One of the business bloggers that I follow is: Seth Godin. Godin has 12 best selling books and writes business articles or quick posts on his blog about the business world, social media or changes in the world. One blog that caught my eye was “Entrepreneurship => impact.”

The blog is short and quick, but provides the reader with a deep insight. he showcases to his readers that innovation and in turn impact is a tool all the entrepreneurs use. Further, he mentions that these tools and skills can’t be taught to an entrepreneur. One has to care enough about the problem and be confident enough to stand up and bring about a change.

I completely agree with him…One, especially an entrepreneur, has to be fully passionate about what he is working towards. Being passionate about the work that you are doing makes an entrepreneur take more efforts and give it, his 100%. This is why persistent is one of the many important traits that an entrepreneur should possess to achieve success and his goals. This persistence comes either naturally or through extreme passion.

Sources:
1.) Seth Godin’s blog post, “Entrepreneurship => impact” can be found here

I agree with Harnoor Gill in her blog: “Apple Risking Market Dominance?” She argues that it was a mistake on Apple’s behalf to launch two iPhones into the market simultaneously. The company introduced the iPhone 5S which is the upgraded version of the iPhone 5. Alongside it released the iPhone 5C which has been portrayed as a cheaper alternative for the 5S though is an iPhone 5 repackaged. Since it is similar to the 5, the 5C has not been popular in the market as a result of the Android and Samsung alternatives.

It has been noticed though, that the 5S has been selling really well in the market. As a result of this situation, Apple is thinking about cutting down the production of the 5C and increasing it for the 5S for their last quarter. This is a good move for Apple since it will benefit their sales. Apple did market the 5C as a “cheaper” product but as Harnoor mentions, it was not affordable or cheap. I agree when Harnoor says that Apple has a high class value, and hence they should not make an attempt to enter any other markets with products like the iPhone 5C.

Sources:
1.) Find Harnoor Gills blog here

2.) Jim Clare, Carsten Paul. “Apple cutes orders of iPhone 5C as consumers prefer 5S.” Reuters. 16 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/16/us-apple-5c-idUSBRE99F08J20131016>

This is blog is in relation to a blog post: “Sweatshops are unethical” written by Shawn Wu. Shawn argues in his post that “sweatshops are playing a positive roles by making the world a better place, rather than simply sucking up the employees’ blood.” He supports this by saying that the companies are actually helping the workers by giving them a pay cheque. If it weren’t for these companies the workers won’t even receive this money and this will affect their living standards as well as the local economy.

I agree with this analysis to a certain extent. It is logical to say that the economy and living standards will be affected without the presence of these companies in these areas. Though something that should be taken into consideration is that these giants should not take advantage of the poor conditions that the workers are present in to exploit them. Therefore, as a first step towards being ethical, the companies should make a one time investment in providing the workers with a suitable environment to work in. Other measures such as a raise in their pay or general improvements can be taken over time by the management.

Thalmic Labs is one of the famous start-ups based on Waterloo, Ontario. The company was founded by a trio of University of Waterloo students last year and has up to 40 employees since it is gearing up for the early 2014 launch for its first product, the Myo armband.

The $149 armband is a portable version of Microsoft’s Kinect, or gesture-recognition device that can be plugged into the Xbox 360 console and allows the wearer to interact with his/her computer, smartphone or other devices with simple hand motions. It reads electrical activity in the wearers arm muscles when figuring what actions to perform.

Since wearable technology is hot right now, Myo fits in the overall category perfectly and has a bright future. Experts say technology is advancing though there will be a time where it is going to be stagnant and there will be no future. Fortunately, start-ups and innovators like these proves this wrong.

Sources:
1.) Nowak, Peter. “Thalmic Labs: Canada’s hottest startup.” Yahoo Finance. 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/dashboard/thalmic-labs-canada-hottest-startup-134431829.html>

2.) https://www.thalmic.com/en/myo/

3.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWu9TFJjHaM

One of the hottest startups of is Snapchat; the two year old company founded by Stanford undergrads is a mobile photo and video sharing service available for both iOS and Android devices. It follows “Instagram and YouTube’s path” (CNN Money, 2013). Currently, Snapchat maintaining an audience of more than 100 million users along with more than 350 million snaps. The company isn’t making any money though…so whats next for Snapchat?

Recently, Snapchat raised around $60 million in funding through five different groups, valuing the company at an estimated $800 million. It reportedly also turned down a $3 billion offer from Facebook. So how is the company going to survive?

The erasable media trend that the app offers is an extremely attractive option for many social media users in the current digital age. Even though revenue might be hard to generate, plans for including advertisements are on there way. One thing is for sure, Snapchat is not going to disappear anytime soon.

Sources:
1.) Covert, Adrian. “What is Snapchat?.” CNN Money. 14 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/14/technology/social/snapchat-primer/index.html?iid=SF_BN_River>

2.) DeHahn, Patrick. “Snapchat has a brigh (and long) future.” CNN Money. 25 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/25/technology/social/snapchat/index.html?iid=EL>

Recently after the company’s largest shareholer, Fairfax Financial Holdings abandoned the proposal of taking over Blackberry, the company decided to make a brave decision. Hire another CEO. Thorsten Heins agreed to step down and was replaced by John Chen the former Sybase Inc. CEO. Another change in the company is that Fairfax has also announced that it will raise $1-billion for the company, “with convertible debentures” (Globe and Mail, 2013). Furthermore, Manulife Financial Corp.’s has also recently joined Fairfax and other investment firms to purchase $70-million of Blackberry’s debt.

This is supposed to assist Blackberry to run their finance operations. It is a good decision for the company since this financial arrangement has been carefully tailored to fit Blackberry’s situation.   This distressed debt investing also makes the investing firms major creditors of the company and gives them power during any of the reorganization or liquidation of the company. This was seen when the company shook up its management completely. Things might finally start to look up for Blackberry, only time will tell.

Sources:
1.) Marlow, Iain. “Manulife buys into Blackberry financing deal.” The Globe and Mail. 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/manulife-buys-into-blackberry-financing-deal/article15355818/>

2.) Silcoff Sean. “Interim CEO Chen takes the reins at Blackberry.” The Globe and Mail. 13 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/interim-ceo-chen-takes-the-reins-at-blackberry/article15421758/>

Technology has now proven to become one of the most important aspects of our lives currently. They have made work extremely easier  for us and they are really efficient. The technology businesses and industries are also doing extremely well coming out with innovative and creative gadgets every year. Though are we really getting too attached to our technology? Is this level of attachment healthy for us? If all technology were to be taken away would we be able to go back to our normal lives instantly?

The answer is no. Studies have found that students have generated an addiction to technology which is quite similar to drug cravings. It was found that “four in five students had significant mental and physical distress, panic and confusion and extreme isolation when forced to unplug from technology for an entire day” (Telegraph, 2011). All students had the same words to explain their feelings when isolated from technology. On the other hand, some students did realize the benefits to this experience, they felt that they got into “more in-depth conversations” (ibit) without their gadgets.

Will there be a time somewhere in the future that human interaction will decease and will be restricted only through technology? Only time will tell.

Sources:
Hough, Andrew. “Student ‘addiction’ to Technology ‘similar to Drug Cravings’, Study Finds.” The Telegraph. N.p., 8 Apr. 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8436831/Student-addiction-to-technology-similar-to-drug-cravings-study-finds.html>.

Samsung and Apple have been close competitors in the tech industries for many years now. They have also experienced many lawsuits regarding the designs of their smartphones, tablets and computers. Cases over patent infringement are now a routine between the two companies on a global level.

Though, Samsung does not stop there, recently it copied the original iPhone ad from 2007. Though it may seem like a total coincidence, after examining the ads closely they are quite similar. In the iPhone ad the advertisement showcased a traditional looking device, montage of movie and TV characters talking (on a telephone/phone devices) and then introduced a new device. After 6 years now, for the Samsung Galaxy Gear, the ad strategy is similar. Keeping the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Gear looks too similar to the Apple Touch Screen Ipod Shuffle this is not the first time “SameSung” has copied an Apple ad. Last year, Samsung hired the same actress as Apple in their ads.

Conclusion?
Apple: +1
Samsung: -15

Sources:

1.)  “Samsung Galaxy Gear Ad Copies Original IPhone Ad from 2007 [SameSung].” Obama Pacman RSS. N.p., 07 Oct. 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <http://obamapacman.com/2013/10/samsung-copies-2007-iphone-ad/>.

2.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bvfs4ai5XU

3.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3qeJKax2CU

Facebook is an online social networking service which has become quite famous since it launched in February 2004. It is an extremely convenient platform to communicate and stay connected to people all over the world. It has taken social networking to a whole new level. With features such as adding photos, videos, instant messaging, online communities and the list goes on it has become a popular social networking site. Though, there is always a limit to the usage of a certain product or item, in this case, Facebook.

In recent times it has become so easy to access an individual’s information online that it can be extremely hurtful and damaging. One such example is potential employers checking an individuals Facebook page as a pre-screening process. Such information can be extremely damaging to one’s career. Three-quarters of recruiters check applicants out on the internet when hiring (Nolo, 2013). If they find any references to drug use, heavy drinking, sexually offensive material, violent material etc they reject job applicants (ibit). Recently, employers have also started to ask applicants to provide their passwords and log-in information as part of the interview process.

This is a major infringement on our privacy’s, and the issues of discrimination, ethics and morality spring up. Steps such as updating one’s privacy and account settings on Facebook can hide private information that one posts on Facebook away from potential employers. Once you start embarking on a job search you might want to consider going through a clean up. Or start now and make sure that your use of all your online media, specially Facebook is within limits and used professionally.

Sources:

Guerin, Lisa. “Can Potential Employers Check Your Facebook Page?” Nolo.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. <http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/can-potential-employers-check-your-facebook-page.html>.

Earlier this year, there was a major controversy surrounding the Abercrombie & Fitch CEO, Mike Jeffries. There was a major outcry from the public after his statement in an ill-advised interview from 2006 given to Salon Magazine:

“In every school there are cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. Candidly we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.” (Global News, 2013)

Ever since this interview has emerged, there have been many campaigns against Abercrombie & Fitch. Some of them include: A man giving Abercrombie clothes to homeless people, anti-bullying campaigns, a petition for plus sizes and many such humanitarian campaigns. This has majorly wrecked the brand since statistics show that by the end of May, the Abercrombie & Fitch U.S sales have dropped by 17% (ibit). Furthermore, there has been a 33% drop in the second-quarter profit as well as a stock tumble of 18%. (Huffington Post, 2013).

What measures is the company taking towards this issue? Why aren’t there any efforts made to add plus sized clothing to the store? how are they coping with the major discrimination case being filed against them recently against their “good-looking employees ONLY” policy? Competitors such as H&M and AE have now started offering plus sizes. Can A&F survive this situation which majorly threatens their brand?

Even though what A&F did was ethically and morally wrong they have now initiated a rather weak, Anti-bullying campaign. There has not been any effort made to add plus sizes in the store, though the company seems to be more engaged in its “external market pressures” rather than their social responsibility in the society.

Sources used:

1.) http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviatemin/2013/05/13/abercrombie-and-fitch-v-dove-or-how-a-ceo-can-wreck-a-brand-in-1-interview-7-years-ago/

2.) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/11/abercrombie-anti-bullying-campaign_n_3423081.html

3.) http://globalnews.ca/news/592736/elite-to-elitist-how-the-abercrombie-and-fitch-ceo-may-have-crossed-the-line/