In 2016, after years of declining profits and shrinking market share GE Appliances threw in the towel and sold to the Chinese. Today, Haier USA is profitable but not necessarily for the reasons you might think. The easiest conclusion to jump to is that Haier turned the business around by moving manufacturing to China and…
Read moreThe Dark Side of the Moon
Mary Shelley’s classic story of Victor Frankenstein should now be a “must read” for any firm that collects data. The story of Frankenstein follows a young, idealistic, scientist who sets out to create a life form immune to disease. Using chemistry, electricity and the ethically questionable acquisition of a few ill gotten body parts, Victor…
Read moreSoda Stream… It’s all in the Mix.
Talk about turning lemons into … well … fizzy lemonade. Ever heard of the company named SodaStream? It’s a company located in Israel and is a United Nations of workers who, politically, are supposed to be bitter enemies but in reality are a testament to the strength of diversity and finding opportunity in adversity. SodaStream…
Read moreCorporate Good – Social Need
Novo Nordisk has long been a world leader in diabetic therapies. In past newsletters we’ve looked at the innovative Novo pen that allowed diabetics to click and prick rather than use a needle to inject their insulin. What many don’t know is that Novo Nordisk was one of the early companies to adopt the triple…
Read moreThe Parcel Game
Like many families, during the holidays we gather together with friends and devour wayyyyy too much food. This year was no different and afterward we relaxed and played games, one of them being “The Parcel Game”. The parcel game is very simple. In the middle of the room is a giant, gift wrapped package tied…
Read moreYikes! Bikes, Bikes and Mobikes.
Think launching a new product is exciting? Launching a new business model adds a whole new level of excitement, not to mention anxiety and risk. Advancements in Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Internet of Things and Mobile Tech are creating new opportunities to redefine business. Should you be involved developing and launching a new business model,…
Read moreMy Kinda Crazy
Mention the mobile phone industry in North America and prepare to watch the ire of many people surge. In 2012, in what seemed to many customers like a never-ending game of double billing, double dealing and eye-popping overage charges, T-Mobile found themselves in a market which tended to leave exasperated customers too exhausted even to…
Read moreWhat’s Your BQ?
We’ve all heard of IQ – Intelligence quotient – as a measure of smarts. EQ – Emotional quotient – is a measure of how well you work with others. Equally important is a manager’s BQ – Business quotient (or business acumen) a measure of ability to run a business. Here’s why it’s important to you…
Read moreThe Art of Business
“The Art of War” was written almost two thousand years ago. As a general for the King of Wu, Sun Tzu and his army dominated the enemies of the empire for two decades. Today, General Tzu’s lessons in strategic warfare are still taught in military schools around the world and some of the tenents found…
Read moreA Great Product is not a Great Strategy
Whether you’re pumping oil or pumping water, scale in the pipe is bad news. Scale builds up in the pipe to a point where fluid will no longer flow and suppliers are left with the choice of leaving oil or water in the ground or replacing the pipe. Because pipe scaling is a problem around…
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