Description: Odysseas Tsatalos’ entrepreneurship story started during his childhood in Greece. Reading about inventors in his encyclopedia, he decided early on that his dream was to one day see himself in print for one of his inventions. While his parents wanted him to become a doctor, Tsatalos travelled to the U.S. and got his Ph.D… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Strategy
No grimacing for McDonald’s investors
Description: With a boost from strong earnings, McDonald’s isn’t the only fast food co. on the up and up. Chipotle and Yum! Brands are following suit. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/20/2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2012/04/20/mkts-bz-fast-food.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Explain the international success of these brands? Are there other strategies that management could use to leverage… Read more »
Disney Bets on ‘The Avengers’ After ‘John Carter’
Description: In the months prior to the release of Walt Disney’s (DIS)John Carter sci-fi epic, Hollywood debated why the film wasn’t catching fire with potential moviegoers. Maybe it was the ho-hum trailers; a title that didn’t cue viewers that the story took place on Mars; or the departure of the studio’s marketing chief two months… Read more »
Five Ways to Turn Your Website into a Sales Machine
Description: Your online presence is a vital part of any sales strategy. But is your website the sales powerhouse it should be? Source: Entrepreneur.com Date: 04/16/2012 Link: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223348 Questions for discussion: What do you think of these recommendations? What other suggestions would you make?
Nokia: The Finnish RIM
Description: Mobile device makers Nokia and Research in Motion continue to struggle against Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android operating system. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/11/2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2012/04/11/mkts-bz-nokia-rimm.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Do you think there is a strategic solution for either of these firms? How much blame lies with management? Explain.
Bribery law earns billions for the U.S.
Description: The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act brings in billions of dollars for the U.S. government by penalizing companies for corruption abroad. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/11/2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/04/11/n-cmr-fcpa.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: What are the issues presented in this report? Does the current law make sense? What are alternative solutions to government imposed financial… Read more »
Why Practice Trumps Theory for Entrepreneurs
Description: Entrepreneur Ash Maurya has been building companies for over a decade, and during that time he’s always tried to find a better, faster way to build successful products. Maurya said he’s always had the entrepreneurial bug, and he attributes that to the way his parents raised him. He said his reason for staying an… Read more »
Best Buy CEO out as shoppers move online
Description: Best Buy Co Chief Executive Brian Dunn has left the world’s largest consumer electronics chain, which has struggled against stepped-up competition from internet retailers and discounters. Source: Reuters.com Date: 04/10/2012 Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/10/bestbuy-idUSL2E8FA3ZK20120410 Questions for discussion: Is there a solution to this shopping trend working against Best Buy? What sort of manager is needed in… Read more »
Instagram’s Systrom Builds $1 Billion Application in Two Years
Description: Silicon Valley is one of the few places where a 27-year-old Web entrepreneur can parlay a photo-sharing application with no known source of revenue into $1 billion — in two years. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 04/10/2012 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-10/instagram-s-systrom-builds-1-billion-application-in-two-years.html Questions for discussion: Do you think the background experience of these two entrepreneurs had anything to do… Read more »
Avon, 125 years old
Description: Avon Products, the iconic door-to-door cosmetic seller, celebrates 125 years in business, Felicia Taylor reports. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/02/2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/03/09/n_avon_taylor.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: What does the Avon brand represent to women today? What are the benefits to Avon’s participation in social causes?
