By: Dylan Stettner
The Tradeoff Between Entrepreneurial Growth and Company Mission in Small Businesses in Florence, Italy
My name is Dylan Stettner and being an FSU Global Scholar is not just about studying in another country. To me it means stepping outside of my comfort zone and learning how the world actually works by being part of it. It is about understanding people, culture, and business through real experiences instead of just reading about them. This summer I plan to do that by fully immersing myself in Florence while working on a research project that connects finance, entrepreneurship, and real decision making.
What makes this experience meaningful to me is the focus on entrepreneurship and finance in a completely different environment. Studying finance and commercial entrepreneurship, I am interested in how businesses actually operate in different environments beyond theory. In the United States, a lot of what I have learned revolves around scaling quickly, raising capital, and maximizing returns. That model is effective, but it is not the only way to build a successful business. I am drawn to Florence because it represents a different approach, one that values independence, long term stability, and staying true to a company’s original purpose.
My research focuses on how small businesses in Florence balance growth, access to capital, and staying aligned with their mission. Many of these businesses are family owned or independently run, and they often avoid outside investment in order to maintain control. From a finance perspective, this raises interesting questions about capital structure, risk, and opportunity cost. From an entrepreneurship perspective, it challenges the idea that success always means expansion. I chose this topic because I want to understand how financial decisions are shaped by values, not just profit, and how those decisions impact long term sustainability.
To explore this, I will be conducting in person interviews with small business owners including cafes, retail stores, and artisan shops. I want to understand how they started, where their funding came from, and how they think about growth. I will also observe how these businesses operate day to day, paying attention to pricing, customer relationships, and branding. This will allow me to connect what I have learned in finance classes to real world decision making. I will then compare these findings to typical United States business models to better understand the differences in approach and mindset.
Being part of the local community will be a key part of this experience. I plan to build relationships with business owners by returning to the same places and engaging in genuine conversations. I want to approach this with respect and curiosity, not just as a student collecting information but as someone who is trying to learn from their experience. At the same time, I will share my own perspective as a student studying finance and entrepreneurship, which can create meaningful exchanges of ideas.
At the end of the day, being a Global Scholar means making an incredible difference by doing a meaningful study that will influence ambitious entrepeuners in our society. This experience is not just about being in Florence; It is about understanding a different approach to business and bringing that perspective with me moving forward
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