Profile: The two primary sponsoring organizations of the BizFind project include the Nebraska Rural Initiative (UNRIP) and the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC). The mission of the Rural Initiative is to focus the knowledge, skills, and creativity on the four campuses of the University of Nebraska to stabilize and enhance the economy and quality of life in rural Nebraska. The NBDC offers planning and assessment assistance to get a new business started or to improve an existing business. NBDC consultants are MBAs, MBA candidates, and leaders from the Nebraska business community who focus on the particular needs of each client. Consulting is offered in the areas of new business start up, business growth, pollution prevention, government contracts, and technology management. In addition to consulting businesses, NBDC provides quality instruction and training in practical business applications.

Problem: Neither the Nebraska Rural Initiative nor the Nebraska Business Development Center currently has an operational system in place to aid in the marketing of small businesses and communities in Nebraska. It is difficult to inform small businesses of the possibilities of selling their businesses, as there is no single medium through which to contact them. Many owners choose to close the business rather than sell it because they assume no potential buyers exist. Likewise, it has been difficult informing potential buyers of the opportunities of acquiring a small business. The NBDC has no way of reaching a large number of potential buyers and sellers without the proposed system. National websites do not focus heavily on small businesses in rural communities. Thus, the existing websites do not sufficiently solve the current problem. Realtors tend to be concentrated in large metropolitan areas and focus more on residential properties than on businesses.

Solution: The goal of the BizFind project is to build a software system that helps link business buyers and sellers, which in turn supports the maintenance or growth of the economies of rural cities in Nebraska. To accomplish its goal, the BizFind project addresses the needs of a diverse group of users that include communities, existing business owners, potential buyers, families and entrepreneurs. The BizFind project will encourage the retention of existing businesses, promote generational transfer within families, assist with business transitions to qualified buyers, develop regional partnerships, identify and market community assets and opportunities, and educate about business growth, development and Profitability.

Technologies:

PHP
SQL Database
HTML