How a U.S. shoemaker stays competitive

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: Okabashi Brands was founded in the 1980s when U.S. manufacturing was shrinking. But thanks to automation, a U.S. workforce, and recycling methods, Okabashi is a success story. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Apr 1, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2013/04/17/small-business-smt-okabashi-shoes-made-is-usa.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Summarize the highlights in this report. How has the firm managed to operate… Read more »

Need Motivation? Declare a Deadline

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Description: AT a meeting last Tuesday, I told my colleagues that I would finish this column — which is about deadlines — by noon on Thursday. I spent part of Tuesday afternoon searching the word “deadlines” on Google, but didn’t make much progress. By late afternoon, I felt a tiny knot of fear in my… Read more »

Cooking up a healthy fast-food chain

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Description: Can fast-food be healthy? Canadian startup Freshii is testing the waters by building a chain of healthy fast-food restaurants in the U.S. and around the world. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Apr 12, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/magazines/fortune/2013/04/12/f-t-freshii-healthy-fast-food-chain.fortune/ Questions for Discussions: How can this business fit into the mix of fast-food competition? Who is the… Read more »

A Snapshot of Startups in Small-Town America

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Description:  In recent months, Entrepreneur has been taking a virtual tour of cities around the country to see how the recession sparked or dampened entrepreneurial activity. Source:  CNBC.com Date: Apr 12, 2013 Link: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100637442 Questions for Discussions: What does this report say about startup opportunities in smaller towns? What are some of the reasons smaller… Read more »

TV streaming startup vs. the networks

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Description: Aereo allows users to stream broadcast networks over the internet and the major media companies are not happy about it. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Apr 03, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/04/03/t-aereo-networks-tv.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: What does this technology suggest to you about the future of television distribution? What would you advise networks and cable… Read more »

Best Buy turns the tables on ‘showrooming’

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Description:  Investors are cheered by deal to feature Samsung in-store shops Source:  Marketwatch.com Date: Apr 04, 2013 Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/best-buy-turns-the-tables-on-showrooming-2013-04-04?siteid=nwtwk Questions for Discussions: How has Best Buy responded to the challenges related to e-commerce? How has this response changed the traditional channels of distribution? Do you think this strategy will succeed?

Win workplace wars with these strategies

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Description:   As they strive to keep their people working together in harmony, some business owners feel every day is a battle. If you feel the same way, maybe it’s time to trade in your three-star general’s helmet for the clipboard of an industrial psychologist. Source:  FinancialPost.com Date: Apr 01, 2013 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/2013/04/01/win-workplace-wars-with-these-strategies/ Questions for Discussions:… Read more »

Provocateur Comes Into View After Cyberattack

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Description:  Sven Olaf Kamphuis calls himself the “minister of telecommunications and foreign affairs for the Republic of CyberBunker.” Others see him as the Prince of Spam. Source:  NYTimes.com Date: Mar 29, 2013 Link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/business/global/after-cyberattack-sven-olaf-kamphuis-is-at-heart-of-investigation.html?ref=business&_r=0 Questions for Discussions: Describe the issues related to the cyber-conflicts between parties in this report? How does it resemble a conflict… Read more »

Nike soars – It’s gotta be the shoes!

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Description: Shares of Nike surge after the athletic apparel retailer reported better-than-expected earnings, despite worries about weak sales in China. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Mar 22, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/03/22/investing-the-buzz-nike.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Why was Nike expected to perform poorly in the last quarter? What is the explanation for its success? What do these… Read more »

Will Lululemon Recall Scare Customers Away?

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Description:   Wall Street analysts from Robert W.Baird to Sterne Agee & Leach peppered Lululemon executives yesterday with questions about how the yoga-wear retailer is handling a recall of women’s pants for being too transparent. Julie Hyman reports on Bloomberg Television’s “Money Moves.” (Source: Bloomberg) Source:  Bloomberg.com – video report Date: Mar 22, 2013 Link: http://bloom.bg/11sNHzi#ooid=t4MGJlYTpmIsx1vU1JUhve11phyxTgKF… Read more »