In my opinion, even if the United Nations were to be fully funded, we would still need programs such as the Arc Initiative or social enterprise. UN is an organization that aims at maintaining world peace, and helps developing countries grow and advance. Although the UN helps many countries around the world, it is impossible for it to change the globe independently.It is vital for organizations such as the Arc Initiative to help resolve minor elements and details. We need programs to help develop the visions and goals of the UN. I believe that while the UN lays a foundation, smaller programs must sustain the plans of the UN and provide assistance.

Those programs have the ability help develop what has been started by the UN through educating the public, and assisting the citizens of those countries. They play a significant role in terms of sustainability, by providing the citizens with knowledge, and educating them in regards to business, and business development to help people escape poverty. For example, The Arc Initiative program at UBC “seeks to build a bridge, an arc, that facilitates a genuine two-way exchange of knowledge and business skills” to help the people of South Africa, Ethiopia, Columbia, and Rwanda. It is evident that the smaller programs play a crucial role in terms of development and contribute immensely to the actions initiated by the UN.

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Netflix, a flourishing business in North America, and small parts of Europe, may be facing issues from emerging competition. In Canada, companies such as Shaw and Rogers are planning to launch a new streaming service called Shomi. This service includes 12,000 hours of content for only $8.99 a month, which rivals Netflix’s business model. Shomi provides popular TV shows that are in high demand, creating the possibility of Netflix’s market share to drop significantly.

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In Usman Mukaty’s blog, it is evident that Netflix is also having difficulty expanding abroad. Usman further explains that their services are not as appealing to European and South American markets as Netflix may have predicted. This is largely due to the fact that tastes vary in different countries. The creation of Shomi may create such problems in Canada, because the demand for Neflix could decrease if Shomi provides services that appeal more to the taste of Canadian customers. It is extremely vital for Netflix to be aware of these issues, and think of ways of preventing their current subscribers from switching to alternate options. Netflix is now facing issues globally and could be at great risk if immediate action is not taken.

After the flooding of Highway River in Alberta, on June 2013, many businesses and business owners have had difficulty trying to “regain security”. Lynette McCracken, the executive director of the High River and Distric Chamber Commerce travels across Alberta encouraging other communities to plan ahead and be prepared to deal with emergency situations. It can be extremely difficult for businesses to regain their original position and to make up for their losses. The business community in Alberta was a victim of several vital losses including loss of inventory, premises, and revenue. McCracken explains that research states “43 percent of businesses that experience such a disaster will never re-open and 29 per cent of those that do fail within two years”. This demonstrates how important it is for businesses to always be prepared, and plan for a successful recovery in the case of an emergency. Unexpected events, such as earthquakes, and floods, can damage the company for a long period of time, and negatively impact them in many different ways. Planning ahead will not necessarily ensure absolute success, but it will definitely make is easier for businesses to regain their original position, and be able to prosper.

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Reid Hoffman, discusses, the right time for the founder of a company to hire a CEO in his blog. He explains that is essential for the founder of the company to asses how well the company is doing, and how passionate he/she is about continuing to build the company. If the founder feels that the company has not been making a great deal of progress, then they must consider bringing in a CEO. This will “bring in skills and experiences which will help scale the company” and move it in a forward direction.

I agree with this view of thinking. Although the founder has vast knowledge about the company, and is passionate about what he/she created, this does not ensure that he/she will be a good CEO in the long run. Often times the founders find it difficult to allow someone else manage their company. The job of a CEO is demanding, it requires precision and great management skills. Therefore, I feel that it is vital for founders of companies to hire someone with knowledge and experience in order to grow and develop the company. An example of this includes Unity Founder, David Helgason who eventually came to realize that he had “ stopped enjoying “running a big, complex company across five continents” ”. He was able to do self-examination, and make the decision of hiring a new CEO.

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First Nations partner issues is one of the most vital external factors impacting an organization’s business model. First Nations are trying extremely hard to regain their identity and this is creating some major challenges for companies. Businesses must be mindful of legal issues in terms of land purchasing and using land that belongs to the First Nations people. As a business, you have to think about these factors in order to plan ahead and come up with manageable solutions. The First Nations partner issues limit business expansion and create obstacles for businesses to overcome. Therefore, I believe that when a business is in a situation such as this, they must consider all of these factors involved. The First Nations partner issue may also create additional costs for businesses and take time to resolve.

In my opinion, the main thing that businesses should be mindful of is to tackle these issues in an ethical manner. As we have discussed in previous classes, business ethics is a very important concept. It is extremely crucial for companies to respect aboriginal rules and regulations. They must keep in mind that this is their original land and territory. This is just one of the many external factors that businesses must deal with on a daily basis, and it is vital for them to plan carefully and wisely.

With the increasing growth in online shopping, many companies feel threatened and fear that the online market will negatively impact them. Several retailers, including Wal-Mart have already noticed a significant drop in the number of customers that physically visit the store, but rather make online purchases in the comfort of their own home. Companies like Best Buy Co. and Staples are closing many of their store locations and using more space for e-commerce pick-up. Online shopping is convenient for most people and it is gaining popularity, however, in the long run, it could post a serious threat to society as a whole (eg. unemployment).

Pei Ran Liu also made the same point in his blog post, mentioning that the growth of e-commerce throughout the past few years has put a lot of pressure on physical stores. He made a very interesting comment in regards to the success of the online market, depicting that “it is inevitable for online markets to gain popularity because they take advantage of the cost leadership strategy by offering a great selection of products at lower prices”. I completely agree with this argument and I believe competing with the online market will take more than just lowering prices and providing more in store services, physical stores must become far more innovative and creative.

Just when we all thought that BlackBerry was ready to give up due to its failure in the past few years, the company comes up with a new, innovative idea that could truly be a game changer. In my opinion, BlackBerry finally realized that they must return to their original idea of providing phones for people in the business world. The new BlackBerry Passport has a very large screen, “13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, 32 GB of storage, a MicroSD card slot, and a 3,450 mAh battery”. These are just a number of the many useful features that are included in the new BlackBerry Passport that meet the demands of corporate users.

In my opinion, BlackBerry is doing the right thing by shifting its focus back to its original purpose and idea. Pei Ran made a very good point in regards to this in his blog post stating that “BlackBerry’s new strategy allows them to play their strengths and create a smartphone targeted towards corporate users.” This is what they’re good at and this is what will get them back in the game. The shift in focus will enable this company to rise to the top once again. Although it will be difficult for them to win back their customers, I believe that BlackBerry will be able to achieve success.

Apple has done it once again, another successful product release. Per usual, there were long line-ups outside of stores around the globe with people impatiently waiting. What did they have in store for them this time? Apple’s new iPhone 6, with new features such as a  bigger screen, making it easier to type and watch videos.

However, my question is, why does Apple get such a huge response from its customers with the release of a bigger screen when companies like Samsung have done so long before. Samsung was able to release devices with bigger screens and higher quality cameras months before the release of the iPhone 6, but did not get nearly the same reaction from its customers. According to experts, the reason for this is because when people own Apple products, they are making a style/fashion statement; it shows others who they are and what they value.

What astounds me is Apple’s amazing marketing strategy. They are able to get the same great response and reaction from their customers with the release of each new product year after year. I believe that the secret to their success is their ability to create products that are simple to use, yet better than competing brands. They offer remarkable customer service and spend a lot of one on one time with them. Apple should be the role model for competing industries, especially when it comes to marketing strategies and keeping the customers coming back.

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As I was scrolling down a list of articles, one in particular caught my attention called “Is McDonald’s Losing the Happy Meal Crowd”. What I found alarming is that McDonald’s, one of the most successful and flourishing businesses in the globe is experiencing difficulty, and is slowly losing an important category of customers, kids.

People are finally choosing to feed their children healthier food. According to Crain’s Chicago Business, “McDonald’s has lost its first-place position as the chain with the most “kid appeal” ”. Its competing restaurants now include Sandleman & Associates, and Chick-fil-A. I believe that if things continue to progress this way, McDonald’s will completely lose this vital category of customers. It is essential for the company to think of ways of regaining its initial success and attracting newer customers. Much of this has to do with the fact that people are finally realizing that McDonald’s is not a nutritious food choice for their children. It was reported that the “global same store sales fell 3.7 percent, the worst decline in a decade”. This poses a serious threat and it is up to them become more innovative and to develop new marketing strategies.