TECHNIQUES FOR USING THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVANCEMENT NATIONAL CENTER IN STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP COURSES
Don B. Bradley III, University of Central Arkansas ABSTRACT The Small Business Advancement National Center's web site, www.sbaer.uca.edu, is an excellent resource to serve as an electronic library for the needs of your marketing and entrepreneurial students. The web site has primary and secondary research pertaining to all functions of the business environment; however, the site's main focus is on marketing and management. The purpose of this paper is to look at the various ways the Small Business Advancement Electronic Resource can be utilized in the classroom for business and academic research. ON-LINE RESOURCES The Small -Business Advancement Electronic Resource - www.shaer.uca.edu Instant up-to-the-moment electronic small business information is provided to small business clients through our Small Business Advancement Electronic Resource. This connection serves as an extensive electronic link among small business owners, entrepreneurs, foundations, educational institutions, associations, international partners, and local, state, and federal government. This World Wide Web site offers an endless supply of valuable information that is geared towards helping both academic researchers and established or new businesses. At the present time, the electronic resource is servicing the United States and its protectorates as well as over eighty nations worldwide. Examples of information provided include industry profiles, business plans, marketing and management research articles, international and domestic contact databases, and loan information. The Small Business Advancement Electronic Resource: Houses research information on all aspects of small business and entrepreneurship, including articles from conference proceedings, industry profiles, and publications from other pertinent sources. Has software that will produce cash flow reports, profit/loss statements, a business plan, and provide a user with the probability of obtaining a loan. Provides a means for electronic consulting and training.
Provides on-line databases that can be queried on programs such as Service Core of Retired Executives, Small Business Institute, international small business contacts, Small Business Development Centers, Small Business Institute Directors Association, congressional contacts, Small Business Administration, and International Council for Small Business. Offers a weekly electronic newsletter to provide "helpful hints" to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Serves as a source for important news and information concerning small business such as conferences, educational resources, government programs and issues, and small business programs. Provides links of other small business and entrepreneur sites on the World Wide Web. Serves as a clearinghouse for small business advocacy information. Provides a Web server that is accessible through the Internet with any Web client software. (http://www.sbaer.uca.edu) The Small Business Advancement Electronic Resource is available around the clock. Staff members are available to answer questions from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (Central Time) Monday through Friday. All data is updated daily with information that is received from many sources concerning small business and entrepreneurship. RESEARCH AND DISSEMINATION Small Business and Entrepreneurship Research Small Business Advancement National Center staff and University of Central Arkansas students and College of Business faculty conduct primary and field research to further Arkansas economic opportunities. This research is disseminated, shared, and exchanged with various small business related entities around the world to promote the development and globalization of Arkansas businesses. The Center provides the Small Business Institute program with needed information and data. SBI is conducted at approximately 475 colleges and universities nationwide assisting over 6,000 small businesses annually. The Center also supports the efforts of the Small Business Institute Directors' Association by providing some operational and archival support on a mutually acceptable basis. Information Clearinghouse SBANC serves as a central information point for up-to-date knowledge, skills, and techniques on small business and entrepreneurship. This information keeps Arkansas businesses on the leading edge of business practices and techniques. A weekly newsletter is made available to over 48,000 readers interested in small business. This provides small business and entrepreneurial articles, snippets of academic and business information, announcements of conferences, calls for papers and hot topics.
CLASSROOM USAGE Ways to Use the Web Site in the Classroom The web site is utilized as an electronic library to help students find current and pertinent information dealing with small business and entrepreneurial issues. A business plan provides a good basis for the start of an innovative marketing plan exercise. The links section provides an avenue to over 700 other web sites that host information dealing with small business and entrepreneurial related needs. These links act as a "one-stop shop" for information from government, business, foundations and other academic research. The web site is international in scope. The information can be used along with the live case model in the classroom. Students can actually go out and work with businesses to solve marketing and management challenges. In some cases, the students have actually taken lap top computers to the business and utilized sections of the web site at the business location. Don B. Bradley III Small Business Advancement National Center University of Central Arkansas UCA Box 5018 Conway, AR 72035 Phone: 501.450.5345 FAX: 501.450,5360 E-Mail: donb@mail.uca.edu