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Describes Donna Coe and her illustrious 15-year career in the towing industry. Donna is an accomplished woman with a great deal of experience in managing employees in a difficult and demanding work environment. Presents a series of four vignettes taken from Donna's day-to-day management experiences. Each situation presents a different problem faced by Donna and by many managers working in similar labor-intense businesses. Problems of discipline, insubordination, embezzlement, and promotion are also presented.

Samuel Kaymen and Gary Hirshberg founded Stonyfield Farm in 1983, in part to demonstrate that "environmentally and socially responsible businesses can also be profitable." In 1994, the company has grown to over $21 million in revenues, derived mainly from refrigerated and frozen yogurt. It has expanded beyond its core New England base to natural food stores nationwide and to supermarkets in 20 states. All its production, however, is concentrated in its New Hampshire plant, which has limited the company's growth on the West Coast. Now Stonyfield has to decide whether to build a plant in California. It has also entered a joint venture agreement to make ice cream in Russia. It faces competitive challenges in its traditional markets as well.

Second Cup, the largest chain of specialty coffee stores in Canada, wants to raise money through an initial public offering in order to pay off the company's long-term debt and take advantage of growth opportunities. Nesbitt Thomson, the investment dealer working on the initial public offering, must decide what the company is worth and how many shares to issue in order to raise $14 million.

The business development manager for General Electric (GE) Canada, met with executives from GE Supply, a US-based distribution arm of GE. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss new business opportunities in energy management and efficiency. The business development manager had identified some opportunities for business development in Canada, while leveraging GE's strategic capabilities did not fit well with GE's corporate structure. He was keen to work with GE Supply but wanted to retain a high level of operating autonomy. The challenge was to put together an appropriate organizational structure and find a home for the new development idea. (A sequel to this case is available, GE Energy Management Initiative (B). A 12-minute video may also be purchased with this case, GE Energy Management Initiative - Video.)

Six months into the operation of the energy management business, GE Energy Management Initiative has lost a bid for a large contract. Its general manager learns that the division to which it reports is getting out of the energy management business because of a questionable strategic fit within the division, and a lack of results. The general manager wonders how to proceed. (This is a sequel to GE Energy Management Initiative (A).)

A medical products distribution company faces strategic opportunities and challenges in a rapidly changing market. Physician Sales and Service (PSS), founded by Patrick Kelly in 1983, operates in 20 states in the United States and intends to expand to 50 states by 1997. By charging premium prices for high-quality service, training its sales representatives intensively, and professionalizing management, PSS has achieved above-average profit margins and, apparently successfully coped with the organizational challenges of rapid geographic concentration. But now, in 1992, PSS must cope with the uncertainties of Bill Clinton's impending election to the U.S. presidency and his promise of sweeping health care reform.

Supplements the (A) case.

Supplements the (A) case.

Supplements the (A) case.

Supplements the (A) case.

Supplements the (A) case.

A Montreal animated film producer and distributor requires an infusion of capital to finance its growth. The film industry can be a high risk industry and finding investors is difficult. Two venture capital companies are approached to allow the business to grow. It is now time to negotiate the deal.

Describes a systematic approach to selling. The author, a former IBM salesman, believes that selling requires progressing through a series of stages, which culminate in "getting the order." Describes several techniques useful in managing this progression.

The president of Image Processing Systems has plans to expand but is facing the challenge of obtaining financing. After considering and rejecting the use of venture capital, he is actively considering a proposal put forward by McDermid, St. Lawrence, Chisholm; a mid-sized Canadian investment company. The proposal involves a private placement of equity followed by an IPO.

MicroFridge, a five-year-old, $12 million company based in Sharon, Mass., develops and sells a unique, combination compact refrigerator and microwave oven. All of the manufacturing is done for it by Sanyo in various overseas locations. The founder and president believes the potential market for his product is an estimated 5 million homes in the "home away from home" market.

Martha Radosevich, president of Health Payment Review, a small software start-up, confronts a serious cash-flow problem: Health Payment Review has built a PC-based prototype but has run out of funds to build a commercially acceptable mainframe product. As a stop-gap measure to generate cash, Marcia tries to sell the PC prototype but encounters resistance from conservative buyers. Teaching Purpose: To highlight the challenges of selling and negotiation faced by entrepreneurs, and to help students develop their skills in this area.

Supplements the (A) case.

Supplements the (A) case.

Supplements the (A) case.

Supplements the (A) case.