Month: October 2012

After our class on entrepreneurship, I really inspired by the testimonies of our guest speakers.  My curiosity was triggered around the idea  what prevents bright students like you and me, from turning the innovative entrepreneurship ideas into reality? As Eric Carlson mentioned in his testimony, entrepreneurship is a lifestyle one must fully encompass themselves in to be truly successful. Unlike another fields like accounting or finance where the rules are already set, in entrepreneurship you hold the  pieces to the puzzles, and arrange them however you like.

Coming from an Asian background, my parents always preached the importance to study hard in school to eventually land yourself a stable, well-paid 9-5 job. They that following the norms of society would make life less stressful and long-term stability is what they valued. The idea of entrepreneurship would seem very far-fetched in my parents generation. The amount of risk and potential failure associated with entrepreneurship is one of the main reasons they condemn the idea. Though we as students, have desires to introduce an innovation to society, sometimes the culture we are brought up upon makes it hinders us from breaking out of the 9-5 lifestyle mold. Aside from the typical barriers of starting your own business, such as raising capital or allocating resources properly, the cultural clash may be the greatest hurdle for students like us today.

Works Cited:

Jo’Preneurs Sheds Light on Bright Ideas. Digital image. Green Prophet, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. <http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/08/jopreneurs-bright-idea/>.

Once regarded as a key player in the technology  industry along the likes of Apple and IBM, Hewlett-Packard Co. commonly known as HP, has seen their market capitalization fall to” less than $30 billion from more than $100 billion two years ago“.  Internal strategic problems continue to hinder the growth of the company as their market share have been largely overtaken by competitors. Analysts have highlighted three major flaws that need to be addressed by HP in order to regain their presence in the field. With four different CEO’s in five years, the lack of stability at the top creates an ambiguous direction for the company. Major lay-offs in order to invest more capital in research in development is  “vicious in cycle” as a solution to fix HP’s declining product lines.

HP needs to look for a sustainable competitive advantage if it intends to remain a staple player in the hyper competitive market. This should include short term tactics coupled by long term strategy as well. For example, the constant rotation of senior executives creates a lack of unison within the entire firm. Investing in a solid selection process for executives will help employees in the all positions of the hierarchy be confident in the vision and leadership in the company leading to more productiveness and job satisfaction. Another long strategy would be to focus on quality rather than quantity. Currently, HP is producing more than 1,200 different type of laser printers along with their multitude of personal computers. Focusing on the few styles, but investing more time in the performance of each product will be attractable and manageable for consumers.

Works Cited:

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/hps-mixed-bag-sales-weak-across-all-units-earnings-on-target-outlook-weaker-than-expected/13122>.

Amid  our mad scramble to line up for the iPhone 5, we as consumers  become oblivious to  the process of how this evolutional mobile device reached our hands. Apple has its “products designed in Cupertino, California” which are then assembled in China where cheap labour is the only solution to keeping up with the rapid iPhone 5 demand. Across the globe in Zhengzhou, China , about “three to four thousand” production employees at Foxconn Technology Group’s iPhone 5  production headquarters. The Fair Labor Association earlier this year claimed cases of “excessive working hours and hazardous condition”. In addition, Apple inspectors has heightened the standard over phones because of quality complaints from consumers, which only increased the amplified the pressure on these workers and resulting in strike .

This massive labour strike in Zhengzhou carries great significance for workers employed by these large-scale companies hoping to capitalize on this “cheap labour” opportunity available. Rather than continue with tedious day to day operations in dangerous conditions, the workers came to bring about change, or at least recognition of the injustice. It’s interesting that these workers, knowing the magnitude of their work for the image of Apple, would still have the courage to demand for justice.  These types of issues must be opened to the public eye – the rights and value of every individual regardless of their status.

Video: Insider view of iPhone 5 Production in at Foxconn

Works Cited:

Digital image. PaidContent. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://gigaompaidcontent.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/apple-foxconn-factory-workers-o.jpg?w=300&h=191>.

“Thousands of Foxconn Workers Who Make the IPhone 5 Launch Strike: Labour Group.”Bloomberg News 5 Oct. 2012: n. pag. Print.

Facebook had amassed just over one billion users worldwide and regarded as one of the most rapidly expanding sites in history. Aside from the social buzz, Facebook in a business aspect has been unsteady recently. Alongside a disappointing initial public offering in May, investors value the company as “just a fraction of the $100-billion opportunity”(Lynley) they had previously foreseen. As a free service for consumers, Facebook generates the majority of it’s revenue through advertising. The Facebook mobile application lacks opportunity for advertising due to the current design and functionality, resulted in a mere $72.7 million in revenue far less rival counterpart Google. Also, the next billion potential users may be difficult to reach with a majority of Internet users are situated in countries like China, where Facebook is prohibited. With all these factors in consideration,  has Facebook finally began its descent?

With competition like Google Circles and Twitter, the continual need for innovation while creating avenues of  revenue from an essentially “free” service is the main priority for Facebook. The  need to allocate more resources into developing a innovative mobile advertising approach such as  having a sponsored advertisement pop up in news feed every certain number of posts would be a viable option. Negotiations with governments in countries where Facebook is prohibited must be done to enter in this untapped market.  Though, this may mean limited services for consumers in these countries, Facebook would still generate a buzz in a foreign market. The continual push for expansion and a revamping mobile advertising scheme will keep Facebook afloat for years to come if executed properly. Otherwise, the company could be part of history.

Works Cited :

“Facebook Makes its First Billion” Geoffrey A. Fowler. Globe and Mail. Friday, October 5, 2012.

Facebook Logo. Digital image. Durham University Shorinji. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://fuinabola.blogspot.ca/2012/09/facebook-logo.html>.