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I personally believe that the UN and the Arc and Social Enterprise are completely different. Although they both work towards a common goal, the method used to achieve that goal is very different. This difference between the UN and the Arc and Social Enterprise makes me believe that even if the UN was fully funded, we would still need Arc and Social Enterprise.

The United Nation is a international organization which was established to encourage international partnership. The UN works to maintain international peace, raise living standards, protect human rights and develop friendly relationships among countries. The UN also participates in international peacekeeping and conflict prevention. The UN does a good job when it comes to aiding countries after tragedies, however they often miss the individual issues which social enterprises strive to assist in.

Arc and Social Enterprises are similar to the UN except they operate on a more personal level. Unlike the UN, Arc and Social Enterprises work more in depth with communities or individuals to reach goals that will help the community prosper under their current hardship. Whether it be a financial, social or environmental goal, Arc and Social Enterprises work towards the goal to help better the community, which is something that the UN does not necessarily do. A good example of a Social Enterprise is “Solar Sister”. Solar Sister gives work to women while at the same time helping getting rid of harmful kerosene lamps which are the main source of light in many rural households. Solar Sister provides both economic and environment benefits for the areas of Uganda, Rwanda and Sudan.

This is why I believe that even if the United Nations was fully funded, there would still be a need for Arc and Social Enterprise.

Sources:

http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/index.shtml

http://www.solarsister.org/

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238353

Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, recently faced analysts after it was discovered that Tesla earnings were higher than Wall Street’s expectations with a profit of $0.02. Musk was questioned on the possible decline of demand for Tesla cars and in response Musk simply said, “It’s not a question of demand, demand is not our issue, production is our issue. We have more demand than we can address and levers we can pull to increase demand, and we’re not doing it.” What Musk is trying to get across to the media is the fact that the decline of sales for the year is caused by the production time of Tesla vehicles, not a decrease in demand. Musk continued to talk about how if they wanted too they could sell way more units, but due to production limits, they could only manufacture an estimated total of 33,000 units for the year. 

Photo courtesy of gas2.org

In my opinion it is imperative for Tesla to raise their production so that they could sell more products and in turn generate more profit, which is important especially with the $5 billion giga factory which is being built in Nevada. I feel that if Tesla is unable to keep up with the high demand, consumers will look to other alternatives rather than Tesla. Since there are cheaper alternatives to the Model S, consumers looking for a environmentally friendly car could easily sway towards getting another electric vehicle such as the Chevrolet Volt. Moving forward Tesla must find a cost effective way in which they can increase production to match the growing demand. One way they could possibly do this is by increasing work force or factory space which would be beneficial in the short run, but not necessarily in the long run because of the costs of capital and labour. If Tesla does not act soon, they may in fact end up facing a decline in demand very soon.

A blog that I recently checked out called Duct Tape Marketing is a small business marketing blog which provides readers with tips to succeed and stand out in the business world. Editor John Jantsch is a best selling author who is known for his books Duct Tape Marketing, Duct Tape Selling, The Commitment Engine and The Referral Engine. Jantsch is also works closely with small to medium size businesses by helping them develop effective marketing plans which will help with steady growth. Jantsch has received much praise for his knowledge of marketing and he is helping to spread that knowledge through his blog.

Duct Tape Marketing

John Jantsch inspiration behind Duct Tape Marketing was the idea of helping small to medium size businesses succeed regardless of industry or company size. In his blog Jantsch gives readers tips ranging from recommended software, money saving tips and tips which can allow ones business to stand out in the competitive industry. This blog is useful for small business owners because it can teach them how to effectively market their business and ultimately reach the goal getting their business out there and reaching their businesses full potential. This blog is very interesting because it not only shows posts from John himself, but also from other bloggers who have input to add about marketing with small businesses. The blog doesn’t only focus on marketing, it also focuses on tips on how to be successful in the business world and how to form connections which will help propel your business. Overall this blog is extremely useful for small business owners and I highly recommend it.

Yik Yak is a new app which has taken the internet world by storm. Yik Yak is an anonymous social media app which allows users to create and view posts, similarly to Twitter. However, what separates this app from other apps on the App Store like Twitter, is that Yik Yak  only shows posts which have been created within your general vicinity. For example if you were to check the app at UBC you would see a bunch of posts related to the campus and students life as well. The posts are up to 200 characters max and the content of these posts range from tips for students, jokes and even confessions as well. Whenever someone creates a post you can leave comments on the post or even give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down. The app is quickly gaining popularity at UBC and it won’t be long before it spreads.

Photo Courtesy of Huffington Post

I found out about Yik Yak through a friend when we were hanging out after a class and I was instantly hooked. There was something about the app that just dragged me in and before I knew it I was constantly checking to see if there was a new post. After I proceeded to show all my other friends and before they knew it they were hooked too. Judging by its addictiveness and simple design, it is no wonder why this new app is taking the world by storm. The best part is, Yik Yak doesn’t even have to pay for advertising, the app is practically selling itself. Moving forward Yik Yak should continue to find new ways to improve their app in a way that will attract even more users while at the same time keeping this unique idea apparent. It won’t be long before Yik Yak is seen among some of the app stores most popularly downloaded apps.

https://blogs.ubc.ca/araff/2014/10/05/microsofts-400-million-deal-with-the-nfl-may-do-more-harm-than-good/

Aiden Raff’s blog post was about Microsoft signing a $400 million deal with the NFL which created a five year partnership. As Aiden said in his article, this deal creates exclusive content for Xbox One users and it also promotes the Microsoft surface, since each team receives a bright blue one to use during games. However, viewers and commentators have confused the Microsoft products for iPad and other tablets which has created a negative effect for Microsoft.

In Aiden’s post, he talked about how this deal may in turn end up harming Microsoft instead of helping them and in my opinion I agree however, I also believe that not all hope is lost for Microsoft. In terms of marketing, Microsoft could focus on advertisements that could run during games which could promote the surface and show that  the NFL uses their products, which in turn could lead to more sales. By doing this Microsoft could clear up confusion regarding which tablets are being used and in turn it could effectively market their products, which is what they originally intended for.

Microsoft customers receive exclusive NFL content

From all of this Apple is receiving free marketing, however with the problems regarding trademark erosion, I think that it would be best for them to define their brand that way viewers and commentators will not get confused with the products. Although they are technically getting marketing from this, it could come back to bite them in the long run.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/oil-price-will-fall-to-70-a-barrel-in-2015-goldman-sachs-says-1.2814041

Courtesy of www.greencarreports.com

North American oil prices are finally lower, however it is the Canadian economy that is suffering from this price decrease. By next spring oil prices are expected to go down to as much as $70 per barrel compared to around $100 which is what they were priced at previously. Although drivers are relieved, according to Capital Economics, the recent decline in oil prices will generate a loss of 2.5 billion annually for Canadian oil producers.

However it isn’t all bad for Canada, since the loonie is currently struggling and oil is dealt in US dollars, Canadian companies are getting more US dollars for their oil which is reducing the money lost. Also, in the long run I believe that this may be beneficial for the Canadian economy because it could increase the non oil imports that Canada receives. Since Canadian’s are also saving money with lower gas prices, I believe that over time it will help the Canadian Dollar grow because as time goes on so will the value of the money of Canadian’s. With that being said if the market decides to raise gas prices to make up for lost profit, I believe that it could lead to economic unrest in Canada which could eventually cause Canadian’s to find alternatives for oil and gas.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rogers-communications-profit-falls-28-revenue-rises-slightly/article21254192/

Early Thursday Morning, CEO of Rogers Communication Inc. Guy Laurence responded to Bell Canada Enterprises complaint regarding the hockey broadcast regulations in Canada claiming that they are trying to “stifle innovation.” Back in November of 2013 Rogers signed a 12 year deal which granted them rights to all NHL games. Since the NHL season has started Rogers has offered the ability for hockey fans across Canada to watch hockey unlike ever before, with an interactive service that allows viewers to watch from a variety of camera angles. However there is a catch, you must be a Rogers customer and as a result Bell has filed a complaint to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission.

I believe that since Rogers has bought the rights to the games they should also have the rights to control how they wish to distribute their content. For Rogers this has been a huge investment which has affected their profit in the third quarter, and Rogers believes it is a necessary step in order for the business to grow and ultimately attract more internet or wireless customers. I agree with Rogers’ plan moving forward however I believe that in order for this goal of theirs to be possible they must continue to control the viewing rights and distribution of content as well. If Bell or any other company was to seize control of this, they would either take or maintain all the customers that Rogers is trying to acquire with their deal with the NHL.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/First+Nation+chiefs+stage+Site+showdown/10215965/story.html

Canadian electric company BC Hydro has aspirations of constructing a $8 Billion project which they hope will increase British Columbia’s energy capacity. However, many aboriginal communities in the surrounding areas are concerned because they believe that the project will create significant issues regarding fishing opportunities as well as the aboriginal way of life. As a result of this the aboriginal chiefs are urging Prime Minister Harper to reject the request from BC Hydro.

Site C. Photo Courtesy of http://unistotencamp.com/

The Aboriginal Community in British Columbia is going against BC Hydro and this significantly affects BC Hydros plan to follow through with this project. Although in the long run this project can prove beneficial for British Columbians, I believe that ethically, it is not the right thing for BC Hydro to do. Part of running a good and successful business is practicing good ethics and I believe that BC Hydro should take a step back and think of other ways that will be beneficial for both themselves and the Aboriginal Community. This protest from the Aboriginal community is causing BC Hydro to rethink there business plan in order to satisfy the needs of the First Nations, British Columbians and themselves as well, which will ultimately be the best business decision moving forward.

https://blogs.ubc.ca/jacquelineyan/2014/09/26/strategic-shopping/

Jacqueline Yan’s blog post was about the effect of technology on the retail market, specifically focusing on its negative effect on malls. In her post Jacqueline talked about how online shopping and banking effects customer circulation in malls since most people find it more convenient to do all their tasks online.

Photo Courtesy of: http://lifeisab0utcreatingy0urself.blogspot.ca/

In her post, Jacqueline says that malls need to re-think their business plans in order to maintain flow of customers and I completely agree. Although I personally prefer to do my shopping in person, I have many friends and relatives who use the Internet and mobile apps in order to fulfill their consumer needs. If companies and stores fail to appeal to the rapidly changing consumer market, they could ultimately lose revenue because consumers will see no need to go to stores when they can just do it instantly anywhere. Along with what Jacqueline said, I believe that it is also important for these companies to create a pull factor that will attract customers to come into stores to get items instead of doing everything online.

If these companies which to remain a competitor in the industry they must be able to constantly reconfigure their business strategies to in order to contribute to customer experience and attract business as well. These stores should create unique experiences that will only be available to those who come into the store. An example of this could be clothing customization and tailoring for a clothing store. This would persuade customers to come in store in order to fulfill their needs.

The newest hashtag that is taking the Twitisphere by storm is #BendGate which was created to mock the new iPhone models. Earlier this week Apple released two new  phones, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. This year’s models boasted a bigger 4.7-inch (iPhone 6) and 5.5-inch (iPhone 6 Plus) display and an astonishing thinness of 6.9mm and 7.1 mm respectively. However, it did not take long for consumers to discover a major flaw that could seriously effect sales as well as Apple’s reputation.

Thousands of users across the world have reported that their new iPhone’s have bent after being kept in pockets for extended periods of time. As a long time fan of Apple products, I am rather shocked that Apple did not foresee this defect. Apple has a Value Proposition which promises high build quality in all of their products. However, with the discovery of this, the quality of Apple’s production is put into question.

iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test – Video Courtesy of Unbox Therapy

With the release of the Apple watch in early 2015, it is likely that the buzz around the iPhone 6  will have an affect on sales of the new watch. How will Apple recover from this tragic discovery? Only time will tell.

Screenshot by Claire Reilly/CNET