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

https://si0.twimg.com/profile_images/2580819707/986ifa92813apmn9xhtz.jpeg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J8oZq0YHjms/UHROiw59J7I/AAAAAAAAAIE/BeoMEv6M66E/s1600/10tree-300×300.jpg

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

http://traveltonovascotia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Merlot_Vineyard_Napa_Valley.jpg

http://www.csu.edu.au/research/nwgic/images/info.jpg

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.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BKln3A0nJeI/UEU3AnOwtAI/AAAAAAAAAME/lc8_GjTD5tE/s1600/pike-place-market-fish-market.jpg

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

http://www.sync-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/rim_logo_blue.jpg