How Does SMEs Business Model Influence the Development of Companies: A Case Study With Air Store

Hua Liu

Student thesis: Master thesis

Abstract

E-commerce is a relatively new but high potential phenomenon for the world’s fastest growing consumer class. Hence, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been regarded as the engine of economic growth and employment. In literature, as the occur of this phenomenon, business models have attracted increasing interest since the end of the 1990s, in particular in relation to the transition from traditional commercial activities to e-commerce. Due to the development of e-commerce, marketplaces make cross-border commerce easier.
Purpose: Thus, this paper aims to identify the influence of the development of SMEs’ business model in cross border e-commerce sector, and the influence of environment dynamics in terms of business model by conducting a single case study of a typical SMEs -Air Store. The research question is:
How does SMEs business model influence the development of companies?
The following sub-questions will be explored to answer the main RQ respectively:
- What components in business model influence the development of Air Store?
- How external environment affect the business model of Air Store?
Findings: The entirety of the study conducted in this thesis leads us to conclude that the development of SMEs companies would be influenced by the key components of business model and also the external environment includes: market forces, industry forces, key trends, and macroeconomic forces by taking views from the existing literature and applying a single case study writing in the thesis. One can actively adjust its business model by environment dynamics, leaving it well prepared for the future, and actively setting out to influence the way business will be developed. A good understanding of the business model will allow you to better evaluate the different directions in which your business might develop. While the market opens up from across the globe, as the environment is keep changing, there still plenty of problems to try to solve for company’s development in the future.

EducationsMSocSc in Service Management, (Graduate Programme) Final Thesis
LanguageEnglish
Publication date2016
Number of pages87
SupervisorsVerner Worm