Canada started rolling out new, polymer-based $100 bills two years ago, followed by 50s and then, last November, 20s. The money, which isslick like a sheet of plastic, hard to fold and partly transparent, is more difficult to counterfeit than Canada’s old paper-and-cotton bills. Australia and New Zealand have used similar, plasticized notes for years…. Read more »
Posts Tagged: business strategies
What’s Martha Stewart Doing in Court Again?
In the latest Martha Stewart saga, Macy’s alleges Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia violated exclusivity terms of its contract when it agreed in 2011 to open Martha Stewart stores inside J.C. Penney’s stores. Questions: 1. Martha Stewart denied Macy’s allegations that she did anything unethical and said she was only looking to expand her brand. After… Read more »
So, is it a record if you don’t pay for it?
For all you Starbuck’s watchers, remember in February 2012 when Logan Warren held the record for the most expensive Starbuck’s drink? It was a 31-ounce Trenta that cost $23.60. Into it went a Java Chip Frappuccino, enhanced with plenty of that’ll-cost-you-add-ons: 16 shots of espresso, soy milk, caramel, banana and strawberry purees, vanilla beans, and… Read more »
Survey Shows that Out-of-Network Providers Are Billing Consumers up to Several Thousand Percent more than the Government would pay for similar Medicare Services
According to a new study from the Center for Policy and Research, the nation must address the soaring cost of medical care that continues to rise at an unsustainable rate. For consumers who choose to seek care out-of-network, their survey shows that the charges billed by some out-of-network providers can exceed several hundred or several… Read more »
The $10,000 degree – Innovation or Second Rate Degree?
Texas may be experimenting with an initiative to help students and families struggling with the high costs of college: a bachelor’s degree for $10,000, including tuition fees and even textbooks. Under a plan unveiled in 2011, Republican Gov. Rick Perry is proposing a bachelor’s degree for $10,000, including tuition fees and even textbooks. The governor… Read more »
Martha Stewart- Wildcard, Visionary, but Not a CEO
There are very few corporate leaders whose interests are more closely aligned with their shareholders’ than the homemaking icon, Martha Stewart. She owns 26 million shares and controls nearly 90 percent of the voting rights of her company Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. While the company lost $50.7 million dollars in the most recent quarter, this… Read more »
Hyundai & Kia overstated mileage
Hyundai Motors America and Kia Motors America are being forced to lower the fuel economy estimates on the majority of their 2012-13 models after an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency found that the companies overstated the fuel efficiency numbers for their vehicles in previous years. Based on the audit, they will also have to… Read more »
Product Chasing a Market – Fuzz Phobia
When Veet hair removal cream came to China in 2005, sales were sluggish. It turned out that Chinese women did not worry about being too hairy. So the company selling the product promoted a new marketing plan with ads that equate hair-free skin with health, confidence, and “shining glory.” Questions: 1. How fast are sales… Read more »
It Beats Earning $20 an Hour?
Flipping houses earned a bad reputation during the housing bubble, when speculators bought and sold millions of homes in search of easy profits. But as the real estate market is showing signs of life, the practice is gaining popularity again. Questions: 1. Which areas of the country have seen the most flipping action and why?… Read more »
The Unveiling of the Future?
Apple’s iPad Mini will likely be unveiled at a special event on October 23. The device is expected to ship with a 7.85-inch screen and costs about half of what the current starting price for an iPad. Questions: 1. According to both articles, what have iPad sales to the K-12 market been doing to PC… Read more »