digits: Pay TV Loses Subscribers
August 30, 2010 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management
Description: The subscription television industry suffered a drop in total subscribers in the second quarter. Meanwhile, more online TV viewing options abound. Dow Jones Newswires’ Nat Worden joins Simon Constable and Spencer Ante on Digits to discuss.
Source: Marketwatch.com – video report
Date: 08/24/2010
Questions for discussion:
- Do you think the trend away from television subscription will grow?
- How would you recommend the cable-television industry respond to this threat?
- Why do you suppose consumers have shifted over to online services like Hulu and iTunes?
- How would you market these services as more competitors enter the marketplace?
Ideas Wanted: Multinationals Open Doors to Entrepreneurs
August 30, 2010 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business
Description: Giants such as GE and PepsiCo are sponsoring competitions that let startups strut their stuff.
Source: Businessweek.com
Date: 08/26/2010
Link: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/aug2010/sb20100825_281270.htm
Questions for discussion:
- Why does this open-door approach work well for both parties?
- How is this good for customers?
- What are the benefits for the economy as a whole?
USA Today to Remake Itself to Stress Digital Operations
August 30, 2010 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: The history of USA Today is full of firsts for the newspaper business: the first general-interest national paper of its kind, the first to use color widely in charts and photographs and once first in the number of copies printed each day.
Source: NYTimes.com
Date: 08/27/2010
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/28/business/media/28paper.html?ref=business
Questions for discussion:
- Do you think the reorganization effort will revitalize revenues for USA Today?
- What gives USA Today competitive advantage over other newspapers and news organizations?
- Is there anything different in their digital effort in comparison to other news sources?
- What would you recommend to the firm in order to give it some advantage over its competitors?
- Would you be an investor in stocks of the firm today?
Intel, After McAfee Deal, May Find Mobile Security a Hard Sell
August 23, 2010 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business
Description: Intel Corp. Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini, with the $7.68 billion acquisition of security software maker McAfee Inc., is betting that customers will pay to guard against attacks that have yet to materialize.
Source: Bloomberg.com
Date: 08/20/2010
Questions for discussion:
- Do you think this was a wise decision by Intel?
- Do you believe there will be long term need for virus protection?
- What advantage is there for Intel to place anti-virus software on their chips?
digits: Oracle Takes Sweeping Shot at Google
August 16, 2010 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: Oracle Corp. has sued Google Inc. for patent and copyright infringement, on grounds that Google’s Android OS violates Java copyrights. The suit has sent shockwaves throughout Silicon Valley. WSJ’s Don Clark explains the possible implications of the suit to Simon Constable and Jennifer Valentino-DeVries. Also: are more TV shows and movies coming to the iPad – via the cable companies?
Source: Marketwatch.com – video report
Date: 08/13/2010
Questions for discussion:
- What are the financial implications for other firms if Google settles on a royalty payment schedule with Oracle?
- How will Google and Oracle be financially affected?
- On the second item, how do you think televisions shows will be distributed in the future?
- How much market share do you think the cable companies will be able to hold on to in comparison to those firms selling through wifi devices?
Learning to Milk a Profit
August 16, 2010 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business
Description: Tired of working at Deloitte, an Iceland native dedicated himself to making yogurt
Source: Businessweek.com
Date: 08/12/2010
Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_34/b4192095592773.htm
Questions for discussion:
- What were the common entrepreneurial characteristics in this report?
- What message about motivation and success can be derived from this story?
AOL Chief: Display ads not dead
July 26, 2010 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management
Description: Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong says display advertising will still be dominant, albeit different, in the coming years.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 07/23/2010
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2010/07/23/f_bst_aol_armstrong_display.fortune/
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the comments made by Tim Armstrong about the future of AOL, online content, and advertising.
- Do you agree with his opinions?
- How do you see AOL developing in the future?
- What would you suggest to AOL if you could talk directly to Tim Armstrong?
Amazon shares fall after earnings disappoint
July 26, 2010 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: Online retail giant ramps up investments, sees continued spending
Source: Marketwatch.com
Date: 07/23/2010
Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazon-falls-after-earnings-disappoint-2010-07-23?siteid=nwtwk
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the financial conditions of Amazon?
- Would you be concerned as an investor or as a financial manager in the firm?
- What would you advise management?
A Look Inside a Hedge Fund’s Black-Box Trading
July 19, 2010 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: A hedge fund started by four young math wizards is using a branch of artificial intelligence, called “computer learning,” to make investment decisions. Rebellion Research’s four, 20-something-year-old partners explain how their computer program “thinks” up their strategy.
Source: Marketwatch.com – video report
Date: 07/13/2010
Questions for discussion:
- What do you think of the concept of a “learning-based artificial intelligence software program” that determines investing decisions?
- How different is this business model than others presented to investors?
- Would you be inclined to invest funds with this firm because of their approach?
- Why do you think some investors would be inclined not to invest with them because of their model?
Busted iPhone? Call the ‘doctor’
July 12, 2010 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business
Description: A New Yorker runs a lucrative business fixing broken iPhones for about half of what Apple charges.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 07/08/2010
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/07/07/n_broken_iphone_fixer.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Why do you think these iPhone customers risk using the services of the ‘doctor’ rather than traditional Apple repair services?
- What does this story tell you about the way to entrepreneurial success?
- How successful would this enterprise be if the cost of repair or replacement was lower?
