The fast growing technology has opened so many doors for new discoveries and new ideas. Urthecast is an online website, accessible by anyone around the world, that streams live HD footage of planet earth from the International Space station. Thousands of dollars have been invested in the formation of this creative idea, but is it worth it? How profitable will this company be? Will it be enough for the success of the Company?

Urthecast plans on using this data for environmental and broadcasting purposes. They believe governments from all over the world will partner with them because of the proposed benefits of this revolutionary technology.

I do not believe the Company will be very successful. It may be a unique idea that many individuals will enjoy at first, but the popularity will eventually decrease because of lost interest. Also, there is no benefit in witnessing natural disasters taking place because there is no way of preventing it. As well, the market they are targeting have minimal benefits if they were to use this technology because they cannot implement decisions from seeing satellite videos. Although the idea is cool, the success of the company is questionable because of the limited benefits.

Stack ranking is a common process that managers use on employees to rank their performance on a bell curve. As a result, employees are either fired or pressured to leave the Company. Clearly this is not a comfortable or friendly environment to be working in, and because of this, it has been a growing controversial issue. Essentially, managers are making their employees compete against their coworkers to perform better, and this leads to a lack of collaboration within the company. Teamwork is essential for the success of the company, making this system have a negative impact on corporations.

A large corporation like Microsoft has now decided to end this system of evaluating their employees. From 2009 to 2011, the percentage of company’s using this system decreased by 35%. More and more corporations are realizing that this system is neither fair for the employees nor efficient for the success of the company.

It is important for business’s to give feedback in a positive, yet informative way. Employees who are respected and encouraged will be more inclined to perform better because they care about their work and the Company that they work for. Overall, the working environment would be more optimistic and productive.

http://www.businessinsider.com/stack-ranking-employees-is-a-bad-idea-2013-11

This year, Vancouver is hosting the annual mSummit which is an event that brings together mothers who are in business. This event allows women to network with entrepreneurs who are in similar situations as them. They are abel to gain support and tools to help improve their business. Not only is this event informative for these women, but it also allows them to be inspired by the other courageous, hard-working business women out there.

The increase of women working in the business world is inspirational. Not so long ago, society did not approve of women working outside of their homes, let alone work for large corporations. It is revolutionary to see the influences that women have had on our world today. The impact ranges from women starting their own businesses, to supporting world issues. Although women in Vancouver are heavily involved in society, women from third world countries are still suffering from discrimination.

By attending this event, you are supporting and promoting the equality that is needed within the working class. mSummit allows women to feel proud of their accomplishments and the changes that they have helped make in society.

The loyalty between customers and producers have to be equal. This past summer, Starbucks had problems with customers who are part of the Gold Card Program. Customers can receive these golden cards, which offers them special rewards, after spending a certain amount of money at any Starbucks location. But there is a twist. Each year the customers have to purchase a certain amount in order to keep this card and if they do not reach the level, their Stars go back to zero. The problem is that there was no warning that the customers were behind in their purchases. Many were surprised and frustrated that all of their benefits would disappear. What caused this frustration was the lack of communication and encouragement that Starbucks offered these demoted customers. Loyalty of customers is so important for not only the success of a company, but for its reputation. Individuals will be more inclined to purchase from a company that cares about their customers and is respected in society. Without a doubt Starbucks is a multimillion dollar company that has loyal customers, but they need to find ways to make sure all of their customers are satisfied and excited to come back. http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2013/07/23/starbucks-gold/

TOMS is not the only Company that offers the “One for One” plan. Bombas Socks is a New York based Company that makes high quality socks out of Peruvian pima cotton. They decided to manufacture socks because they are the most requested clothing item in poverty stricken places. Bombas Socks is proud of their motto “Bee Better” and implement it by donating one pair to a person in need for every pair of socks that is sold. Not only is this system helping those in need, but customers also feel more satisfied with their purchase because they know that they are helping someone in need, even if it is something as simple as a pair of socks.

With this growing idea of donation, Companies should consider applying this to their value propositions, specifically for larger corporations because they can afford it. Bombas Socks, along with TOMS, are opening doors to new ways of supporting those who are less fortunate. They are helping promote the idea of giving and how simple it is. All you need is the ambition to do so. We need to make decisions not just for our own benefits, but for the benefits of society.

In 2011, Qian Yefei wrote a blog post on The Sanlu Dairy Company’s milk scandal in China. The firm was determined to be as profitable as possible no matter what measures they had to take to achieve this goal. This determination took a turn for the worst when their product caused children to suffer and die from kidney stones and other kidney damage. The company was left with many challenges to try to fix this devastation. The question stands: was this decision to lower the quality of their product to increase their profit worth it?

It is unfortunate that many companies completely disregard the importance of making ethical decisions because they are so focused on becoming profitable. When money is involved, people are always blinded from making the right decisions that can benefit the producers and the consumers. Everyone could be happy if Business’s made sure they were running their Company in an ethical way. Business’s must understand how crucial it is to make ethical decisions so problems like this are prevented.

It is the start of a new year, a new season, and a new direction for Canucks Sports and Entertainment. The franchise’s slogan “We are All Canucks” truly exemplifies the image that the company wants to be known as, especially when the focus is not only on the success of the team, but on fan experience and giving back to the community.

The franchise has had a streak of over 200 sold out home games, setting it apart from any other team. This is an incredible achievement that clearly shows that the company is making effective and beneficial decisions. The success of these ticket sales is a result of the fans and their continued support and appreciation for the operation of the company.

Out of the many charities that the company supports, Canucks for Kids Fund is one of the largest foundations. It offers a safe environment for children who are suffering from deathly illnesses. This special foundation allows these children to step away from their daily sufferings and experience laughter and fun that should come from childhood.

Clearly, Canucks Sports and Entertainment is way bigger than a famous hockey team. The company is changing and improving lives.

Whole Foods Market is well known for its promotion of healthy and organic foods. It is becoming increasingly popular all over the world as more and more individuals are discovering the importance of eating healthy. The company caters to everyone’s needs; targeting a range of people from infants all the way to seniors. It also provides a variety of food choices for customers who follow the latest food trends and for those who have dietary restrictions.

Whole Foods Market emphasizes important missions and values, which set the company apart from any other grocery store. The company focuses on supporting their local communities, organic farming, animal welfare, seafood sustainability, and of course protecting the environment. As society recognizes the importance of a healthy environment, these values are becoming more appealing.

Money is a huge factor, influencing customers’ decisions regarding which product to buy. Whole Foods Market is more expensive than the usual grocery store because it is selling higher valued items. Some individuals believe it is worth spending the extra money for higher quality food, while others believe otherwise. Yet, the overall concept of Whole Foods Market continues to influence the prosperity of the company as it is beneficial for many individuals.

Over a decade ago, Deborah Shank, a 52- year old woman with three children, worked at Walmart; one of the biggest and most successful companies in the world. One day she was hit by one of Walmart’s tractor-trailers. She suffered from short-term memory loss, which affected her and her family immensely. Luckily before the crash, she registered for Walmart’s health and benefit plan. Originally, the family sued the company and received $417 000. Yet, the health care plan allows Walmart to retrieve some of the money, and although the court offered them $275 000 back, the company claimed $470 000. The devastated family appealed to the court, but they refused.

Customers would lose respect for Walmart and would not be inclined to purchase from a company that disregards the importance the importance of respecting morals. In the end, Walmart confirmed that they would pay for Deborah’s care. The family was overjoyed but questioned why they had to go through such trouble to get to this conclusion. A company that strictly enforces ethical decisions has positive influences and a good reputation all over the world. These are important factors to help further guarantee the success of a company.

Deborah Shank on CNN

During the weekend of August 31st, the annual Sauder Frosh celebration took place at UBC. The first year and transfer students that were admitted into the Business Program at UBC this past spring received the opportunity to participate in this event. Throughout the weekend, participants connected with their peers, enjoyed fun challenges, and got familiar with the campus and the way of life at UBC. This past weekend, it was reported that during Sauder Frosh, the students participated in reciting a traditional chant regarding rape. Undoubtedly, this has been the top news story throughout the past few days. Not only are the leaders who implemented the offensive chant under serious evaluation, but the entire faculty is being treated with contempt. From a student’s perspective, it is crucial to understand how hurtful these actions are; not just to one’s peers, but to the entire society. As a response to this unethical act, Frosh has now been cancelled. Although it may seem too severe a consequence, the student body must realize that the decision is necessary given the seriousness of the criminal content in the chant. Hopefully some other form of orientation that is better scrutinized is established.

UBC investigates frosh students’ pro-rape chant