Faculty of Management

The Small Business Institute is a collaborative project established by Dr. M. Gordon Hunter and Dan Kazakoff, professors in the Faculty of Management.

Mission
The Institute will investigate issues related to small business.

Goals
While the main focus will be Lethbridge and southern Alberta, investigations will incorporate the wider national and international community of small business and fellow researchers. These stakeholders will provide guidance and input regarding investigations.

Findings will be disseminated through publications in academic and industry journals; and conferences and public presentations.

Processes involving the transfer of knowledge from research into teaching and practice will be established to incorporate appropriate material into the development and delivery of small business university programs.

Focus
Investigations will focus on the types of privately held small business varying from start-up to multi-generation. The following aspects of small business will be investigated:

• Entrepreneurship
• Family business
• Franchise
• Non-participating family members
• Not-for-profit
• Small business employees
• Succession
• Sustainability

Funding
The Small Business Institute will be self-funding. Each project will be funded from sources external to the Faculty of Management and the University of Lethbridge by stakeholders who propose an investigation or initiative.

Small Business Institute Speakers Series

Learn more about Dan and Gordon