e-Commerce Curricula
e-Commerce as a Strategy for Improving Business Vitality: Lessons Learned from Rural Businesses
Entrepreneurs considering using e-commerce as a business development strategy can learn from the experience of others. Case studies can provide insight into the opportunities, challenges and potential impacts of e-commerce on business. Since many business owners seek assistance through counseling and classes, these case studies may be used by instructors to help illustrate the promise and the reality of e-commerce strategies.
Standing as examples of other entrepreneurs, these case studies help relate the story behind the business and serve as inspirations for small business owners seeking to develop or enhance their Web presence. In addition, they can relate to the processes which other small businesses undertook to develop and manage their e-commerce strategies and accompanying Web sites. These case studies focus on locally – owned rural businesses as opposed to branch plants or franchises. The selected businesses include rural firms of different sizes and in different stages of business development. These firms represent different types of communities with populations ranging from 300 to 57,053.
How to Use Case Studies
These materials were developed as part of the Southern Rural Development Center’s National e-Commerce Extension Initiative. They are based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Award No. 2005-45064-03212
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Southern Rural Development Center.
