scholarly journals Co-creating a digital service for small business owners’ finance management

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heikkilä Päivi ◽  
Maria Johanna Antikainen
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Finance Management ◽  
Digital Service ◽  
Integration Of Services ◽  
Service Offering

This paper presents a small-scale qualitative study exploring the everyday finance management of small business owners. The study was conducted by carrying out contextual interviews, combining the approach of business and social sciences. Insights from five study cases were utilised in co-creating a novel digital service targeted to facilitate finance management in the areas identified as challenging or lacking suitable services. The benefits and challenges of the co-creation process are also discussed. The findings increase the current understanding and bring practical implications to the understudied area of co-creation of financial services. For example, the needs for integration of services and graphical presentation of financial data are not met with current service offering and should be supported better. Gamification and social aspects, as well as, the need for mobile use, are seen as interesting elements for future research.

Growth and Development of Small Business Through Microfinance Activities in Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-34
Author(s):  
Chandra Prasad Dhakal
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Economic Activities

Small businesses play important role for economic development and stability. It develops access in financial services through enhancing economic activities. The study analyzes the growth and development of small businesses that enhance through the support of micro finance in Nepal. Descriptive and inferential were used to collected data and collected data were analyzed through using multiple linear regression analysis. Only 124 small business owners were selected for this study. The study helps to find out the growth of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and small businesses in emerging economy in Nepal. It also assists MFIs to assess the effectiveness of their services and help to efficient utilization of available resources in the economy of Nepal.

Keep it Oakland: e-commerce meets social justice

2021 ◽  
pp. 016344372110483
Author(s):  
Tamara Kneese
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Business Transactions ◽  
Brick And Mortar ◽  
Racial Hierarchies

This article examines the labor involved with the upkeep of social media accounts for Oakland-based brick-and-mortar boutiques and their digital storefronts, particularly as businesses move their wares online during shelter-in-place amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Focusing on independent shops in Oakland, California, particularly those which are part of Oakland’s Indie Alliance – a coalition of independent small business owners – this article explores the role of shop workers in producing the authentic aesthetics of themselves and store accounts as a replacement for brick-and-mortar shops. How do small-scale shop owners and clerks make platforms, which were not designed with their needs in mind, work for them? How does sellers’ performance of the local interface with a global digital marketplace and platform infrastructures? In what ways do existing racial hierarchies and structural inequalities affect shop personnel’s experiences of platforms and apps meant to facilitate business transactions? I focus on the Oakland Indie Alliance’s Covid Recovery and Repair funds, which employ social media and crowdfunding platforms or payment apps to provide assistance to local businesses, particularly those which are BIPOC and/or immigrant owned, connecting commercial and social justice oriented goals.

Gender, individualism–collectivism and individuals’ propensity to trust: A comparative exploratory study

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachid Zeffane
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Propensity To Trust ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Statistical Results

AbstractWe explore the impact of gender, individualism–collectivism on individual’s propensity to trust. The study draws on data from three groups of individuals in the United Arab Emirates: students; (n=370); small business owners/operators (n=324), and employed individuals (n=376). Three main hypotheses are tested. We develop and explore three main hypotheses. Statistical results reveal that females are generally more collectivist and less trusting than their males counterparts. Further analysis revealed that small business/operators are generally more trusting than the other cohorts of respondents. Propensity to trust was also found to be strongly associated with collectivist (rather than individualist) aspirations. Implications for future research and management practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Using a large sample analysis of Thai listed firms, we address an important question. Do board diversity and network add value to firms? This article extends the debate on the benefits and costs of board diversity and network and their effect on the broad

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 1883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Chinomona
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Board Diversity ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Small Business Performance

While researches on small businesses have grown substantially, there seem to be a paucity of researches that specifically investigate the effects of small business owners expertise on employees skills training and small business performance. In order to fill this void the current study examined the direct effects of small business owner expertise on small business performance and the mediating influence of employee skills training in this relationship. To empirically test the three (3) posited hypotheses, a sample data of 221 was collected from small business employees in Zimbabwe. The results indicate that small business owners expertise positively influence employees skills training and small business performance in a significant way. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed and limitations and future research directions are indicated.

Social Commerce Benefits for Small Businesses

2019 ◽  
pp. 1237-1255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludwig Christian Schaupp ◽  
France Bélanger
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Social Commerce ◽  
Small Companies ◽  
Stakeholder Pressure ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Small businesses represent an important element of many western economies. However, they often struggle with resources needed to succeed, and small business owners often have to perform many, if not all, roles in their organizations. One of the key functions that small businesses need to excel at for business success today is social commerce since much of their business is migrating towards the use of social media for business. In this study, determinants of social commerce benefits for small businesses are explored. Using survey data from 60 small companies, this research identifies stakeholder pressure and partner pressure as the most significant factors in determining social commerce benefits for small business. Implications of these findings and provide suggestions for future research are discussed.

Social Commerce Benefits for Small Businesses

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludwig Christian Schaupp ◽  
France Bélanger
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Social Commerce ◽  
Small Companies ◽  
Stakeholder Pressure ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Small businesses represent an important element of many western economies. However, they often struggle with resources needed to succeed, and small business owners often have to perform many, if not all, roles in their organizations. One of the key functions that small businesses need to excel at for business success today is social commerce since much of their business is migrating towards the use of social media for business. In this study, determinants of social commerce benefits for small businesses are explored. Using survey data from 60 small companies, this research identifies stakeholder pressure and partner pressure as the most significant factors in determining social commerce benefits for small business. Implications of these findings and provide suggestions for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Regional small businesses’ personal and inter-firm networks

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 1957-1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jalleh Sharafizad ◽  
Kerry Brown
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Personal Networks ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Business Networks ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Firm Networks

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of personal and inter-firm networks and the elements that contribute to the formation and management of these networks for regional small businesses. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 small business owners located in regional areas. Findings The findings highlight key characteristics of regional small business owners’ networks. Findings indicated that participants relied strongly on their personal networks for business purposes. This study shows that while personal networks adapted and changed into informal inter-firm networks, weak-tie relations within inter-firm networks were unlikely to develop into close personal networks. Novel findings also include a preference for “regional interactions” and included regular collaboration with local business competitors. Although the participants used social media to manage their business through personal networks, results confirmed there was a lack of awareness of the benefits of inter-firm networks with businesses outside the local region. Originality/value While it is acknowledged small business owners use personal and inter-firm connections to maintain and grow their business, there is a lack of research examining both of these networks in the same study. This research addresses this gap and presents five propositions as a useful direction for future research. This paper adds to the evolution of existing knowledge by expanding understanding of the formation of business networks and conditions of business trust relations within a regional context.

Small business owner satisfaction with financial performance: A longitudinal study

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanan Gwaltney Gibson ◽  
William C. McDowell ◽  
Michael L. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Financial Health ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Owner Satisfaction ◽  
Performance Satisfaction ◽  
Practical Implications

This exploratory study examines the financial performance satisfaction of small business owners at two time periods: (1) nearing the end of the Great Recession and (2) three years into economic recovery. In addition to considering small business owners in general, special attention has been paid to women and minority owners. Using independent samples t-tests, results indicate that business owners are more satisfied with their financial performance in 2012 than they were in 2009. However, results were not consistent for all subgroups of the population; differences exist between men and women owners and between Caucasian and minority owners. Whereas men mirrored the results for all business owners, women did not report increased satisfaction in any of the five areas of financial performance examined. Caucasian owners reported increases in four of the five areas of financial health and minority owners saw an increase in only three. The study also provides practical implications and areas for future research.

Women and apparel entrepreneurship

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Hodges ◽  
Kittichai Watchravesringkan ◽  
Jennifer Yurchisin ◽  
Elena Karpova ◽  
Sara Marcketti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Scale Design

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to explore strategies used by successful female entrepreneurs to manage the challenges of running a small apparel business. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research design was used. Primary and secondary data were collected on small business in three countries: Russia, South Africa and Thailand. In-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 11 female small apparel business owners. Businesses ranged from tailoring and custom clothing shops, to small-scale design and production, as well as small apparel retail stores. Findings – Three emergent themes highlight the similarities and differences that surfaced across the participants’ narratives. Key issues within the thematic areas point to the need for these women to be creative in finding resources to start and grow their small apparel businesses, and to manage the competition that they face within this industry. Research limitations/implications – It is difficult to generalize the findings of this study beyond the sample. Implications of the findings for understanding the needs of female apparel entrepreneurs and small business owners are considered. Originality/value – Despite the significance of women to the apparel industry as well as small business ownership, thus far, the role of women as apparel entrepreneurs and small business owners has been under-examined in the literature. This study offers insight into what it is like for women seeking to succeed as apparel entrepreneurs and small business owners.

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