Description: Christmas tree stand-ups in NYC provide part time jobs for the unemployed in NYC. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 12/22/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2011/12/22/smb_xmas_tree_biz_nyc.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Explain why sales in this business would be a good indicator of how the economy is doing overall? Describe the business process that delivers trees to customers. How… Read more »
Monthly Archives: December 2011
Internet poker owner says he broke U.S. gambling law
Description: One of the owners of three of the largest Internet poker companies pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a criminal charge of deceiving U.S. banks over the processing of gambling proceeds. Source: Reuters.com Date: 12/20/2011 Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/20/us-poker-fraud-plea-idUSTRE7BJ1DE20111220 Questions for discussion: Do you think the punishment will act as a deterrent to other illegal actions by… Read more »
How Pandora Became a 10-Year Overnight Success
Description: Rarely is a startup an overnight success. Even if a company seems to come out of nowhere and sell months later, there were usually years of work behind the scenes. That’s the case for Pandora founder Tim Westergren. Source: Sprouter.com Date: 12/21/2011 Link: http://sprouter.com/blog/how-pandora-became-a-10-year-overnight-success/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the trials and tribulations of the… Read more »
Put customers first — except on your website
Description: (MoneyWatch) Customer needs are important, but a business website — just like any other — should be based primarily on what you want and what you intend. Then you can think about the customer. The web is a great place for interaction, but it also risks information overload when it comes to customer feedback…. Read more »
Retail therapy
Description: How Ernest Dichter, an acolyte of Sigmund Freud, revolutionised marketing Source: TheEconomist.com Date: 12/17/2011 Link: http://www.economist.com/node/21541706 Questions for discussion: Summarize the highlights in this report. What do you agree or disagree with in the analysis?
What would make Caterpillar add jobs
Description: Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman explains what the company needs to hire in the near and long-term. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 12/13/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/12/13/n_cat_ceo_adding_jobs.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: What are the challenges facing the firm? How do these issues relate to your understanding of the state of the economy? What should companies, governments and… Read more »
Sony’s Shopping Spree Is ‘Wrong Direction’ in Apple Battle: Tech
Description: Sony Corp. Chief Executive Officer Howard Stringer has announced acquisitions worth $8.4 billion this year to bolster phones and content. That may not be enough to turn around a company heading for a fourth consecutive loss. Source: Businessweek.com Date: 12/13/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-13/sony-s-shopping-spree-is-wrong-direction-in-apple-battle-tech.html Questions for discussion: Summarize the challenges facing Sony management today. What strategy… Read more »
All the world’s a game
Description: Video games will be the fastest-growing and most exciting form of mass media over the coming decade, says Tim Cross Source: TheEconomist.com Date: 12/10/2011 Link: http://www.economist.com/node/21541164 Questions for discussion: Summarize the highlights in this report. What does this report suggest about investing strategies related to the growth of the industry?
Building the b2b brand story
Description: When people hear the term social media, their minds often wander to obvious points like Facebook, Twitter – and possibly the Old Spice guy. But when I’m at conferences and events, people frequently tell me that they obviously see how B2C organizations can embrace and utilize social tools, given that their targets are typically… Read more »
How Eric Ries Changed the Framework for Startup Success
Description: Eric Ries may be synonymous with startup success now, but in college he was just another kid with a business plan. The entrepreneur behind the Lean Startup philosophy started his first business while still in school at Yale, an online database of student resumes. The company, CatalystRecruiting.com, was a casualty of the dot com… Read more »