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The
Purpose
The Center for Entrepreneurial and Family Business Studies promotes
the creation of new enterprises and engages in research and assistance
of small and family-owned businesses in northeastern Arkansas. The
primary goal of the Center is to teach undergraduate and graduate
courses in the areas of small business management (MGMT 4163) and
entrepreneurship (MGMT 4293).
The Center reaches out to the small business community through these
services:
Training
and Small Business Consulting
Small businesses in northeastern Arkansas can contact the Center Chair
regarding specific needs in the areas of training and consulting.
Although this service is limited, every effort will be made to assist
the small business owner/operator improve his or her businesses performance
through a variety of consulting projects. Projects that are most requested
include reorganizations, management and supervisory training, and
strategic planning.
The Management Program for Entrepreneurs (MPE)
The MPE is a cohort-based entrepreneurship certificate program for
non-degree seeking students who are owner-operators of an active existing
business. The entrepreneurial education is provided by the College
of Business faculty members who have owned and operated or served
as consultants to small businesses, as well as area executives who
have specific expertise relevant to small, growing businesses.
The objectives of the MPE are as follows:
- To teach entrepreneurial techniques to small business owner/operators
- To prepare small business owners and operators to manage growth
in their companies
- To stem the tide of small business failures in the Arkansas Delta
region
- To provide theory and practice in attracting new investors, marketing
products, structuring financial packages, managing cash flow, and,
most of al, managing people
- To educate small business owner/operators about the various agencies
and resources available to them and how to use them to improve and
grow their businesses
- And, to establish an effective and lasting network of small business
owner/operators who will continue to stay in touch with Arkansas State
and each other through their involvement as alumni of the MPE program.
Format for the MPE - The program consists of ten weeks in the fall
where owner/operators meet one afternoon a week for classroom time
with ASU faculty facilitators and area business leaders. Each session
will emphasize an opportunity for interactive exchanges between facilitators
and cohort members. The topics for each session will be approached
from the perspective that the people participating in the program
wish to take their businesses to the next level through growth and
increased knowledge. The classroom curriculum will be as follows:
Going Global - Pursuing international trade opportunities;
dealing with foreign agents; competitive versus comparative advantage.
Strategic Management - How to manage strategically; strategic
planning and "fit"; setting goals and objectives; taking entrepreneurship
to the next level; comparing implementation results to goals and making
needed adjustments.
Human Resource Management - Hiring and firing practices; understanding
your labor market; evaluating performance; labor and agency laws;
planning for succession.
Production and Operations - Systems supporting quality service;
production planning; managing inventory; analyzing your processes.
Organizational Management - Leadership style evaluation; organizational
change and development; motivating employees; delegation, empowerment,
and decision making.
Marketing - Market research; advertising and promotion; demand
forecasting; market segmentation; logistics and transportation; service
quality; E-commerce; marketing on the internet.
Finance - Understanding and utilizing financial statements;
managing cash flow; sources for financing growth; banking and credit
management; financial forecasting.
In addition to the classroom work, MPE students will prepare a Business
Improvement Project that specifically applies to his or her own business.
For this endeavor, each student will be assigned a partner from the
M.B.A. program at Arkansas State. These graduate students will assist
MPE students in research, development, and writing of the project.
For further information about the MPE, contact
Center Chair
Nareatha Studdard
Center for Entrepreneurial
Family Business Studies
nstuddard@astate.edu
Research Projects
The Center will, from time to time, actively seek small business owner/operators
assistance in studying timely topics that have research potential
for the academic and practicing communities who are interested in
small business growth and development. Topics of current interests
include management succession, strategic planning, and management
development.
Job Shadowing
The ASU College of Business is interested in providing opportunities
for college students to "shadow" small business owner/operators for
a period of one month. The purpose is to expose the students to as
many real-life situations in a small business in preparation for their
own entry into the marketplace. Owner/operators will be asked to meet
with the students, allow them to be their shadow for approximately
15 hours a week for four weeks, and prepare an evaluation on the student
at the end of the experience.
Internships
Many ASU students know before graduation where they are going to be
employed due to family business connections. The ASU internship program
allows these students the opportunity to work with a company other
than their family business so that they may have an objective, practical
business experience during their senior year.
To arrange an internship through your firm, contact
Dr. Sandra Bevill
Internship coordinator
sbevill@astate.edu
Electronic Newsletter
The Center publishes an electronic newsletter each month that contains
small business management tips, helpful hints, and ideas for growth
and development. To order the newsletter, simply send your e-mail
address to the Center.
Contact information regarding small business financing
Herb Lawrence
Small Business Development Center
hlawrenc@astate.edu
To get up-to-date information on small business research throughout
the world, webmaster@www.sbaer.uca.edu
at the University of Central Arkansas.
For training seminars on topics of interest to small businesses, contact
Professional Development and
Workforce Training
Delta Center for Economic
Development
Charles Appleby
cappleby@astate.edu
Center Contact Information
Center for Entrepreneurial and Family Business Studies
Nareatha Studdard
Ph.D., Chair
Arkansas State University
State University, AR 72467-0059
P.O. Box 59
nstuddard@astate.edu
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