91快播

SBPA faculty launch a library of business plans to guide emerging entrepreneurs

SBPA faculty launch a library of business plans to guide emerging entrepreneurs

SBPA faculty launch a library of business plans to guide emerging entrepreneurs


5/19/2022

UOG: An economic engine of Guam and the region

Fred Schumann and James Ji
School of Business & Public Administration faculty Fred Schumann, left, and James Ji worked with Dean Annette T. Santos in building the C4EI Data & Research Repository. 
John Duenas and Jasmine Flores-Cantrell
2022 PMBA candidate John Duenas, left, stands with local small-business owner Jasmine Flores-Cantrell. Duenas wrote the case study on her business, Numa鈥檒o Zero Waste Refillery, that is on file in the C4EI Data & Research Repository.
Mika Caldwell and Noel Enriquez
Mika Caldwell, right, co-owner of Archway Inc. and Infusion Coffee & Tea, is one of the local entrepreneurs whose business is featured as a case study in the repository. Also shown is Noel Enriquez.
2022 Professional Master of Business Administration cohort
The 2022 Professional Master of Business Administration cohort, whose case study report, 鈥淢aking Waves鈥 is available for public reference in the new C4EI Data & Research Repository.

Photo of "Making Waves鈥 report
鈥淢aking Waves,鈥 a report developed by the 2022 Professional Master of Business Administration cohort, is a publication available in the repository, featuring case studies on five local businesses.

By Akina Chargualaf

When Guam-based wholesale company Archway Inc. was challenged with a limited number of retailers willing to incorporate newly imported beverage products to their menus, its co-owners came up with a solution: a drive-through caf茅 to demonstrate how to use the syrups and powders in fun and flavorful drinks. The drive-through eventually grew to 13 caf茅s well-known across the island as Infusion Coffee & Tea. 

Their story about operating a wholesale distribution company within a limited island economy is just one such case study available to read in a new digital library meant to provide insight and inspiration to emerging entrepreneurs.

Over the last year, Dean Annette T. Santos of the UOG School of Business & Public Administration and faculty members James Ji and Fred Schumann have been actively building a new C4EI Data & Research Repository 鈥 a digital catalog of strategic business plans, case studies, and industry research of businesses operating in Guam and the region. The repository is available under the school鈥檚 Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (C4EI).

鈥淲ith innovation, you don鈥檛 know where you鈥檙e going unless you know where you鈥檝e been, and if the community doesn鈥檛 know about these businesses and the research that has been done, they can鈥檛 build upon that. We鈥檙e trying to address that gap with this repository,鈥 Ji said.

The digital repository went live on May 14 and is accessible at www.uog.edu/publications/c4ei/.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 great about this repository is that we want to build knowledge for the community about business practices, small businesses, and entrepreneurship in Guam,鈥 said Ji, who is overseeing the center.

Documents for download

The materials are available to download at no charge, and hard copies are available for purchase, with funds generated from the sales to go toward printing future journals to be included in the library.

As the collection grows, the library will hold research and reports by UOG faculty on business practices and processes, business plans submitted by local entrepreneurs, and capstone projects from Professional Master of Business Administration students.

鈥淯ltimately, this data will grow organically,鈥 Ji said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e in a new era, and it鈥檒l be interesting to see how business plans are coming up in 2022 and see how business plans were established and created prior.鈥

The Archway Inc. case study is one included in a report by the 2022 PMBA cohort. Their report features five local businesses and how they addressed certain challenges, including compliance with government regulations, competitive pressures in the market, and a changing customer base during the pandemic.

Becoming a 鈥榩lace to go鈥 for business decisions

The ability to think innovatively in an existing company is vital during changing times, said Fred Schumann, professor of global resource management and an expert in tourism.

鈥淚n the next five years, I want people to see us as a place to go for reliable data and to help make important business and government decisions,鈥 Schumann said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to generate as many resources for students, faculty members, and the community so we can help improve the quality of life on the island.鈥 

Contribute to the repository

The center is open to partnering with companies, small businesses, business owners, and industry leaders willing to share their knowledge and insight on the unique challenges and hurdles experienced in their profession and industry.

Entrepreneurs and others in the community who would like to contribute to the C4EI Business & Data Repository can email c4ei@triton.uog.edu.

Visit the C4EI Business & Data Repository