Take a risk, make a buck

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

Description:  The founder of flash sale site Rue La La shares his thoughts on succeeding in business. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 06/16/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2011/06/16/smb_sbt_ruelala.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: What advice is presented to entrepreneurs? Why do you suppose this advice is ignored, quite often?

In search of the world’s best pizza

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  When Corky’s closed, a little slice of me died. How I found it back in business. Source:  Fortune.com Date: 06/10/2011 Link: http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2011/06/10/pizza-a-love-story/?iid=H_F_News&iid=H_M_News Questions for discussion: What does this article teach you about business success? How important is the entrepreneurial drive in order to become successful?

The Class That Built Apps, and Fortunes

Posted by & filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description:  ALL right, class, here’s your homework assignment: Devise an app. Get people to use it. Repeat. That was the task for some Stanford students in the fall of 2007, in what became known here as the “FacebookClass.” No one expected what happened next. The students ended up getting millions of users for free apps… Read more »

Moms go gaga for diaper bags

Posted by & filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: The founders of Skip Hop share how they became major players in the baby biz.  Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 03/04/2011 Link:      http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2011/03/03/smb_hwgs_skip_hop.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion:  What has made this start-up business successful? How unique are the products they produce and sell? What does this report tell you about entrepreneurial effort and the… Read more »

Green Bay Packers owned by the fans

Posted by & filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description:  The storied franchise is the country’s only publicly-owned, non-profit major professional sports team. Source:  CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 02/04/2011 Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/02/04/n_green_bay_packers.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Do you think the ownership structure has an effect on the operation of the team? What benefits and disadvantages are there to the team management because of this structure?… Read more »

The Fresh Prince of Streetwear

Posted by & filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business.

Description:  Jonathan Koon, auto-pimping mogul and designer, wants to be a billionaire by 30. Source: Businessweek.com   Date: 01/06/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_03/b4211074000503.htm Questions for discussion:  How do you explain the entrepreneurial success of Jonathan Koon? What characteristics do you think are needed to succeed?

Surfer’s calendar site gives back

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business.

Description: Custom calendar site CalendarLink.org raises funds and spreads awareness for the California Surf Life Saving Association. Source:  CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 12/22/2010 Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/12/22/n_cc_tides_of_giving.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion:  How is this business socially responsible? Who are the target customers? What makes this business service unique? Describe the product strategy and how the Internet allows… Read more »

Getting the message out on Facebook

Posted by & filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: Small businesses are leveraging their profiles on Facebook to boost their business by keeping in close contact with customers. Source:  Reuters.com – video report Date: 12/21/2010 Link: http://www.reuters.com/news/video/story?videoId=170540599&videoChannel=6 Questions for discussion: How does Facebook  allow small businesses to better serve their target customers? How does Facebook differentiate itself on the Internet?

Long road from Wall St. to jeweler

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business.

Description: A laid off banker now designs jewelry after having a difficult time getting a job retraining grant. Source:  CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 12/16/2010 Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/12/15/n_job_retraining_jewelry.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion:  What are the arguments for and against training for another career after losing one’s job? Do you think the person profiled in this report made… Read more »

Three Reason’s Facebook’s Revenue Surge Is Even Better Than It Looks

Posted by & filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: If TIME Magazine didn’t tell you already, 2010 was the year of Facebook, but not just because its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, had a newsworthy year, no matter how you slice it. Source:  BNET.com Date: 12/17/2010 Link: http://www.bnet.com/blog/new-media/three-reason-8217s-facebook-8217s-revenue-surge-is-even-better-than-it-looks/6874?tag=mantle_skin;content Questions for discussion: Summarize the opinions expressed in this interview. Do you think the Facebook phenomena and… Read more »