Ten Tree Apparel is a clothing company based out of Saskatchewan with a unique promise to its customers. While other social entrepreneurs such as Toms send a pair of shoes to those in need for every pair of shoes purchased, this company plants “Ten Tree[s]” for every item sold. Trees are planted through a company founded by the same entrepreneurs in Ten Tree, as well as through WeForest—a company that plants trees in developing countries. In order to prove how motivated this business is to make a difference, Ten Tree Apparel has set a goal to plant 1 million trees in the next year. This unique business model harnesses the power of sustainability and global citizenship in selling fashionable products.

Unlike certain trends, sustainability and the environmental will never go out of style—it is not a fad. By addressing this global issue through purchasing clothes (something that consumers do regardless of the state of the environment) a customer buying a shirt from Ten Tree Apparel gains happiness not only from his or her purchase, but from the positive impact they’re having on the earth. Essentially, this unique business is able to empower consumers through the purchase of their clothes, giving more incentive to continue buying their products.

In conclusion, Ten Tree Apparel has combined fashionable clothes with an increasingly important global issue of saving the environment. This company is continuing to benefit from the positive relationship between business and an environmentally sustainable future.

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/15/dragons-see-the-seeds-of-a-good-company-in-ten-tree-international/

http://tentree.org

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To what extent would I be willing to follow a dream, regardless of how uncertain my future might be? After reading and analyzing Sean Lister’s blog regarding the opportunity cost of Janice Cheam and Wade Larson’s time in developing their products and companies, I found myself asking this very same question. If I can invest my time in a safer job with an almost certain outcome, why risk everything to chase a dream that may or may not be successful?

After some critical and in-depth thinking about this question, I have been able to answer this question with one word: passion.

I do not believe that Ms. Cheam worked as hard as she did for Energy Aware solely based on the expectation that the company will be successful one day, thus making her rich. I believe the reason for working so hard, both in the case of Ms. Cheam and Mr. Larson, is that they were passionate about what they were doing—they continue to work hard so they can make a difference in their lives, and change the world.

My analysis of Mr. Lister’s blog has lead me to the conclusion that there is absolutely no opportunity cost in the case of Janice Cheam and Wade Larsen because if they aren’t working on what they’re passionate about, then the next best alternative to their job has no value to them.

Concept of Opportunity Cost

Opportunity cost is defined as the value of the next-best alternative, and is almost always considered in decision-making. This is an important concept because it essentially gives relativity of value to the allocation of resources. In choosing what to do with a certain resource, the opportunity cost can demonstrate just how much a given product is worth by comparing its value to the alternative value you could get from another product. This sounds confusing in theory, but in order to understand take corn as an example.

“The Environmental Protection Agency declined on Friday to relax its requirement on the use of corn ethanol in gasoline” (Wald, 2012). 

Currently, corn has two main uses: for ethanol and human consumption. Traditionally, corn has only been used as a source of food, but as the demand for more environmental fuels (such as ethanol) increases, more and more corn is being allocated to the fuel industry. The reason for this is because the opportunity cost of corn has changed. Prior the high demand for ethanol, corn had a lower opportunity while producing it for food. Now however, the opportunity cost for corn has significantly increased for using it as a fuel, which is why roughly half of the corn produced in the United States is designated for ethanol production.

The significance of opportunity cost is demonstrated through the change in use of corn from food to fuel.

As technology continues to reinvent the definition of efficiency, it is no surprise that the traditional wine industry is keeping up with the rest of the world. While technology currently plays a significant role in the creation of wine, it is about to become even more significant. How? Through a process called precision viticulture.

What is Precision Viticulture?

Precision viticulture is the use of numerous types of data (such as thermal maps, soil samples, etc.) in producing wine. By using data collected through technological devices, the correct type and amount of grapes are planted in the correct area in order to ensure maximum efficiency and quality of these fruits. Flying drones controlled simply by an iPad are used to capture most of this data.

Why embrace Precision Viticulture?

While some view the production of wine as an art or hobby, precision viticulture industrializes this business, and is able to increase the total quality and quantity of wine produced by minimizing losses—spoiled grapes due to imperfect growing conditions. By maximizing quantity and quality, wine manufacturers are therefore able to increase profits. The use of this technology also enables producers to gain critical information that they may not have had prior to the use of precision viticulture. Through the use of this new technology, wine producers know more about their product than ever before so they can make more accurate and appropriate decisions in planting grapes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20200856

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In defining Pike Place Fish Market’s success, Conor Macdonald was spot on—“a strong organizational culture is essential [in] creating a successful organization.”  The Pike Place Fish Market benefits from utilizing intrinsic motivation with its workers in forms such as high employee satisfaction and low turnover.

As an extension to MacDonald’s blog, the superior organizational culture Pike Place Fish Market possesses not only has a positive effect on its workers and the financial success of the company, but on the consumers’ experience as well. This increases the number of customers that will return– customer loyalty. A firm where there is no involvement between customers and employees contrasts this type of business, as in that firm the organizational behaviour is not communicated to the consumer.

Mr. Yokoyama, the owner of this fish market, has managed to create a strong organizational culture that impacts his customers almost as much as it impacts his employees.This is a major reason for this fish market’s success. As a consumer, I personally find the organizational culture to be the most appealing aspect of this business. I can buy fish anywhere, but I cannot get the experience Pike Place Fish Market offers just anywhere. As evident through both Conor Macdonald’s blog as well as mine, a strong organizational culture is essential to a successful business, and benefits both the employees and customers.

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Within the mobile phone market, there is a high demand for phone companies to continue producing top-of-the-line products in a short span of time. As one of the smartphone pioneers, Research in Motion is slowly falling behind the competition. In “Blackberry by choice is bad marketing by choice”, Peter Nowak recognizes RIM’s failing market strategies, yet he specifically blames Blackberry’s new slogan as a core reason for the company’s lack of success.

Nowak interprets Research in Motion’s new slogan “Blackberry by choice” as having a negative connotation. This is where I believe Nowak to be incorrect. While the author of the blog views the slogan as a message from the company communicating that the only reason consumers use Blackberrys is because it’s a phone issued from his or her business, my analysis shows that it represents the opposite. “Blackberry by choice” illustrates that despite all other phones in the market, consumers choose Blackberry because of it’s point of difference—which at this point may not be clear to buyers. This lack of differentiation between RIM’s products and its competitors’ combined with poor marketing is the reason Blackberry’s decline in sales. Not because of this slogan.

While my interpretation of the reason for Research in Motion’s declining sales may differ from Nowak’s, we both agree that the organization cannot continue headed in its current direction.

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/blog/tech/104855–blackberry-by-choice-is-bad-marketing-by-choice

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Introduction to initial public offerings:

Usually, a company’s IPO is an inflation of the true value of the company. This inflation is able to occur through a multiple step process, beginning with creating excitement and buzz about the company before it becomes public. Once the company has been hyped up and gotten the attention of the media, only a small amount of shares are offered, which creates a false sense of scarcity. When there is a scarce supply with a high demand, the price of these shares skyrockets, which accounts for the inflation of the company’s legitimate value.

Zynga’s IPO:

Even though this entertainment/tech company followed the steps outlined above, its shares suffered a decrease in price once it went public. Opening around $10 a share, there was a decrease of around 30 cents by the end of that day. Why did this happen? Critics believe it is because of the extremely competitive sector this company is in. If it fails to continue to create and innovate, there is no future for Zynga Inc.

Zynga’s current predicament:

Nearly a year after going public, Zynga has continued to lose shares, suffering a decrease of 70% in price. This significant decline in value can be linked to Facebook’s success because Zynga Inc. is co-dependent on it. When the social-media giant becomes less popular, then so will Zynga as well.

Zynga’s IPO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JXJvKz8vfg 

Rossignol – Established 1907

Strength:

The brand recognition that Rossignol has obtained from being in the industry for over 100 years is easily its most significant strength. It is an organization that is recognized worldwide, which makes it very easy for consumers to choose: they know exactly what they’re buying. Combined with superior brand recognition, high quality products like wooden core skis create a point of position.

Weakness:

Due to such strong roots in the history of skiing and snowboarding, Rossignol has been branded as a traditional company with traditional values that don’t appear to be keeping up with the modern market.

Opportunity:

This company has the opportunity to diversify its product line, which will make its products accommodating to a greater range of people. Unlike other alpine-sport companies, Rossignol does not have a diverse selection of twin tip skis and freestyle snowboards, which is associated with the future of these sports.

Threat:

As skiing and snowboarding continues to become more popular, so has the market for producing such goods. Due to such a traditional stereotype, Rossignol is threatened by emerging alpine-sport companies that are seen as new and modern.

Analysis:

In order for Rossignol to address this threat, it needs to establish itself as a contemporary and ever-changing company with traditional roots, but not necessarily traditional values. By establishing a new frame of reference in consumer’s minds, this organization will target all skiers and snowboarders, offering new and innovative products with quality that consumers can trust. By adapting to a new audience to target, Rossignol proves itself as a true competitor in the ever-changing market of alpine sports.

Dairy products are generally more expensive in Canada due to “restrictions by the country’s dairy board,” as well as “tight controls on US imports of cheaper cheese.” Three Canadians living in southern Ontario used this as motivation to smuggle cheese and other dairy products from the United States of America and bring them into Canada. Buying large quantities at a time, these smugglers illegally transported the cheese across the border without declaring or paying duty on the goods. Exceeding the maximum of CAD $20 or 20kg of cheese legally allowed to be imported at one time to be considered “duty free,” the smugglers were risking civil penalties that can charge up to 245.5% of the original value of the cheese. But while this operation clearly had its risks, it also had its benefits. The accused were found to have made a profit of just over CAD $165 000 just from the dairy products. The business ethics followed by these three Canadians were closely related to Friedman’s ethics that roughly translate to: do whatever you have to in your business to make money. These smugglers were simply doing what any other business strives to do. Make money. The differentiating factor in this case however, is the illegitimacy of the business.

Works Cited:

BBC News. BBC, 27 Sept. 2012. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19751695>.

As CEO, Gary Holden had the ability to abuse the spending of company money. Opposed to always spending company money responsibly, Holden chose to use it to fund elaborate and private house parties where famous rock stars performed. On top of Gary Holden spending precious company dollars on said parties, he also abused his pay package receiving $2.7 million opposed to Enmax’s proceeding CEO who only earns $1.6 million. While Holden was able to sneak under the radar and continue exploiting company money for quite some time, an Enmax employee eventually emailed the City of Calgary (the sole shareholder) explaining exactly how Holden was abusing his position. It did not take long after the email was sent for the media, and soon all of Calgary to discover Holden was spending company money irresponsibly.

The true extent of the former chief executive officer’s ignorance towards business ethics became apparent after he sent out a company-wide email to his employees not only defending his actions but suggesting Enmax would “pursue legal action against an unnamed senior employee who first leaked the information.”

Holden spent far more company money on his parties and on himself than he should have, illustrating the extent to which he neglected business ethics. Enmax and its stakeholders were negatively affected due to Gary Holden’s lack of business ethics.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2010/11/04/calgary-enmax-nenshi-email-pay-critical.html

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/trust-responsibility-watchwords-enmax-ceo-says-030500106.html