Bill Gates: Rich should pay more taxes
January 30, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: The Microsoft founder and philanthropist says that the wealthiest Americans should pay a larger share of taxes than they do.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 01/26/2012
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/01/26/n_davos_gates_occupy.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the key points presented about economic activity, incomes, taxes, and the government’s role.
- What is Bill Gates’ position on the key issue facing business and society at large?
- Do you agree with Bill Gates?
- How would you assign the collection of taxes?
Enhanced eBooks: Next Frontier or Passing Fad?
January 23, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: A new crop of digital books comes loaded with videos, songs, animated shorts and pop-up graphics. Is this the future of publishing or just a passing fad? Alexandra Alter has details on Lunch Break.
Source: Marketwatch.com – video report
Date: 01/19/2012
Questions for discussion:
- Do you think this new concept in ebooks will be well received?
- Which markets do you think will most likely be targeted by developers?
Social media success Rx: “Be a little crazy”
Description: Clara Shih is an early achiever. At age five, she arrived in the U.S., from Hong Kong, with her parents. With no access to bilingual education, she was initially placed in special classes for kids with speech impediments and advanced so rapidly that she scored a 1420 on her SATs — in eighth grade. She started her company, Hearsay Social, at age 27, made Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs last year, and married her neurologist boyfriend in October (delaying her honeymoon to attend the Fortune MPW Summit.) Last month, Shih was tapped to replace Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg on the Starbucks (SBUX) board. And today, she turns 30 years old. There is no better timing for the Hearsay Social CEO to share, well, lessons from her youth.
Source: Fortune.com
Date: 01/11/2012
Link: http://postcards.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/11/social-media-success-clara-shih/?iid=SF_F_River
Questions for discussion:
- What does this report say about entrepreneurialism?
- Do you agree with the argument that “everything will be social”?
- What does this suggest about future start-up ideas?
MySpace Co-founder Moves From Social Networking to Social Commerce
Description: MySpace co-founder Josh Berman knows how to capitalize on online trends. The entrepreneur behind one of the Web 2.0 era’s most successful companies bet on the rise of social networks, and after spending four years at MySpace and selling the company for over $500 million, he’s on to the next trend.
Source: Sprouter.com
Date: 01/11/2012
Questions for discussion:
- What suggestions does Josh Berman have for successful management of start-ups?
- Why do you think these retail sites are so successful at selling to consumers?
- Was MySpace a failure?
China’s Low-Cost Housing Boom
Description: Building low-cost housing projects is part of the Chinese government’s plan to restructure its housing sector. But some say it’s a risky strategy for the already shaky real estate industry. Source: Marketwatch.com – video report
Date: 12/30/2011
Questions for discussion:
- How does this project relate to the forces of supply and demand as they affect various areas of the Chinese economy?
- Do you think housing prices will be affected by this project?
- Why do you suppose some apartments nearby remain unrented?
Roll your own cigarettes in NY store
January 2, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management
Description: Make your own cigarettes in a store in NY. Too good to be true for some? turns out yes. Cnns richard roth reports
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 12/29/2011
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/12/29/n_roll_your_own_cigarettes.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- What are the related ethical issues represented in this report?
- Who do you side with?
- Is the city government correct to control tobacco use?
Skate to Where the Puck is Going in Startups
Description: Wayne Gretzky famously said that a good hockey player plays where the puck is, while a great player skates plays where the puck is going to be. Yammer founderDavid Sacks says it’s the same with startups. The former PayPal COO says you don’t want to create the 20th version of something that already exists, you have to be innovative and stay ahead of the proverbial puck. “Startups always have to do that, you always have to be ahead of the curve,” he says.
Source: Sprouter.com
Date: 12/28/2011
Link: http://sprouter.com/blog/skate-to-where-the-puck-is-going-in-startups/#more-2699
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the thinking about start-ups and their likely success.
- What message does this article send to entrepreneurs?
The life of a Christmas tree seller
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 do you think prices are derived?
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 company since its launch.
- What message does this article send to entrepreneurs?
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 individuals be doing according to CEO Doug Oberhelman to help create jobs and thereby improve business for Caterpillar and the economy as a whole?
