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The case examines two entrepreneurs who were considering opening a Sola Salon Studios franchise in Pennsylvania, despite a challenging regulatory environment and intense competition. Sola is an innovative salon business model in which stylists (aka Solapreneurs) license fully equipped salon studios to run their own businesses. Sola's business model epitomizes the entrepreneurial opportunities available in the sharing economy, resulting in its rapid expansion across the United States. Despite this opportunity, Sola and its franchisees faced significant legal risks, similar to those encountered by other pioneers in the sharing economy, because the laws in the state of Pennsylvania, as currently written, could be interpreted as preventing the Sola business model from operating. The case prompts discussion of various business concepts including: the sharing economy, the inherent risks and likely tradeoffs of entering an uncertain market, and behavioral aspects of decision making.

Sunrise Construction Ltd. (Sunrise) had a critical problem with the firm's Time Tracking System (TTS) business processes. The management team deemed the TTS fix a top priority for the firm since the failing system was crippling the firm's operations. Ben Smith, Vice President, Operations for Sunrise was given the responsibility of presenting a solution at the next monthly management meeting to fix the TTS problem. Problems with the TTS escalated leading to substantial indirect costs such as ill-informed decisions regarding resource availability, project costs and payments which negatively impacted the firm's operations, reputation and increased the risk of regulatory litigation. As a result, the sustainability of future business operations relying upon the TTS was brought into question. Furthermore, data integrity issues, redundant processes and bottlenecks with the current TTS were estimated to directly cost the firm $21,000 annually. Smith hired an Information Systems consultant to help him navigate the faulty processes of the TTS, determine key system requirements and evaluate potential off-the-shelf, custom and process re-engineering solutions. They had to work quickly to determine a solution as the next management meeting was fast approaching and the firm was struggling.

The Beiteddine Art Festival (BAF) is a non-profit organization that manages an art and musical festival in Lebanon with the aim of using cultural activity to bridge the political divide in a country torn by war and neighboring countries' conflicts. As a non-profit, the BAF relied heavily on donated funds and grants, which were at many times uncertain on all levels (amount and collection), forcing the festival to resort to bank loans to close the gap in its financing needs, often at a heavy cost. The insecurity and instability of its revenues, coupled with escalating expenses that were usually opportunistic given a deteriorating political and security situation in Lebanon and the region, posed a serious threat to the financial sustainability of BAF. In early 2017, the management of the festival was facing an exceptional situation. On one hand revenues were shrinking considerably because of a deteriorating political and financial situation in the region with Lebanon on the verge of bankruptcy; on the other hand, costs were ever more erratic because of difficulty of planning and budgeting, and with additional taxes being levied by a struggling government. The team had to decide on whether they could sign upcoming contracts with artists, and if so, create a process to ensure that financial ends met, with a clear focus on preserving the quality of performances while maintaining the impact the festival had on the social, humanitarian, and economic levels.

This case considers the buyout of Panera Bread from the perspective of a private equity fund. In early 2017, KLG Managing Director Tom Denning is considering a leveraged buyout of Panera Bread, a rapidly growing fast-casual restaurant company. A surprising Bloomberg News story signals that the deal process is broadening and KLG will have to act quickly if it hopes to buy Panera Bread. Students assume the role of Tom Denning as he prepares an investment recommendation for KLG's investment committee. In doing so, students are required to consider a very large and expensive investment. Students are challenged to create an investment recommendation by performing due diligence, determining additional questions to ask, and pricing a buyout bid that incorporates an optimal capital structure and meets KLG's return requirements. The Panera Bread case is designed to give students insight into the private equity investment process.

This Overview case summarizes the story and development of the LKK food and health products company, from its origins as a small provider of oyster sauce, to a thriving multinational firm in the early 21st Century. Since 1980 it had grown from a small specialist provider of oyster sauce with just 25 employees to a large multinational firm offering a wide range of food brands and health products. There was a particular focus on governance reform, ownership strategies, and the values and disciplines needed for long-term resilience. A challenge of passing on ownership to members of the fifth generation, a group of 14 cousins, was being met at the time of writing. Reforms of the early 21st Century to strengthen family relationships, governance and strategy were proving successful. There was also a strong humanitarian emphasis, with the establishment of enlightened or 'autopilot' leadership, placing collective need ahead of individual ego, and establishment of the Happiness Index, measured internally at the company, and the subject of a centre the family funded at Harvard University. The family faced new challenges. It was considering the establishment of a separate Owners Board - a function that had been carried out in effect by the Family Council. The case summarizes four previous case studies, the (A), (B), (C) and (D) cases, dating from 2002.

The Indian luxury leather brand Nappa Dori, founded in 2010 in Delhi, had a product range that included a luxury line of trunks, bags, accessories, and bespoke projects for its prestigious clients, which included international luxury hotels and airlines. The brand had earned worldwide recognition from global luxury clients, and by 2017, it had seven stores, a design studio, and two cafés in India as well as one destination store at a luxury resort in the Maldives. The company's self-taught designer-owner wanted his brand to be globally recognized as an affordable luxury brand from India by 2020. However, he often wondered whether his brand story was on the right track. For instance, was it a good idea to expand into related categories while creating a unique user experience? Should Nappa Dori focus on setting up shops in luxury destinations around the world? Did the young brand have the right story to resonate with globe-trotting luxury connoisseurs? To build a global luxury brand, the firm needed to craft a unique experience that resonated with luxury connoisseurs. The founder knew that what had started as an organic exploration into luxury now needed a well-crafted blueprint as it entered the next phase of sustainable growth toward achieving global recognition.

Care.com was an online platform designed to match caregivers with individuals seeking care for themselves, others, and pets, through job postings, caregiver profiles, and directories of local day care centers. In March 2019, the Wall Street Journal had just published a 2,900-word investigative piece detailing potential trust and safety concerns of customers of Care.com. The success of Care.com's business model required individuals to trust the platform enough to leave their children or elderly relatives with caregivers found through Care.com. If unaddressed, the claims in the Wall Street Journal might undermine that trust. Care.com's leadership team had to decide how to respond to the article and evaluate whether Care.com's existing safety measures were sufficient. The (A) case describes the situation facing the management and the company's initial response.

This case describes Amandla Capital, a fledgling company in Cote d'Ivoire, facing three opportunities in the real estate and hospitality industries in Africa. It introduces students to several concepts: decision making and cost-benefit analysis in real estate, corporate strategy selection, management of stakeholders with varied needs and levels of sophistication, dealing with conflicts of interest, basics of hospitality and hotel management industries.

In October 2017, Experian, one of the "Big Three" consumer credit reporting agencies in the United Kingdom made an offer to acquire ClearScore for a total consideration of £293 million. Founded by Justin Basini, Dan Cobley, and Nigel Morris in 2014, ClearScore was the UK's first company to offer consumers full credit reports and scores for free. ClearScore had accumulated over 5 million customers since its launch on July 15, 2015, and was growing rapidly. In the final quarter of 2017, it was set to reach break-even and deliver £27 million in revenues for the year. Was this the time to sell?

On Monday, July 23, 2018, the operations manager at Sorel Life Insurance Company in Montreal, Quebec was preparing for a meeting scheduled for Friday. The meeting was called by her boss, the vice-president of operations, to discuss Sorel's second quarter financial results. Performance of Sorel's underwriting department was continuing to decline; market share had dropped, policy completion time had increased, and fewer applications were being processed. In addition, Sorel was receiving complaints from insurance agents about poor turnaround times. During Friday's meeting, the operations manager was expected to provide specific recommendations to address the problems in the underwriting department.

Demand for healthcare and insurance is increasing as India's middle income earners seek to reduce risk. As a new MBA graduate, Krishna Chaitanya wondered if insurance would effectively protect his financial goals, what products would suit his needs, and how to find the most cost-effective life and health insurance policies. With this in mind, he wondered if by applying his financial knowledge, using concepts he learned while studying for his MBA he could find solutions to this dilemma.

India's burgeoning middle class are increasingly interested in investment opportunities and Krishna Chaitanya, a young MBA graduate was keen to create a financial plan that met his aims in life. When faced with the challenges of an investment strategy, asset allocation implementation, mutual fund selection and rebalancing a portfolio, would his plan achieve his goals when faced with the challenges of investment and personal objectives? He wondered if he could solve this problem by applying his knowledge, using concepts he learned while studying for his MBA.

The need for personal financial planning is increasing as India's growing middle class aspired to secure future wealth. Krishna Chaitanya, a recent MBA graduate, realized he needed to create a personal financial plan that included insurance, investment strategies, and a retirement plan, as early as possible in order to meet his goals in life. However, he questioned whether he could achieve his goals, due to unexpected risks. Faced with this dilemma, Krishna wondered if he could solve this problem by applying his financial knowledge, using concepts he learned while studying for his MBA.

Retirement planning is gaining importance for India's growing middle class. Like many young professionals, Krishna Chaitanya, a recent MBA graduate, questioned how he could balance his investment portfolio with a desire to achieve a comfortable retirement. Since market volatility coupled with inflation could prevent him from achieving this objective, Krishna wondered if he could solve this problem by applying his financial knowledge, using concepts he learned while studying for his MBA.

Mary Chia Holdings Limited (MCH) was a provider of lifestyle and wellness services for women and men in Singapore and Malaysia. Listed on the Singapore Catalist, the company had experienced a decline in financial performance and share price. On August 24, 2017, MCH announced that its founder would sell her 60.98 per cent stake to Suki Sushi Private Ltd., an unlisted company tightly controlled by the daughter and son-in-law of MCH's founder. Suki Sushi's offer was at SG$0.111 per share, which was almost double the closing price. Should current MCH shareholders accept Suki Sushi's offer and sell their shares, and does Suki Sushi's offer constitute an investment opportunity for investors not currently holding MCH shares?

Profico Trading and Contracting Company WLL, an aluminum and glazing contracting company in Lebanon, assembled and installed aluminum and glazing doors and windows and aluminum composite panels for local construction projects. The company's revenues had increased over the years, but over the previous four years, revenues had declined, largely as a result of regional political turmoil that affected the construction industry. The management team was contemplating an opportunity to invest in a production line that would expand the company's scope through backward integration, conceivably increasing the company's revenues by 40-50 per cent. Was the investment worthwhile in the context, and if so, how might the company finance it?

In October 2018, LIU Chang (Angela), chairman of Beijing-based New Hope Liuhe (NHL), was considering the strategy of the firm. With $9 billion in sales and a presence in nearly 20 countries, NHL was China's largest animal feed producer and a major pork and poultry producer and processor. The firm also marketed a range of food products to consumers. This case describes NHL's entrepreneurial beginnings, growth, and recent efforts to transform from a feed producer into an integrated agri-food company with an active presence throughout the chicken, duck, and pig value chains. Considerable context is provided on the structure and evolution of these livestock industries in China, the food processing industry, and important issues such as food safety. This background is helpful in enabling students to assess NHL's evolution in scale and scope and consider what (if any) changes should be made to the firm's strategy in the context of this critically important market.

This case describes Walmart's omnichannel strategy in 2018 as it battled Amazon for online retail market share. The case discusses Walmart's early forays into online retail, as well as its 2018 strategy, which aimed to integrate Walmart's enormous brick and mortar footprint with its growing ecommerce business, e.g., through merchandise and grocery delivery and order online, pickup in store options. Walmart's strategy also included the acquistion of Jet.com (in 2016) as well as the acquistion of a number of other specialty eretailers (e.g., Shoes.com, Moosejaw, Bare Necessities) and digitally-native vertical brands that developed their own products and sold them directly to consumers, such as ModCloth, Bonobos, and Eloquii. In addition to building its online marketplace, Walmart hoped to leverage its existing assets, such as its massive network of retail stores and thriving grocery business, in the fight against Amazon. The case poses the question: Could Walmart successfully compete against Amazon and other online retailers in areas such as grocery delivery, product selection, shipping costs, and delivery times?