NickelsMcHughMcHugh - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

The FCC’s Big Net Neutrality Decision

March 1, 2015

Over the last few years, net neutrality has appeared as a subject of debate everywhere from Internet forums to the highest levels of government. As of February 26, 2015 however, the Federal Communications Commission may have ended the discussion once and for all. On that day, the FCC voted to classify Internet providers as public utilities, thus preventing them from extending better service to websites who pay more money. The decision was a victory for the Internet’s many net neutrality Continue reading →

Ethics, Innovation, Regulation, Product Distribution, FCC, Net Neutrality

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

League of Legends’ Profitable World

February 28, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

This video shows how far some video game companies are willing to go in order to create a one-of-a-kind fan experience.

https://nyti.ms/1xytTH5

Questions:

Why would Riot Games sponsor game competitions at a financial loss to the company?

Are video games such as League of Legends fads or products here to stay?

From The New York Times

Product Development, Sports, Entertainment, Video Games

Videos

The Growing Importance of Hacker Insurance

February 26, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The recent hacks of Sony and Home Depot show just how much damage data breaches can do to big businesses. But a company doesn’t have to be multinational in order to attract the eyes of hackers. In fact, experts estimate that 44 percent of small businesses have been the victims of cyber attacks. According to the National Small Business Administration, each breach costs companies an average of $8,700 in damages.

“Cybercrime is in the news all the time, but there’s Continue reading →

Ethics, Innovation, Security, Small Business, Crime, Insurance, Mobile

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Bonus Chapter C: Managing Risk

How GameStop Could Keep Going

February 23, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Like many other brick-and-mortar retailers, GameStop’s long-term financial health depends on how much damage the Internet can ultimately do to its bottom line. For years, though, the video game retailer seemed almost immune to the effects of web retail. Prices remained competitive thanks to the company’s dependence on reselling used games and consoles while its knowledgeable sales staff ensured that regular customers stayed happy.

Still, many experts are predicting that GameStop will go the way of Blockbuster sooner or later. Continue reading →

Product Development, Entertainment, Retail, Innovation, Product Distribution, GameStop, Video Games

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

The Spotlight Fades on Rockstar Energy

February 19, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Even though Rockstar wasn’t the first energy drink to hit the market, it didn’t take long for the brand to make a big impact in a crowded field. Consumers quickly responded to Rockstar’s affordable price and large serving size, which set the brand apart from more exclusive products like Red Bull. During its first six years, revenue at Rockstar soared as high as $405 million while it grew at an average annual rate of 103 percent.

By 2007, however, the Continue reading →

Management, Entrepreneurship, Food, Product Development, Rockstar

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

Engineering an Educational Franchise

February 18, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

For many entrepreneurs, great ideas can come along when least expected. In the case of Dori Roberts, her job as a high school engineering teacher laid the foundation for her million-dollar concept. Over the course of her 11 years in teaching, Roberts noticed that many of her students discovered a love for engineering late in their school careers. She then made it her mission to introduce engineering to kids at a younger age, starting out with an after school bridge-building Continue reading →

Franchising, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Education, Childcare, STEM

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship

Success and Failure in India’s Tricky Marketplace

February 13, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

With a consumer pool of more than one billion people, India has become the next big expansion destination for companies around the world. While some businesses are still working the bugs out of their strategies for the subcontinent, other operations have hit the ground running and quickly grabbed up market share. Domino’s, for instance, now sells more pizza in India than anywhere else besides the U.S. thanks to its savvy combination of local and Western tastes. On the other hand, Continue reading →

Global, Entrepreneurship, India, Product Development, Retail, Domino’s

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

AngelList Democratizes Venture Capital

February 9, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

At most Silicon Valley startups, the entrepreneur takes the role of the hero in stories about a company’s founding. Arguably, though, the venture capitalist that funds the business from the beginning also plays a huge role in its success. After all, an entrepreneur can have a million dollar idea but still lack the $1 million investment she’d need to start the company. This dependence on seed capital can become a source of great frustration for entrepreneurs. While someone can spend Continue reading →

Silicon Valley, Innovation, Crowdfunding, Venture Capital, Startups, Financing

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 18: Financial Management

China Cracks Down on Knockoffs

February 7, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

As the world’s manufacturing superpower, China is home to thousands of factories producing millions of items each day. Keeping track of all that industrial output is far from easy, though. With little oversight to monitor them, some Chinese factories make knock-off or simply poor quality products, and then sell them to retailers as if they were up to standard.

While pirated items are mainly a headache for the company that gets ripped off, products made cheaply or without regard for Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Manufacturing, Product Development, China, Regulation, Product Distribution, Knockoff products

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Immigrants Make Big Impact on U.S. Economy

February 2, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

From the first colonists to the heyday of Ellis Island, the U.S. has largely been built upon the backs of people who were not born here. But the economic impact of immigrants is more than just a matter of history. Even today, immigrants are the entrepreneurial engines that power the nation. From 1996 to 2011, the business startup rate for immigrants grew by more than 50 percent. In contrast, the number of companies started by U.S.-born citizens dropped by 10 Continue reading →

Global, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, Demographics, Immigration, Startups

Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law