Karen Leung’s blog post: Not Just Toms
Karen’s blog post had clearly addressed the insight problem of Toms’ online website’s new feature. She had identified Toms’ real motive behind the feature of more than 200 products from 30 companies and charities. It is to draw in more customers from these 30 companies and charities as well as gaining “positive social reputation”. Her analysis not only summarized but also described the original news article as the whole picture.
Introducing: A Brand New Netflix Experience On TVs
Incessant innovation and development is an ultimate goal of any business that wants to survive in today’s competitive market. Netflix is no doubt dashing towards that goal with all its might. Its latest move of introducing a “brand new Netflix experience on TVs” surely excites its subscribers. Netflix has come up with a new technology that will enhance viewers’ experience watching internet TV on various devices. It is adding more images, more information, in short, more “sensation”to its screen. Netflix’s goal, obviously, is to make sure subscribers will keep spending “over one billion hours a month” watching internet TV, which also gives them more reasons to keep paying the service charge of $8 per month.
With the additional feature that Netflix offers, subscribers are certain to enjoy a brand new experience and without doubt more inclined to take money out of their pocket.
In our Innovation and Entrepreneurship lecture last Tuesday, many students clicked the option “working for a big company” when we were asked what we would after graduation. This is not so surprising since working for big companies seems to guarantee safety and reduce risks better compared to being an entrepreneur. However, growing up in a family running a small business, I was taught to be my own boss, which is, in other word, becoming an entrepreneur.
There are reasons for people to thrive to start up their own business. The desire of creating a huge enterprise. The need to being on top of that enterprise. The excitement of creating something big all by themselves. It is surely addictive and engaging. But it is worth fighting for despite the risks and failures that may show up on the way.
Judy Estrin, an entrepreneur, is not an exception as she herself also involved in many business start ups. Her stories bring a great value that many “entrepreneurs” have misunderstood: “I never started a company because I wanted to start a company. Each one of the company was driven by a vision and a passion to solve the problem.”
Consecutive layoffs have been many companies’ decision in their restructuring plan. There are many purposes behind these layoffs that company’s representative often state. It is the company’s effort in minimizing costs after continuous revenue drops and sales decreases. It is the company’s solution in redesigning the organizational structure and increasing efficiency when the system becomes too “bulky”. It is the company’s attempt in maintaining the long-term health and bringing the greatest value to customers and shareholders. All of these statements seem to be very reasonable as they are all for a greater cause.
Heinz decided to shut down Ontario factory and trimming 740 jobs to ensure efficient and effective operation as well as the company’s future growth acceleration. This move pushes sacked employees to the point one claimed: “I think we’re all going to have to go out farther or we’re all going to fight to serve a shake at McDonald’s.” In the meanwhile, hundreds of former BlackBerry’s staffs are hunting for job in technology job fair after BlackBerry announced plans to reduce its employees.
Layoff has become a routine that employees must face every time companies are not in good shape. Is layoff really the optimum solution that companies can come up with when it is threatening so many employees like that?
RONA announces its 2013 third quarter results
The market has been gloomy this week as many big chains’ share price and sales dropped. Many retailers, such as Shoppers DrugMart, Walmart, Rona, are having a hard time in the increasingly competitive environment. Rona was reported to be carrying out many plans in order to save costs and increase its profits. Rona has been on the line of achieving its goal of saving more than $110 million annual cost by the end of 2013. Their plans include cutting staff, renegotiating contracts, closing under performing stores. They are also focusing more on small neighbourhood stores and getting inventory under control. All of these are said to help them get their share buyback. However, Rona’s efforts don’t seem to make significant effects on the stock market as sales are below expectation and the third quarter’s numbers are not remarkable. Indeed, it cannot be denied that the market is becoming extremely competitive with more competitors entering and less space to stand.
Leaders in each generation and each period of time must encounter numerous and various obstacles. Therefore, it is difficult to judge whether leaders in the earlier time are better than leaders today. Goldman Sachs’ CEO turned Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson said: “I’ve been working with CEOs since the 1970s, and CEOs today are so much better than they used to be.”
It cannot be denied that leaders in the older time were extremely extraordinary. They were not only the founder who built the company from scratch and tiny bits but also the pioneer who buffeted with difficulties to bring up the company. Undoubtedly, they had faced tons of hardships, more than anyone, in starting up their own business. However, leaders today are also as excellent and incredible as ever, some are appraised as even better than leaders in the past. Apple’s Steve Jobs, American Express’s Ken Chenault, Costco’s Jim Sinegal, IBM’s Sam Palmisano are some of the CEOs who have been received praises for their performance.
3 reasons why CEOs today are better than ever
It is reasonable that these CEOs are highly valued for what they have done to develop those large and well known corporations. Competitive market with giant foreign rivals. Increasing power of shareholders. Strong influence of the public. All of those factors affect today CEOs greatly. Therefore, it is not too extreme to say leaders today are as better than ever.
Every field and any job needs to take risks and some risk-takers. In the business world, risks are even more essential. Businessman must learn to initiate to become the founder, must gather the courage to become the leader.
I have always admired people who courageously start up their own business though they didn’t go through any “proper” business schools or programs. It is not that business schools are unnecessary on the path of becoming an entrepreneur, but studying in business schools doesn’t guarantee a successful entrepreneur either. It’s the “odds” showing up in our life journey of endless searching that lead people to where they are. Like Jessica Alba who saw others’ need of reliable eco-friendly care products in the military base where she grew up. Like Emma, our guest in Alumni class, who found her interest of running an organic chocolate chain in her vegetarian lifestyle. Or Pirate Joe’s owner, Michael Hallatt, who opened his own Trader Joe’s-store simply because he enjoys their products and wants to share that joy with others.
How Jessica Alba beats the odds
Perhaps businessman are able to learn more and share more compared to others. It’s the success they find by taking risk of beating those “odds”.
What are the reasons behind one company’s collapse? There are many causes which lead to one’s bankruptcy, however, financial fraud (or financial statement fraud) is one of the major roots that gnaw a company bits by bits. The company does not break down immediately but crashes days by days.
Frauds are not just “popular” in big firms and corporations. They are still prevalent even in small companies. Growing up in a family that owns a small business, I gradually get the idea why frauds can be present anywhere and committed by just about anyone. Assigning management job to a close friend of the family or even a relative does not mean people’s greed is easily defeated. The closer those people are to you, the more opportunities they get to embezzle funds. The more trust you place in them, the better chances they get to trick you and destroy all your hard work.
Small businesses are more likely to be vulnerable to frauds. They usually lack the resources to enforce a complete system under thorough control with a limited number of employees. They are often developed around the concept where employees are entrusted. Therefore, small business owners and managers need to be even more careful in hiring employees and assigning jobs.
Along with Facebook, Twitter is one of hottest social media networks. The number of twitter users has been increasing incredibly, with 500 million registered tweeters. Its revenue also doubled from 2011 to 2012. However, it has been doing badly and lost millions of dollars for the past 3 years.
Twitter wants to raise $1bn in its stock market debut
Twitter, therefore, is aiming to raise $1bn in IPO, which also means they will have to put on more advertisements. More advertisements means more money. But more advertisements would also mean less comfortable and private. Personally, as a tweeter, I have been enjoying Twitter’s interface and application even more than Facebook’s. I don’t have to deal with bunch of ads flashing all the time on the sidebar. I don’t feel annoyed by “suggested posts” keep on interrupting my friends’ status while scrolling down my timeline. Twitter’s plus points of offering friendly interface would definitely decrease if they decided to go forward with such a plan.
When the world becomes too developed and too advanced to the point of exploding with information and technology, it is so difficult to stir up a novel idea, or create a path that no one has taken before. The article The Power of Virtual Integration: An Interview with Dell Computer’s Michael Dell, or to be more specific, Dell Inc.’s CEO Michael Dell himself, however, really did inspire people.
Looking back at the world history, weren’t the ones who care about people and place the benefits of people on top the winners? The Japanese government, for example, has even given the prominence to the core factor, its “people”, as the top priority policy when they always ensure: Domestic goods must have the best quality. Dell thinks highly of the relationship between the company and their customers. His direct business model stressed just that one important factor, which makes them one of the world’s leading PC sellers.
People is the core factor
His crucial strategy is using other suppliers’ components and focusing on bringing the best services to customers. And he proudly asked that one question: “Do you want to be the twenty-first horse, or do you want to evaluate the field of 20 and pick the best one?”. Gosh is it brilliant how it makes us feel so satisfied and victorious now that we know: WE are the decision maker.