Help with my Dissertation Research please
Help with my Dissertation Research please
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Discussion

SiC2

Original Poster:

148 posts

236 months

Saturday 14th March 2009
quotequote all
Im currently studying Business Entrepreneurship at Northampton University. I am currently writing my dissertation on small businesses and their perception and attitudes towards branding. I know from my lurking on this website that their are many entrepreneurs and small business owners who use the boards and was hoping that some of you could spare five minutes of your time to complete an online survey for me. I have already got quite a few back from business owners that I know and have researched in the past and just need a few more.

Please only do the survey if you are an entrepreneur or owner-manager of a small or medium sized business (SME) a business which is classed as an small or medium enterprise has less than 250 employees.

The link to the online survey is http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=eiWbQHeFluQQ...

Many thanks

Simon

Eric Mc

125,897 posts

296 months

Saturday 14th March 2009
quotequote all
This is the second such "survey" to be posted on PH in the past few days.

It amazes me that the educators of people training to be entrepeneurs think that carrying out surveys on other businesses will actually helpthem become business savvy.

For the record, I that think entrepeneurs are born, not trained.

Super Bad

556 posts

243 months

Saturday 14th March 2009
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
This is the second such "survey" to be posted on PH in the past few days.

It amazes me that the educators of people training to be entrepeneurs think that carrying out surveys on other businesses will actually helpthem become business savvy.

For the record, I that think entrepeneurs are born, not trained.
I Agree

Dick Dastardly

8,326 posts

294 months

Saturday 14th March 2009
quotequote all
Done.

Simpo Two

93,062 posts

296 months

Saturday 14th March 2009
quotequote all
Well I crashed out on Q2 because I don't employ anybody.

(Opening sentence isn't a sentence either!)

ETA: Eric makes a good point - if you were an entrepreneur you'd be selling beetroot by now!

Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 14th March 21:14

EINSIGN

5,638 posts

277 months

Saturday 14th March 2009
quotequote all
I am stupid, left school at 14 because I wanted to sell things... Now make a couple of mill a year.

Those who can do, those who cant teach. True words said by David Carradine...

Eric Mc

125,897 posts

296 months

Saturday 14th March 2009
quotequote all
Or George Bernard Shaw .... and he probably wasn't the first.

EINSIGN

5,638 posts

277 months

Sunday 15th March 2009
quotequote all
Kung Fu knew him too?

StevieBee

15,493 posts

286 months

Sunday 15th March 2009
quotequote all
Done it, but......

You've asked the wrong questions or the right questions in the wrong way.

Branding is a big part of what we do so PM me if you want a heads up.

Thurbs

2,782 posts

253 months

Sunday 15th March 2009
quotequote all
Done.

Simpo Two said:
Well I crashed out on Q2 because I don't employ anybody.
All companies have 2 directors (or 1 director & 1 secretary) who are also employees.

SiC2

Original Poster:

148 posts

236 months

Sunday 15th March 2009
quotequote all
Thanks to all the people who have helped me out so far. I hope others will also answer the questions.

To be honest I dont think the entrepreneurship degree is going to make an entrepreneur out of anyone. Personally I have been bought up and around businesses, my personal opinion to answer EricMC is that it is a mixture of being born an entrepreneur and also the nurture when you are young with experiences which happen which make you want to achieve.

Simpo Two - I suppose that if you are a soletrader i guess that the business doesnt have any employees. Although if you are a limited company anyone who works for the business is an employee as Thurbs kindly pointed out. My opening sentance has now been adjusted as well thank you for pointing that out.

Simpo Two

93,062 posts

296 months

Sunday 15th March 2009
quotequote all
Thurbs said:
Simpo Two said:
Well I crashed out on Q2 because I don't employ anybody.
All companies have 2 directors (or 1 director & 1 secretary) who are also employees.
They do, but the questionnaire was not restricted to limited companies. To me, 'entrepreneur' means you have a blindingly good idea and go and make money from it. Enterprising etc. Someone who will always see the glass half full. Someone who sees opportunites where others see despair. Put two problems togther and make a solution. Someone who thinks faster and better than the pack, and makes it work. If from that you grow to own an office block full of people, even better - albeit at higher risk in case it all goes the way of the pear.

SiC2 said:
Simpo Two - I suppose that if you are a soletrader i guess that the business doesnt have any employees. Although if you are a limited company anyone who works for the business is an employee as Thurbs kindly pointed out. My opening sentance has now been adjusted as well thank you for pointing that out.
Happy to help, and I hope it works for you biggrin

Eric Mc

125,897 posts

296 months

Sunday 15th March 2009
quotequote all
Thurbs said:
Done.

Simpo Two said:
Well I crashed out on Q2 because I don't employ anybody.
All companies have 2 directors (or 1 director & 1 secretary) who are also employees.
Not any more. You have to keep up to date these days.

The Companies Act 2006 now allows "One Director" companies. And the position of Company Secretary is now optional for small companies.

V8mate

45,899 posts

220 months

Monday 16th March 2009
quotequote all
Not a great survey.

Question 5 "Do you feel that branding is important for the success of your business?" isn't as simple as the 'Yes'/'No' response it requires.

Sorry; cannot complete.


ETA:

There have been quite a few students pitching their dissertation surveys on here over the last few months. The general standard is pretty poor, the questions not very incisive and you really have to wonder at the quality of the data received from a bunch of Internet-randoms.

Survey-monkey seems to have saved thousands of students the hassle of actually putting any effort whatsoever into properly researching their dissertations.

Edited by V8mate on Monday 16th March 10:37