Hollie Ferguson proposes research on how small, local businesses establish and leverage their reputation and brand using digital capabilities compared to previous eras. The research will involve interviewing business owners and customers, analyzing websites, and collecting secondary data. Hollie hopes this project will help a friend's new business, add to her own knowledge for future jobs, and potentially help market her own future business. She believes the topic is relevant for understanding modern business practices as she transitions from school to work. Hollie plans to use a calendar, Gantt chart, and blog to manage tasks and document her progress over the duration of the module through November.
2. How should local businesses react to the
opportunities of the digital world?
• I'm planning to review how new, small businesses which I am
familiar with (in Leicestershire) establish & leverage reputation
and brand using capability compared to how similar
organisations would have behaved in the latter part of the 20
century (this will show me if digital media is in addition to other
factors or instead of.) The size of the business may also affect
the research because of availability of resources and
opportunity costs of choice.
• Short term, I hope to be able to help my friend who is
establishing a local business.
• Medium term, I plan to take the learning's and analysis with me
into my personal database of knowledge to perspective
employers.
• Long term, potentially utilise the skills and knowledge to
successfully market myself and my business.
3. Justifying my project & the relevance of it
• Need to learn about the environment I will be entering
when finishing my degree.
• Build a network for the future.
• Personally testing and challenging project.
• Relevant to what I hope to achieve when entering a job –
i.e. being part or owning a successful business.
• Whatever business I end up working in, these transferable
skills will stand me in good stead.
• This topic will allow me to probe and understand the use
of internet in modern business practice; an area of
considerable interest to me as I plan my transition from
academia to the work place.
4. 5 existing most relevant sources.
• Friend who is establishing local business of hair & beauty
– what are her current ideas and where is she at in the
process?
• Need to find a website of a successful local business with
good digital communication to public (Facebook, twitter
etc)
• Ask family member how his local business has been
effected by digital media from when he first started to now
and does he perceive these to be positive or negative?
• Newspaper to identify local business to research ( current
and archive)
• Internet usage statistical data. (such as use as Google
ads)
5. Research Methods.
• Interviews
• Both quantitative (questionnaires and surveys) and
qualitative (focus groups and interviews.)
• Questionnaires to local business owners – how do they
advertise themselves, what has the best impact on them
as a business?
• Target market opinion, for business such as a local pub
• Web searching
• Primary data: information collected first hand by
researchers.
• Secondary data: information already available from
sources such as journals, newspapers and census
reports.
6. Digital Technologies to manage myself
during duration of the module.
• Calendar and Gantt chart for tasks and milestones.
• Blogging – use of my blog to show my development,
progress and changes of ideas.
7. Allocating tasks and time to carry out
research & writing the document.
• Plan to be finished by mid November to be able to check over
and improve upon for final deadline.
• Sticking to the chart will allow me to finish other projects in good
time.
