Description: Young people wearing hoodies and chunky glasses are sipping microbrew beers and espressos, nibbling on cheese and baguettes made at a local bakery and listening to a guitarist strum and sing. Source: NYTimes.com Date: 01/20/2010 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/business/21sbux.html Questions for discussion: Do you think the new “entrepreneurial†approach at Starbucks will be successful? What are… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business
NBC’s late night mess
Description:  Fortune editors say the bungling of the Jay Leno – Conan O’Brien dustup is the latest in a series of network missteps. Source: CNNMoney – video report  Date: 01/13/2010 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2010/01/13/f_sl_nbc_leno_conan.fortune/ Questions for discussion: Why do you think Leno’s show failed to generate audience ratings? What would you do with these entertainers in… Read more »
MD by day, iPhone developer at night
Description:  Brian Gillett needed some extra money to put his son through private school, so he developed an iPhone app that helps users find a nearby mailbox. Source: CNNMoney – video report  Date: 12/09/2009 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2009/12/09/sbiz_iphone_app_developer_mail.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Why do you think developers of iPhone apps come from such varied backgrounds, as illustrated… Read more »
Gordon Ramsay Flees Kitchen as TV Fame Saves Restaurant Empire
Description: On a gray morning in October, Gordon Ramsay bursts into the kitchen of his south London house, pop music blaring from the radio. At the heart of the room stands a 67,000-pound ($109,000) French cooking range that weighs 2.5 tons and had to be lowered by crane into the celebrity chef’s home. Source: Bloomberg.com… Read more »
Google CEO: Small biz key to recovery
Description:  After the White House jobs summit, Eric Schmidt explains small biz needs increased lending to stimulate economy. Source: CNNMoney – video report  Date: 12/03/2009 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2009/12/03/n.schmidt.jobs.google.obama.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Why are small businesses key to the recovery? Why are they having difficulty? Summarize the reasons that explain why Google is growing more than… Read more »
AOL Chief Takes Apple Turnaround as Model to Revive Ad Sales
Description: AOL Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Armstrong is on a mission to show that the company isn’t some dot-com has-been selling Web access and e-mail. It’s a digital- media company with 80 Web sites churning out everything from personal finance advice to bedroom tips for women. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 12/04/2009 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aWVBISfvb7rM&pos=12 Questions for… Read more »
How to sell 300,000 lbs of turkey
Description:  Whole Foods uses the Internet and aggressive in-store displays to sell thousands of turkeys in its Northeast stores.  Embedded video from CNNMoney.com Video Date: 11/24/2009 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2009/11/24/n_whole_foods_turkeys.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the special distribution strategies followed by the retailer to meet the demand at this time of year. How important do you think this… Read more »
Thanksgiving Day a boon for online shopping
Description: Consumers found time this U.S. Thanksgiving Day to squeeze in a lot more holiday shopping online, in between spending time with family, watching football and feasting on turkey. Source: Reuters.com Date: 11/27/2009 Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSN2743536720091127 Questions for discussion: Why can online retailing be of particular advantage to both consumers and retailers at this time of… Read more »
From fashion passion to profit
Description: An enthusiasm for vintage threads led entrepreneurs to create the successful online clothing retailer, ModCloth.com. Source: CNNMoney – video report  Date: 11/10/2009 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2009/11/10/sbiz_makeover_modcloth.smb/ Questions for discussion: Why do you think this small business has succeeded? What problems are these entrepreneurs facing, now that they are beginning to grow their business? How would… Read more »
Google eyes China as Baidu fumbles
Description: In 2005, China administered a spelling test that asked respondents to spell “Google” for a search market report: only 60 percent took the test and more than 20 percent got it wrong. Four years later, Google Inc (GOOG.O), whose whimsical name is synonymous with Internet search in much of the world, is still struggling… Read more »
