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The vice president of marketing at Creemore Springs Brewery needs to develop a marketing plan to absorb the doubling of brewing capacity without hurting the brand. According to him, the Creemore brand has been successful and has had such committed and loyal consumers because it was known only to a select few. Its reputation had grown mainly through word of mouth. However, with the brewing capacity increase in progress, Creemore would need to double sales. Would this hurt the brand?

Signature Security, an entrepreneurial company, was created to roll up the electronic security industry in Australia and New Zealand. Signature was created by a team of experienced U.S. managers. Original financing was provided by Clairvest, a Canadian merchant bank. Twenty-six months after the original investment, some of the parties in the deal are reassessing their position. Clairvest and other investors are wondering when and how they should exit. Jim Covert, the CEO, is wondering whether and when he should move back to the United States. Both questions are closely related to the future strategy of the firm.

Describes Gray Security Services, an entrepreneurial South African firm that has recently gone through a financial restructuring with the help of Brait Capital Partners, a private equity firm. Gray provides complete security services to companies in South Africa, other African countries, and some parts of Europe. Many of Gray's clients are multinational firms. Gray is currently considering an IPO in South Africa as well as further international expansion. At this point, Dick Aubin, cofounder and chairman of the firm, faces a number of important questions regarding the firm's financing and directions for future growth. Offers an opportunity to analyze the private equity investment by Brait and the prospects of an IPO in South Africa. Also allows for a discussion about strategic choices regarding international expansion by a South African firm during a time of change in South Africa.

Describes a proposed buyout transaction of Autodistribution, an entrepreneurial firm that is the leading car-parts distributor in France. The deal became feasible because of a failed takeover battle for Autodistribution's parent company. Private equity investor Butler Capital Partners must make an investment decision within three weeks. Other private equity firms compete with Butler for the deal. Butler must assess the potential for margin improvement and expansion within France and to other European countries. Furthermore, since the price for the deal is set, Butler must focus on finding an advantageous structure for all parties to secure the deal.

Black Entertainment Television, a leading cable programmer, is launching BET.com, an Internet portal targeted toward African-Americans. This case examines the challenges facing BET management as it defines its service offerings and target customer segments in a fast-moving, highly competitive environment. BET.com faces two decisions: 1) whether to bundle Internet access service with its ethnic portal; and 2) whether to strictly target African-Americans or also pursue the "urban market," a young (aged 15-24), cross-racial segment with distinctive tastes in music and fashion and part of the core audience for BET's cable programming.

Describes the creation and financing of Officenet, an office supply distributor in Argentina. The company serves the business-to-business market through a catalog (combined with phone orders) and also through an Internet-based catalog. Officenet is a pioneer in both catalog and Internet channels. While the company is possibly an acquisition target for one of the large U.S.-based office supply distributors, the entrepreneurs have to do a lot of work before they can realize an exit. They have to decide in which direction to grow the company and how to finance this growth. Specifically, a commercial paper program seems feasible in the near future, and the entrepreneurs have to decide on its size.

Harvard Business School's (HBS) California Research Center, a three-year experiment initiated in July 1997 to facilitate research, case-writing, and course development centered in the Silicon Valley Region, has been a "phenomenal success." In June 1999, HBS Dean Kim Clark and faculty are contemplating whether to modify or retain the current mission and scope of the California Research Center.

Kate Spade's founders try to finance and grow their luxury handbag and accessories business. As the case ends, the founding team must decide among four potential strategic partners offering to purchase different shares of Kate Spade at various valuations. Includes color exhibits.

Describes @Hoc, an idea for an Internet software company, developed by two HBS MBA 1999 graduates, Guy Miasnik and Ly Tran. @Hoc's software, loaded into a browser, enables instant, context-sensitive information retrieval and shopping. @Hoc's R&D team is located in Israel while the rest of the company is located in Boston. By July 1999, the entrepreneurs have developed a high-level prototype, written a business plan, and are seeking to raise approximately $1 billion to $1.5 billion. The entrepreneurs are trying to determine at what valuation they can raise capital and whether they should raise more capital than originally planned. A unique feature of this short case is that it contains an adapted version of the original business plan.

Supplements the (A) case.

The case provides information on the development of the office superstore concept, building partnerships, creating the business plan, and recruiting a management team. Focuses on the detailed level of decision making required to transform an idea into a viable business. Heavy emphasis is placed on operating plans and integration. A rewritten version of earlier cases.

Clearnet is a rapidly growing wireless communications company in the midst of a major capital investment and marketing program. The vice-president/chief financial officer must make an immediate decision involving how much Clearnet should try to raise from the public, when, what sort of instrument, and where? Among the alternatives are equity and high yield debt issues in Canada versus U.S., and cash-pay versus discount notes. Two years after its start-up, Clearnet successfully launched its Mike network, an enhanced specialized mobile radio digital network. In addition, Clearnet was awarded a national personal communications service license and was in the midst of a major network build-out program and organizational expansion in preparation for launching personal communications services the following year to be directed at the mass consumer market.

Cold Storage, which operated a chain of 31 supermarkets located across the city-state of Singapore, was a well-established retail operation renowned for the quality of its fresh food. In June 1998, the company launched its supermarket services on the Internet in an effort to better serve its customers. Now in June 2000, Lester Quah, operations director at Cold Storage, had to evaluate the factors that helped its on-line shoppers to establish trust in its virtual store and the value of being a member of CaseTrust, a third-party trust accreditation scheme, for promoting its online e-tailing business.

Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the 32-year-old CEO and founder of easyJet airlines, achieved profitability for the first time in 1999, almost four years after launching his London-based, low-cost carrier. The concept behind easyJet was to offer low-cost airline service to the masses, and the airline accomplished this by adopting an efficiency-driven operating model, creating brand awareness, and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. A key issue in the case is whether the airline will continue to grow and survive in the highly competitive, low-cost segment of the market. In 2000, Haji-Ioannou was anxious to try his hand at launching other businesses, so he started a chain of Internet cafes. Some questioned whether Haji-Ioannou would be able to transfer his low-cost business model successfully to Internet cafes. Undeterred, Haji-Ioannou moved ahead with his plan to create easyEverything, with the belief that he could make a profit by encouraging customers to surf the Internet, send e-mail, and shop online. A 2002 and 2001 ECCH award winner.

By February 2000, easyEverything, the first chain of large Internet cafes to be conceived anywhere in the world, had already successfully launched five shops in London. The company also aggressively planned to launch an additional 50 shops across Europe by 2002. EasyEverything was just one of several companies operating under the U.K.-based parent company easyGroup, which also managed easyJet airlines and several other start-up ventures. Stelios Haji-Ioannou, chairman and owner of easyGroup, was a charismatic and wealthy entrepreneur known for his down-to-earth, no-frills style that had come to exemplify the easy brand. His mission for easyEverything was simple: to make easyEverything the cheapest way to access the Internet. He also envisioned easyEverything as a virtual alternative to department stores, where users could shop, send e-mails, and surf the Internet. However, some industry experts questioned whether Internet cafes were a viable long-term concept because of rapid changes in technology, such as wireless Internet access.

In April 2000, Stelios Haji-Ioannou launched easyRentacar, his latest Internet-based business. EasyRentacar was just one of several companies operating under the U.K.-based parent company, easyGroup, which also managed easyJet airlines and easyEverything, a chain of Internet shops. Haji-Ioannou, chairman and owner of easyGroup, was a charismatic and wealthy entrepreneur known for his down-to-earth, no-frills style that had come to exemplify the easy brand. After signing a deal with DaimlerChrysler to lease 5,000 of its Mercedes A-Class vehicles, Haji-Ioannou entered the rental car business with the goal of offering low rates. He believed that established players in the rental car business, such as Budget, Avis, and Hertz, had formed a cartel that fed off the corporate client. He aimed to provide a low-cost alternative for consumers who paid out of their own pockets. Illustrates how Haji-Ioannou has once again entered a new business with the goal of redefining the existing industry business model to add shattering value for the customer.

Deals with a nascent, high-potential business that is conceived by two MBA students who have no experience in the industry where they believe they have found a niche for an exciting new product--a technology platform that enables consumers to pay for merchandise and simultaneously participate in loyalty programs using any type of cell phone. Deals primarily with building contacts and gathering resources. Also covers career choice, building a team, venture capital, and boards of advisers.

Describes the start up of a mail order business selling women's tights in Britain. The principals, Elizabeth Preis and Dickon Addis, created a business plan while MBA students at INSEAD in France; upon graduation, they started the business. Presents the business plan, which was written to raise money.

Andrew Zenoff had a variety of jobs, none of them amounting to much, before embarking on an entrepreneurial career. Despite his lack of relevant industry experience, Zenoff was remarkably good at persuading family, friends, and angels to put money into his venture. However, he was not successful at raising funds from professional venture capital firms.

Presents a business plan for a start-up company focused on building a network of high-quality dialysis centers in the Asia-Pacific region. Includes a detailed financial forecast. Students have the opportunity to run various roll-out strategies and focus on different Asian countries. Teaching purpose: To allow students to better understand the financial and economic underpinnings of the business.