of CBMs, there is a practical need to identify barriers and drivers to the adoption of those models, to accelerate their development trajectory. To contribute to these theoretical and practical needs, in this paper, we consider the CBMs of small firms and focus on a comparison between developed and …

Dentistry’S Cdt Code: Its Origins, Use And Future, Frank J. Pokorny Ii, Mba, Facd(Hon)

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Today’s version of the Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature – commonly referred to as CDT 2024 -- is the latest iteration of the code set first published in 1969. The CDT Code is ADA intellectual property that serves dentists and the dental community at large as the HIPAA standard for documenting and reporting services delivered to patients. CDT supports multiple needs: e.g., documentation; billing and reimbursement; revenue; data analytics. The code set’s maintenance is an open process overseen by the ADA Council on Dental Benefit Programs’ Code Maintenance Committee. Any dentist or interested party may submit a maintenance request. …

Examining The Role Of Access To Capital, Social Capital Networks, And Education In Supporting Black Founders And Investors In Technology-Based Entrepreneurship, Akosua Acheamponmaa

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, a report from the Kauffman Index of Startup Activity shows that 540,000 Americans launch businesses each month (Fairlie et al., 2017). However, the number of women-owned and minority-owned businesses in the United States (U.S.) is disproportionately less than the proportion of women and minorities in the U.S. Although women slightly outnumber men in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019), new women-owned businesses represent only 39.4% of all U.S. businesses, while new male-owned businesses represent 60.51% (Fairlie et al., 2017). While Blacks or African Americans comprise approximately 13.4% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019), only 9.24% …

Leading Horses To Water During A Pandemic: Assuring Communication Learning For "Quants", Thomas Hall

International Journal for Business Education

Students who are attracted to quantitative disciplines of study can be reluctant to devote much attention to the important task of communicating, and previous research (Hostager, 2018) has identified statistically significant differences in learning approaches by major among undergraduate business students. This paper presents results of learning assurance for writing skills (direct measures) even when the content of the course relates to the highly quantitative topics of data analytics and finance. The approach combines various pedagogical methods in an undergraduate, writing-intensive setting: traditional testing but in an iterative framework, “flipped classroom” intensive work using spreadsheet software, repeated submission of brief …