So the blogging assignment was cool. I had never used a blog before this class, and it proved to be useful in a couple of ways. First of all, the blog made me start reading (or at least skimming) BusinessWeek and newspaper articles for the latest business news. I'm sure that will be an essential part of everyone's career as they advance; staying up to date on the latest happenings is critical in most professions, but especially in one as volatile as business. One of the characteristics that I admired about my manager at my internship was that she took measures to stay current on the local business climate, but especially on employment law (I worked in the HR office).
So this will be my last blog post, but I appreciated the experience. Now we are all moving onto the final project, and it seems like a tough one. I believe my group is going to be doing our's on the Corvette Museum, which again is cool in some aspects. I'll appreciate the opportunity to dust off my interviewing skills, which I haven't really used since I finished taking journalism classes. It was one of the things I enjoyed least about the news/editorial program, but the business world provides a much different experience than most journalistic interviews. Business interviews (of any sort) seem to be quite a bit more structured and straight forward, with A TON more cooperation on the part of the interviewee. Interviewing anyone for an article was tantamount to pulling teeth; almost without exception people will become defensive and "closed off" when they think that they might be quoted. It could have been the most benign and innocent article ever, and people would still give me the cold shoulder (which could have been entirely attributed to my skills as a reporter, but I'll not go into that).
Either way, the project will be a challange. I hope I get through it alright (as well as the rest of the class)!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
"Coke can't teach the world (of buskers) to sing"
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/europeinsight/archives/2009/11/cokes_sponsorsh.html
I just thought this article was a funny reminder of how far corporations will go to get their message out. Of course we know that Coke would do just about anything to spread the word about their soda, but you probably wouldn't think about the traveling guitar player asking for money in the subway as a pitchman.
Even at that, the "buskers" are scoffing at the idea of singing Coke tunes. How little is Coke paying them that they have decided it would be more profitable to essentially beg for money from strangers than sing Coke songs? Of course, they mention that this time of year is the most profitable for the buskers, and singing corporate-funded melodies might inhibit metro-patrons sense of charity. Still though, you would think a corporation like Coke would be able to pay them enough to make them forget about their musical standards.
Either way, I think this is a pretty funny indicator of the progression of corporate advertising and sponsorship.
I just thought this article was a funny reminder of how far corporations will go to get their message out. Of course we know that Coke would do just about anything to spread the word about their soda, but you probably wouldn't think about the traveling guitar player asking for money in the subway as a pitchman.
Even at that, the "buskers" are scoffing at the idea of singing Coke tunes. How little is Coke paying them that they have decided it would be more profitable to essentially beg for money from strangers than sing Coke songs? Of course, they mention that this time of year is the most profitable for the buskers, and singing corporate-funded melodies might inhibit metro-patrons sense of charity. Still though, you would think a corporation like Coke would be able to pay them enough to make them forget about their musical standards.
Either way, I think this is a pretty funny indicator of the progression of corporate advertising and sponsorship.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Case Analysis.....
So, we have a one page case analysis due tonight in Organizational Behavior. I'm having just a little bit of trouble with it. I can't seem to figure out how to fit everything that I think Dr. Rahim wants into one page of analysis. In the syllabus, it says that we need to provide the problems presented by the case, detailed analysis of those problems, and then recommendations for solving those problems.
REALLY?
In one double-spaced page, it's kind of hard to include everything that you need to. No matter what combination of problems and solutions I use, it always comes out reading like something an elementary school student would have written. I guess that could have a lot to do with my abilities as a writer or as an analyst of managerial cases, but I'm guessing it also has a lot to do with the one page limitation.
I'm finding the other paper equally as difficult. That is to say I'm not really having trouble writing it, just with what I should and should not include. I'm being told that it should be just a summary of the article and that it might also have to include analysis of the strengths and weaknesses. The former would make more sense; after all, we are trying to condense an 80+ page article into 1 page of review. If it were to have some sort of analysis, it would take away from the space allotted to summary (now condensing an 80+ page article into half of a double spaced page). Either way, I'm finding it a difficult task. I don't know if anyone else is--good luck if you're like me, though!
REALLY?
In one double-spaced page, it's kind of hard to include everything that you need to. No matter what combination of problems and solutions I use, it always comes out reading like something an elementary school student would have written. I guess that could have a lot to do with my abilities as a writer or as an analyst of managerial cases, but I'm guessing it also has a lot to do with the one page limitation.
I'm finding the other paper equally as difficult. That is to say I'm not really having trouble writing it, just with what I should and should not include. I'm being told that it should be just a summary of the article and that it might also have to include analysis of the strengths and weaknesses. The former would make more sense; after all, we are trying to condense an 80+ page article into 1 page of review. If it were to have some sort of analysis, it would take away from the space allotted to summary (now condensing an 80+ page article into half of a double spaced page). Either way, I'm finding it a difficult task. I don't know if anyone else is--good luck if you're like me, though!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
"Beating the Odds"
I just read an article in BusinessWeek that I thought was pretty interesting; it just had interviews from three entrepreneurs at the two, five, and ten year markers. According to the article, most small business ventures (two-thirds) survive the first two years, but only 44 percent survive to their fifth anniversary. Anyway, the entrepreneurs had some tips for those looking into starting their own business that I found interesting, so I thought I would share.
BYD Ranch & Kennel opened in 2007 when Miriam Reick used $100,000 of her own money to start a dog and horse boarding farm in Bryan, Tex. Reick said that one of the biggest factors in her business' survival was the use of profit to improve her operation. She constantly reinvested her income into the business, which made her ranch more profitable in the long run (if you can consider being open for two years a "long run"). She also said that setting realistic, attainable goals and striving to meet those goals were very important.
Tom Neimeier opened Space Architectural Design Firm in 2005, aspiring to have a small business of no more than 20 architects. Neimeier said that what helped his business, which had 16 architects in its fourth year of operation, was bringing in architects with diversified experience. He hired employees that had expertise in areas he (or anyone else at the firm) had experience with. The clientele base followed the architects, which allowed his business to grow.
Matt Carlin opened Resource Options, a staffing business, in 1999 after being a hockey coach for most of his professional career. Carlin said that entering a market that was similar to what he was experienced in (hockey coaching and staffing--who knew?) helped him get off to a running start. He also advised to not "put all your eggs in one basket." One of his first clients represented a large portion of his income (10-15 percent, he estimated), and when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, his business took a large hit. Carlin kept at it, however, and his business survived the loss.
Anyway, I just thought it was interesting to see what successful entrepreneurs have to say about what got them to where they're at. Here's the link if your interested in reading the article:
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2009/sb20091030_273887_page_2.htm
BYD Ranch & Kennel opened in 2007 when Miriam Reick used $100,000 of her own money to start a dog and horse boarding farm in Bryan, Tex. Reick said that one of the biggest factors in her business' survival was the use of profit to improve her operation. She constantly reinvested her income into the business, which made her ranch more profitable in the long run (if you can consider being open for two years a "long run"). She also said that setting realistic, attainable goals and striving to meet those goals were very important.
Tom Neimeier opened Space Architectural Design Firm in 2005, aspiring to have a small business of no more than 20 architects. Neimeier said that what helped his business, which had 16 architects in its fourth year of operation, was bringing in architects with diversified experience. He hired employees that had expertise in areas he (or anyone else at the firm) had experience with. The clientele base followed the architects, which allowed his business to grow.
Matt Carlin opened Resource Options, a staffing business, in 1999 after being a hockey coach for most of his professional career. Carlin said that entering a market that was similar to what he was experienced in (hockey coaching and staffing--who knew?) helped him get off to a running start. He also advised to not "put all your eggs in one basket." One of his first clients represented a large portion of his income (10-15 percent, he estimated), and when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, his business took a large hit. Carlin kept at it, however, and his business survived the loss.
Anyway, I just thought it was interesting to see what successful entrepreneurs have to say about what got them to where they're at. Here's the link if your interested in reading the article:
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2009/sb20091030_273887_page_2.htm
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