Cheetahs Continue: Lessons on How to Survive and Thrive from Missouri’s Fastest Growing Businesses
The Chasing Cheetah project (phase 2) continues to look at fast growth business and how they have been able to prosper and grow in an economic recession. "Cheetahs Continue" outlines lessons learned from in-depth interviews with business owners who continued to hire new employees through the recession and focusing on four categories: Reasons for their success, their views on the business climate in their markets, their relationship to their local communities and their perspectives on key policy issues. Findings indicate that these companies have an innate market orientation that gathers intelligence about their customers' needs, shares those needs throughout their firms, and responds in meaningful ways to those customer needs. They also have a willingness to embrace change as it relates to responding to their markets, an intrinsic desire to serve others and a down-to-earth simplicity. The report provides insight and recommendations that can inform local, regional and statewide economic development and job creation efforts.
|
|
Full
Report  |
|
Chasing Cheetahs: Lessons from Missouri's Fastest Growing Businesses
The Chasing Cheetahs project looks at fast growth businesses located in Missouri that have doubled in employment within five years. Based upon job creation as the key indicator for business growth. The report outlines many of the characteristics of these fast growth or "cheetah" businesses that are making a large impact on their communities. Aspects that these "cheetah" companies attributed to their success: customer service, economic opportunity, focus/goals and workforce rate at the top. The report provides insight and recommendations that may add value to local, regional and statewide economic development and job creation efforts.
|
|
Full
Report |
|
Market Research, People and Money: Needs to Technolgy-Related Companies
This report focuses on influencing factors that impact small technology related companies located in Missouri with emphasis on the Columbia-Rolla tech corridor. The six areas that 101 small technology companies gave insight to during the study were: talented labor, access to capital, networking opportunities, availability to research resources, marketing strategy and finance. Other insights gained are the hindrances that these small technology firms face either based upon location, market size or the ability to export.
|
|
Full Report |
|
Identify and Define: Locating, Describing and Categorizing Missouri Technology Companies
This project is the first phase in identifying, categorizing and connecting with Missouri area technology companies. The project findings lend a detailed perspective of the technology industry in Missouri for future work and research opportunities. For a more complete, in-depth understanding of the influencing success and hindrance factors facing these companies please also read the follow up report, Market Research, People and Money: Needs to Technology-Related Companies. |
|
Full Report |
|
From Gravel Roads to Uniform Product Codes: Mississippi River Hills Vintners
The Missouri Regional Cuisines Project is targeted at promoting Missouri wines and other specialty food products by focusing on regional identity. This report covers a study based on interviews with seven vintners near the Mississippi river in southeast Missouri. The primary purpose of these interviews was to gather information that would inform both the Regional Cuisines project and University of Missouri Extension. We were interested in determining what, if any, services, programs, or products would add value to the vintners operations and could be offered in cooperation with the Missouri Regional Cuisines Project. The report provides recommendations that may add value to the efforts within the Regional Cuisines Project as well as to University of Missouri Extension. |
|
Full Report |
|
A Report on Entrepreneurs' Attitudes and Beliefs about Time
This report covers a study that focused
on entrepreneurs' attitudes and beliefs about time. The project uncovered
some important relationships between time and entrepreneurs' general
life stress. It also provided a much more precise understanding of
entrepreneurs' time horizons (by time horizons we mean how far into
the future or into the past people typically think about things).
Results are based on a survey of approximately 1000 Missouri entrepreneurs. |
|
Full
Report |
|
Emerging Themes in Entrepreneurship
Research
This summary provides a review of the
academic literature on entrepreneurship for the past three years (1999-2003).
Twenty-two themes emerged from a total of 77 articles from five peer-reviewed
journals. Abstracts for each article along with a bibliography are
included. Text of full articles may be available on the internet or
through your local library. |
|
Full
Report
Abstracts |
|
Learning Experiences & Preferences of Small Business Owners
and Entrepreneurs in the State of Missouri
Descriptive analysis of the Learning
Experiences & Preferences (LE&P) of Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
in the State of Missouri is now available. This industry-stratified,
random survey of business owners was conducted in 2002 and describes
the demographics, firmographics, content interests, learning experiences,
styles, and preferences. The LE&P All
Regions Total Report represents the descriptives for the entire
state. The data are also available for each U/OE region: Central,
Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, West Central, East Central,
South Central.
|
|
All Regions Total Report
Central Region Report
Southwest Region Report )
West Central Region Report
South Central Region Report
Northeast Region Report
Southeast Region Report
East Central Region Report
Northwest Region Report |
|
Problems Entrepreneurs
Face
The "Problems Entrepreneurs Face"
study was undertaken in fall of 2002 by BRIDG. It is the first study
in Missouri to take an in-depth look at the various types of operational
problems entrepreneurs face when they begin their businesses and after
they have been in business for a number of years. |
|
Full
Report |
|
Study of Latino/a Business
Owners in Greater Kansas City
This research report focuses on the
learning experiences and preferences of Latino business owners in
the Greater Kansas City area. Using both survey and interview methods,
the study finds that the most common problems they face in their businesses
at the current time are cash flow, sales volume, marketing, competition,
and control of their own time. Several opportunities for business
assistance services emerged from the study. Among those are: the need
for business mentoring, specific services for companies in the mid-stage
of development, family businesses, exit strategies, combining business
and community, and developing future business owners who are currently
working in a Latino small business. |
|
Full Report |
|
Technology Company Resource
Needs
A study of technology companies in
Missouri undertaken in 2003 by BRIDG yields valuable information and
insight into the entrepreneurs, their companies, capitalization issues,
and preferences in learning. The study utilized survey methodology
and an eleven percent response rate was garnered. Opportunities for
business service providers include SBIR/STTR grant assistance, as
well as management, marketing and financial assistance. |
|
Full Report |
|
Economic Development Funding
& Research
This report highlights the major funders
of economic development initiatives at the federal level. In addition,
the report highlights recent economic development research including
how the topic is framed and who are the major researchers in the arena. |
|
Full Report |
|
Minority Entrepreneurs: A Review of Current Literature
This report represents a review of
the secondary literature on "minority entrepreneurs" and "minority
entrepreneurship" from the major academic journals and books for the
past five years. The books and articles reviewed were focused on minority,
ethnic, or immigrant entrepreneurship. The disciplines included in
this review are business, economics, and sociology. The focus is on
the United States and does not include work that is primarily global
or international. In addition, some of the latest statistical information
available on minority entrepreneurs is included. |
|
Full Report |
|
Small Business Environmental Scan
This report takes a close look at what
has affected Missouri's businesses during 2001. External and internal,
global and local changes set the stage for what small business owners
face as well as creating the boundaries for decision-making. |
|
Executive Summary
Full Report
PowerPoint presentation  |
