Applied economic research, rigorous impact analysis, and entrepreneurship ecosystem development for West Tennessee and beyond.
The Economics and Business Innovation Lab bridges academic economic research and the real-world needs of businesses, municipalities, and entrepreneurs across West Tennessee. We train student consultants, produce publicly useful data, and partner with organizations to generate economic evidence that informs decisions.
We offer analytical services to businesses, nonprofits, and local governments — from quick economic estimates to full-scope impact studies.
IMPLAN-based input-output modeling to quantify the local and regional economic footprint of businesses, events, or public investments. Reports suitable for grant applications, stakeholder presentations, and policy advocacy.
Construction and maintenance of localized consumer price indices (including the Martin CPI) to support contract negotiations, public planning, and business benchmarking with real regional data.
Economic evaluation of proposed policies, zoning decisions, or public investments. Cost-benefit analysis, distributional effects, and scenario modeling to support evidence-based governance.
Survey design, experimental methods, and market research to understand consumer preferences, willingness to pay, and competitive positioning — particularly in agricultural, food, and beverage markets.
Analysis of startup activity, small business density, access to capital, and supporting infrastructure to benchmark regional entrepreneurship and identify development opportunities.
Specialized expertise in farm-level economics, supply chain analysis, regional food systems, and value-added agricultural markets including wine, beer, and spirits industries.
County- and census-tract-level economic mapping, inequality visualization, and spatial analysis of business clusters, income distributions, and opportunity zones.
Supervised consulting projects pairing trained EBIL student analysts with regional businesses and nonprofits for structured research assignments and economic analysis deliverables.
Interactive public-facing data dashboards tracking regional economic indicators, employment trends, price levels, and business formation rates for West Tennessee communities.
A locally-constructed Consumer Price Index for Martin, Tennessee — tracking the cost of a representative basket of goods and services relevant to households and businesses in the region. Unlike national indices, the Martin CPI reflects local market realities.
The Martin CPI is developed and maintained by EBIL using primary price collection from local retailers and service providers, following BLS methodology adapted for a small-city context. Data collection is conducted by trained student analysts. Index values and methodology will be published openly as the project matures.
Current research and applied work underway at EBIL, spanning regional economics, agricultural markets, and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Construction of a locally-relevant CPI for Martin, TN. Involves primary price data collection, basket design, and index methodology adapted from BLS protocols for a small-city context.
Analysis of Gini coefficients and Lorenz curves across Tennessee counties using IRS Statistics of Income data. Tracks trends in inequality and examines correlates with economic structure and policy.
Examining how seniority and tenure on key Congressional agricultural committees affects federal spending, program composition, and farm-sector outcomes in represented districts.
Benchmarking startup activity, small business formation rates, access to capital, and support infrastructure across the West Tennessee region to identify gaps and opportunities for ecosystem development.
Economic analysis of Tennessee's emerging wine industry, regional branding potential, and export market opportunities. Draws on terroir economics and consumer behavior research.
Evaluating the relevance of Opportunity Zone 2.0 provisions for rural West Tennessee communities — assessing investment potential, eligible census tracts, and development alignment.
Whether you're a business seeking an economic impact study, a municipality exploring data needs, or a researcher interested in collaboration — we'd like to hear from you.