Vicky Capron

Entrepreneurship is something that, to me, is so intriguing and exciting, but incredibly horrifying at the same time. Opting out of any and all arts classes or courses that foster creativity in order to take “the most difficult course load” classified my high school career. Taking this difficult course load was exactly what was outline by all universities as an approach to take in order to be the most appealing applicant.

But now I find myself in a predicament. The way I see it, in order to be an entrepreneur, there has to be some element of ingenuity and creativity that goes into your business endeavour. So if you were to ask me questions about the Gupta Empire, Jim Crow laws, or exergasia, I would be able to produce an intellectual response. On the other hand, ask me to generate a new idea and I’ll probably wonder, well what lecture or text book can I reference to find that information?

Now to say that I have no creativity or sense of imagination would be overly dramatic, but after hearing lectures about entrepreneurs, I begin to wonder. I wonder if I in fact have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. I wonder if taking more creative courses would have benefited my overall intellectual development. I guess I’ll just have to wait and find out.

A gentleman by the name of Mahesh Nagarajan came into our lecture and gave a captivating lecture on supply chain. Not only did I gain incredible respect for him merely on the basis of his presentational skills, but I also actually learned a lot. The first thing I jump to in my memory of this lecture was his somewhat unique examples. In order to convey the risks associated with having too much inventory he compared a blood drive to drug dealers. He put in plain words that if you were collecting blood at a blood drive you would willingly accept carrying 8 units. However, if you were selling illegal drugs on the side of the street and only had 4 secured customers, you wouldn’t want to carry all 8 units “because you have a higher risk of being tazed.”

Mahesh’s ideology behind being “tazed” by the police was a memorable illustration of the risk associated with having too much inventory depending on the costs you can potentially suffer. Not only was this example funny, but it was unforgettable and along with that I will be able to revisit the questions he posed to us in later days. He introduced us to questions such as, “how many units should you buy in anticipation”, and “what are the costs to your business if someone comes in ready to buy your product and you don’t have it.” These questions are incredibly important and the detail behind supply chain and forecasting is something I hadn’t appreciated before Mahesh depicted the inside scoop to our class.

I have been contently overwhelmed by the infiltration of the world into the city of Vancouver. Predominately clad in Canadian apparel is an entire city. There are the sporadic glimpses of other countries, all being welcomed except the occasional American. The IOC has done a remarkable job of coordinating this amazing event that has taken Canada by storm. Medals after medals, tears of joy, tears of disappointment, it’s all happening. And it’s all emotional.

I can’t express the amazement I get from the athleticism being displayed, and the elated feeling I get when Olympic dreams are achieved. Although I am biased, as all Canadians are to see a Canadian on the podium, it is still amazing to see people’s dreams come true and to see success derived from winning.

It’s a beautiful thing, and I honestly get stumped by the idea of protestors. I understand the idea that the money put into the Olympics could have been allocated differently. However, I don’t think that capital would have become available if the Olympics hadn’t taken place in Vancouver. Therefore, there is no way the amounts of money could have been delegated to helping solve Vancouver’s problems. So, as I heard downtown… “They say protest, we say party.

Today I was  invited to a dialogue at the Chan Centre. The speakers were there on behalf of the non-profit organization called Right to Play. This is an organization that works to make opportunities to participate in sports for those that don’t have that experience readily available.

Along with witty, motivational, and intellectual speakers, there were also a handful of Olympic athletes who were there to educate the audience about the call to action. Only hours before the opening ceremonies it was exciting to see them out promoting this cause that they are backing.

In addition to some current athletes, there was also a former legend from speed skating. I personally enjoyed his speech the most because there was a story to follow. He told about the time he was in Africa and realized a group of kids had never played soccer with an actual ball. Instead, they tied up an old shirt and kicked that around. At that moment he decided after the Olympics, that he would bring sporting equipment back to this country. A few months later he brought an entire plane from Norway (his home country), full of sporting equipment. The ironic part was how much ridicule and criticism he received for bringing this starving country not food, but equipment.

The best part of this moving story came when he was greeted by the president of the country who couldn’t express greater gratitude for finally treating his people like people, through the gift of sport. That story altered my view and increased by understanding of the importance of using sports to bring people together, and bring them happiness.

As the Olympics progressed, I saw more and more purchases from the popular Canadian store, Roots. All of it bears the words “Right to Play,” and all of it contributes to the cause.

Only recently have I been introduced to this idea of “efficient supply chain,” and only since have I become aware of its increasing importance. If technology can be used to increase the efficiency and cut costs of a company’s supply chain then all the better. Furthermore, the additional use of technology makes it easier for customers to get what they want and interact directly with the supplier.

The world is basically corresponding over the internet. With this prevalent use of technology, companies are provided with an economic incentive to use it. It creates the ability to target customer choice and then manufacture only what is needed. It can help decrease inventory turnover rates. It can provide an advantage of a properly coordinated supply chain. Plus, technology can be used for the more meagre tasks such as paper work and then more time can be directed towards customer service.

The technological innovation of our time is changing as fast as customer wants. Therefore, it is absolutely essential for profitable companies who hope to have the most efficient supply chain to keep up with relevant technology and channel it to satisfy the customer and eliminate unnecessary costs.

Having both Canadian and American citizenship has formed me into an unbiased 3^rd party in the never ending banter between the two nationalities. When I’m in Canada, I am picked on for being American. When I’m in the states, I am picked on for being Canadian. It’s cyclic. It has, however, put me in an interesting position because of my strong sense of pride and loyalty for both countries.

Only recently, however, have I realized that the banter goes beyond the whimsical remarks of pronunciations. Both countries are so focused on the exploitations of the stereotypes that we neglect actual issues that make the two countries more compatible than expected. As just a slight issue, Canada is the U.S’s largest supplier for oil, electricity, and natural gases. All of which I’d say are pretty important. But furthermore I bet the average American doesn’t appreciate this. On the other end, I consistently see Canadians criticizing the U.S for its outrageous military spending. However, do Canadians appreciate that the U.S’s grand military is the reason Canada hardly has to worry about military spending? Think about it… If anyone  invaded Canada, America would destroy them. And hence, Canada benefits! But again, I’m sure these issues are completely ignored as the two countries are too busy elevating their own country and pathetically trying to deteriorate their “friendly neighbours.”

Google Books is facing disapproving authors as it works to scan all book contents online. These authors feel Google is taking these actions without proper approval, which is just one example of the ethical dilemma caused by technological advancements to make services available for free.  This dilemma is not only directed towards the integrity of using these free resources, but also in terms of the workers who are facing detrimental impacts on their profits. A recent issue directly related to Google Books in China is Mian Mian, who was the first Chinese writer to sue Google regarding her written work. Google has admitted to a lack of communication and both sides are looking forward to a better understanding of one another. In an attempt to dulcify the Chinese writers, Google has agreed to give China a list of books it has scanned. Although Google claims the legality of their actions are in accordance to the copy write laws, they have made it clear that they hope to surpass this issue so they can work towards a more substantial agreement between Chinese writers and Google Books. Whether this move forward will successfully overcome the ethical scepticism is yet to be determined.