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Blinds To Go is a manufacturer and retailer of customized window coverings. The company has been steadily expanding the number of stores across North America. The vice chairman is concerned with the lack of staff in some of these newly expanded stores. With plans of an initial public offering within the next two years, senior management must determine what changes need to be made to the recruitment strategy and how to develop staff that will help them achieve the company's growth objectives.

Describes the design and launch of Nasdaq Japan. Addresses issues concerning the design of electronic markets, the impact of information technology on market structures and relationships, the launch of new ventures by established firms, and the cultural issues that arise when starting new ventures in global markets.

Frank Blethen, the fourth-generation publisher of The Seattle Times, ponders the challenges facing this family business. This case reviews the long history of this business and family and asks whether family ownership and management are in the interests of both the company and family.

Supplements the (A) case.

Provides a detailed description of the processes and tasks associated with creating a new venture in an emerging industry (subscription car-sharing for urban dwellers). Chronicles the entrepreneur's concept development, industry analysis, market research, identity definition, and brand building. Also provides background on writing the business plan, creating a budget and building financials, developing a management team, creating business partnerships, and financing the businesses.

It is now recognized that new venture start-ups can offer a career choice that is a little sexier, a little wilder, and in the long run equally lucrative, to the consulting or banking jobs that typically dominate post-MBA career paths. The FrogPubs case describes two entrepreneurial bad boys who ten years ago chose a different path, forming a partnership to develop their own, traditional business start-up. In the case, the two entrepreneurs discuss the thrills and chills involved in writing and implementing their business plan, as well as the lessons they learned while building their successful business brick by brick. The case study is organized in a way that allows discussion based on natural focus points ranging from potential bankruptcy in the early days, to later issues of personnel management, joint-venture partnership and protecting and exploiting a unique but maturing business concept. Please visit the dedicated case website to access case videos and other support material.

Please refer to part A for the abstract

Please refer to part A for the abstract

Please refer to part A for the abstract

Please refer to part A for the abstract

eLance.com had just opened its online services to the public. The site was designed as a platform allowing buyers to post projects that freelancers (sellers) could bid on. After three days of operation, three requests for temporary positions appeared. Recruitment was not the intended purpose of the site and the co-founders disagreed on whether these requests should be allowed to stay on the site. Both founders knew that the choices they made now would directly affect future Web site development as features to support a projects-only site would be somewhat different from a combined projects and personnel site. They had to look ahead and consider the strategic and IT implications, and determine the objectives of the site and what products they would launch.

In early 2001, Charitableway, an ePhilanthropy application service provider that enabled the collection of charitable donations online; faced major strategic decisions relating to its alliance with United Way of America to foster workplace giving online. One of the best capitalized dot-coms operating in the new ePhilanthropy sector and a pioneer in the workplace giving segment, it nonetheless, faced a series of challenges that threatened its success and even survival.

Simon Carlson, chairman of the board of his family's fourth-generation industrial company, must decide how to deal with his conflict with the company's nonfamily CEO. Hired by the board just 15 months earlier to pursue growth more aggressively, CEO Paul Steel has upset Carlson and several managers with his management approach with the very strained relationship between the chairman and CEO. The board must decide how it will deal with Steel and Carlson.

Analyzes the 1991 decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in the seminal New Economy antitrust case United States vs. Microsoft Corp., 253 F.3rd 34 (D.C. Cir. 2001), which arose out of Microsoft's efforts to promote Internet Explorer and to supplant Netscape's Navigator Internet Web browser as the leading browser. This case contains a detailed discussion of the application of the U.S. antitrust laws (Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act, in particular) to technologically dynamic markets characterized by network effects. Issues addressed include: 1) the legality of exclusive dealing arrangements, 2) what constitutes illegal monopolization (including how courts define the relevant market and what constitutes anticompetitive conduct), 3) predatory pricing and the rules of impossibility, 4) the essential facilities doctrine, 5) the exercise of intellectual property rights (such as patents or copyrights) as a business justification, and 6) what constitutes an illegal attempt to monopolize. The U.S. Court of Appeals' decision is summarized, and extensive excerpts from the opinion appear as an exhibit.

Examines issues encountered by a third-generation, family-owned business. Northwest Security Services (NSS) is a 55 year-old company that has developed a rich history since its founding by Ernest Wilson, a less-than-affable, junior college-educated family patriarch. The majority of the case is spent focusing on several NSS business challenges that are unique to family-owned businesses, including bringing younger generation family members into a business, underperformance by certain family member employees, asset diversification, establishing a corporate advisory board comprised of nonfamily members, division of ownership, payment of dividends, transferring authority and power to younger family members, and the sometimes hazy line between where business stops and family begins.

Huazhang is a joint venture between China Machine Press and Multi-Lingua Publishing International, Inc. of the United States. Since its establishment, Huazhang had developed from a company with three employees to more than 100 employees. The shareholders are interested in determining how well the company has been managed and the board decides the best way to do this would be to value the company. The board also wants to measure the general managers' future performance based on the increased value of the company. The issue for the newly-appointed general manager is to determine which of the many possible methods should be used to value the company, including the discounted cash flow model, and to perform sensitivity tests.

Moonsnail Soapworks is a small manufacturer of natural, handmade soap products. The founder and co-owner of the company wants to address three key issues. First, to decide whether to introduce a new cream and if so, determine the strategy to be used for pricing, distribution and promotion. Second, to determine whether the move to a new location had been beneficial for the company; and third; to decide on the best strategy to improve performance and profitability at one of Canada's largest craft shows. All of these decisions need to consider the company's current financial health and cash position.

Dunes Inc. is a concept for a tanning salon and healthy lifestyle retail store on a university campus. Two students have developed and refined a business plan, and are about to present their proposal to the manager of the university's community centre. The two partners must thoroughly assess the potential costs of operation, determine whether the profits will justify their equity investment, and decide whether the business will be an attractive investment for future potential buyers.

Describes Priceline's patent of its "reverse auction" pricing mechanism, its discussions with Microsoft regarding Microsoft's license of the patent for its Expedia service, Microsoft's subsequent use of the technology without a license, and Priceline's decision whether to sue Microsoft for patent infringement.

Supplements the (A) case.