The dividend stock of the decade
January 9, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: After watching a busy night of politicians slinging you know what, I wondered if any of them ever took the time to visit the dividend stock of the decade? This fertilizer company has delivered some very sweet returns to investors for the last decade.
Source: Marketwatch.com
Date: 01/04/2012
Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-dividend-stock-of-the-decade-2012-01-04?siteid=nwtwk
Questions for discussion:
- Why has this stock been such a steady performer?
- Why are dividend pay-outs a good measure of success for investors?
- Who would be an interested investor in this company?
- Who might not be interested in being an investor?
After South Boston, a Restaurant Was Easy
January 9, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: Emerging from the housing projects of South Boston where James Bulger, known as Whitey, once ruled, Barbara Lynch has become one of Boston’s most successful and celebrated restaurateurs.
Source: NYTimes.com
Date: 01/04/2012
Questions for discussion:
- Explain the business success of Barbara Lynch?
- What entrepreneurial skills does she illustrate in this report that might suggest the reasons for her success?
2011′s worst in tech
Description: RIM joins Netflix and HP as the tech sector’s biggest losers in 2011.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 12/28/2011
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/12/20/ts_tech_losers_2011.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Why did these companies have such a bad year in 2011?
- Is there a common thread that explains why they performed so poorly?
- What lessons did you learn about the people who run big successful companies and then make mistakes?
Slicing Costs, and Still Serving
January 2, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: You see them all across the country, in shopping malls and street corners, suburban towns and city centers: zombie restaurants. Many of the undead are part of familiar chains that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this year: Friendly’s, Chevys, Sbarro, Perkins. The zombie restaurants, barely bringing in enough cash to cover basic expenses, always seem to be one sizzling fajita or glazed chicken skewer away from a merciful end, but somehow keep hanging on — leaving too many restaurants chasing after scarce dining dollars.
Source: NYTimes.com
Date: 12/27/2011
Questions for discussion:
- How does the industry adjust to the supply and demand for service?
- Do you think any of the chains can be revived?
Internet poker owner says he broke U.S. gambling law
December 26, 2011 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
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 online gambling firms?
- Why do you suppose the punishment was so weak?
- Do you think this story will deter online gambling?
Building the b2b brand story
December 19, 2011 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
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 actively engaged – but they aren’t clear on how B2B organizations are supposed to be dealing with the opportunity. What on earth are you supposed to be saying?
Source: TheEspressoagency.com
Date: 12/12/2011
Link: http://espressoagency.com/blog/2011/12/12/building-the-b2b-brand-story/
Questions for discussion:
- What are the similarities and differences between B2B and B2C online marketing?
- Do you agree with this analysis?
Apple store opens in Grand Central
December 12, 2011 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: Apple’s newest store overlooks the Grand Concourse of N.Y.’s Grand Central station and costs the company $800,000 a month in rent.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 12/09/2011
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/12/09/t-ts-apple-grand-central.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the costs to Apple related to opening at this location.
- Do you think they make sense?
Being a boring investor…and loving it
December 12, 2011 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: Fortune’s Allan Sloan talks about investing in boring old blue-chip stocks given the lack of other viable options these days.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 12/08/2011
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/12/07/mkts_allan_sloan.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the investing strategies recommended in this report?
- Do you think they make sense today?
No lines at eBay’s pop-up shop
December 5, 2011 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: The online giant has opened a holiday pop-up store in the U.K. where shoppers can purchase items with their phones and have it delivered to their homes.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 12/02/2011
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/12/02/t-ts-ebay-popup.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of this sort of retailing strategy?
- Who are the target customers for this type of shopping?
- Could it be successful at other times of the year or possibly continuously?
- What are the financial implications for running this sort of retail business?
1998 all over again for IPOs
November 21, 2011 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: Angie’s List is the latest dot-com to go public with a questionable business model, joining the ranks of Groupon, Pandora, and soon Yelp.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report com
Date: 11/18/2011
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/11/18/mkts_am_buzz_angi.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- How do you explain the success of these IPOs?
- Do you think investors are repeating mistakes made in 1998?
- What might explain their behavior?
