Monthly Archives: September 2014

BlackBerry Passport: Hip to be square

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: BlackBerry hopes to woo back former business customers with its new Passport smartphone, which has a square-shaped touchscreen. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Sep 25, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2014/09/25/blackberry-passport-smartphone.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Who is the target market for the Passport model? Use SWOT analysis to analyze the current situation at BlackBerry. Do you think… Read more »

Derek Jeter: Decade of best ads

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter has made more than a quarter billion dollars playing on the field. But he’s also made some home run commercials. Here are some of our favorites. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Sep 25, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2014/09/25/derek-jeter-yankees-retirement-commercials-millions-ads-nike-gatorade-visa-gillette-ford.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Why do you think Derek Jeter has done… Read more »

Rothschild Makes Comeback With London Cab App to Rival Uber

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: Nathaniel Rothschild, whose ancestor helped bankroll Britain’s war against Napoleonic France 200 years ago, is backing London cabbies in their battle against Uber Technologies Inc. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Sep 25, 2014 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-25/rothschild-makes-comeback-with-london-cab-app-to-rival-uber-1-.html Questions for Discussions: How will this system compete against Uber and regular taxi services? Do you think it can find a… Read more »

How SNL Became the Most Successful Comedy Show Ever

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: There’s a fun game I like to play called “Spot the Saturday Night Live Alum.” It’s a simple game, usually played when I’m watching a TV show or movie and suddenly think, “Was Billy Murray on Saturday Night Live or was he just friends with everyone who was?” (Answer: Of course he was. It’s… Read more »

Nuclear Plants Across Emerging Nations Defy Japan Concern

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives.

Description: Three years after Japan closed all of its nuclear plants in the wake of the Fukushima meltdown and Germany decided to shut its industry, developing countries are leading the biggest construction boom in more than two decades. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Sep 25, 2014 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-25/nuclear-plants-across-emerging-nations-defy-japan-concern.html Questions for Discussions: Why are developing economies turning to… Read more »

Alibaba Debut Makes a Splash

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. BABA +38.07% , China’s largest e-commerce company, on Friday became a publicly traded technology powerhouse, launching a blockbuster share offering in New York that drew attention world-wide. Source: WSJ.com – video report Date: Sep 19, 2014 Link: http://www.wsj.com/video/ratings-pro-alibaba-looks-stronger-than-facebook/9A9B4058-603D-4DE0-AD85-1ACBE286EE76.html Questions for Discussions: What is motivating purchasers of the Alibaba IPO? How… Read more »

Who’s getting rich off the stock market?

Posted by & filed under Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: The United States is enjoying one of the best stock market surges in its history. But the phenomenal gains in recent years are going mostly to white, college-educated individuals who are already pretty well off. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Sep 18, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2014/09/18/bull-market-makes-the-rich-richer.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Who is the typical stock… Read more »

Robots Work Their Way Into Small Factories

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: Robots aren’t just for the big guys anymore. A new breed of so-called collaborative machines—designed to work alongside people in close settings—is changing the way some of America’s smaller manufacturers do their jobs Source: WSJ.com Date: Sep 17, 2014 Link: http://online.wsj.com/articles/robots-work-their-way-into-small-factories-1410979100 Questions for Discussions: How have robots improved productivity, as illustrated in the report?… Read more »

Tesla Breaks the Auto Dealer Cartel

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: It was not entirely surprising that Nevada last week ponied up $1.3 billion in tax breaks to win the business of Tesla Motors. TSLA +0.87% State officials for decades have struggled to diversify an economy based on gambling and tourism, and the prestige of attracting the high-end electric-car company’s massive new lithium battery factory… Read more »

The Government Keeps Helping People Buy Failing Cold Stone Creamerys

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives.

Description: Would you loan someone money to buy a Cold Stone Creamery franchise if you knew that more than a quarter of those loans default? If you’re the U.S. government, the answer is yes. Source: Businessweek.com Date: Sep 16, 2014 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-16/franchises-the-government-keeps-helping-people-buy-failing-brands#r=nav-fst Questions for Discussions: Why do you suppose the SBA loans continue to be… Read more »