Describe a business idea that will require early-stage funds to get started.

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The textbook discusses the constant high rate of business failures in the U.S. Select one of the reasons for failure and develop an outline of a step-by-step plan for overcoming that reason for failure.
• Agree or disagree with the following scenario: Imagine that someone told you that todays global marketplace and the ability of potential customers to easily compare the prices and services of firms means that business owners must always compete on the basis of price. Develop a response to this person that clearly illustrates your position and explains why you feel that way

Discussion 2:

• From the case study, examine the issues raised by the conduct of the start-up team. Propose one alternate solution to one of the issues raised.
• From the case study, examine three ethical business issues presented in the case. Determine whether or not you believe that these ethical issues occur often in businesses. Support your position.

CASE STUDY:
Go to Entrepreneur.coms Website and read “Choose Your Business Structure”, located here. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/38822

Discussion 3 part 1:

• Support or refute the following statement: Some might argue that Facebook is a technology-driven company. Support your argument with the factors on which you based your viewpoint.
• From the first e-Activity, develop at least two predictions about the future of the company that you researched based on its technological requirements and technological trends in the U.S.

e-Activity:
• Use the Internet to research Facebook or another social networking company. Pay special attention to the types of technology the company uses to offer its services and / or products. Be prepared to discuss.
• Go to the U.S. Small Business Administrations Website and read “Avoiding Patent, Trademark and Copyright Problems” located here. This resource will help you understand the differences between patents, trademarks, and copyrights, and better recognize how each factor into intellectual property. Be prepared to discuss.

Discussion 3 part 2:
• From the first e-Activity, identify at least three intellectual property concerns that the company has to address and categorize them in order of importance. The intellectual property concerns could include patents, trademarks, and copyrights, or focus on other issues. Be sure to explain how you determined the order of importance.
• From the second e-Activity, using the three intellectual property concerns that you identified in the first part of this discussion, determine which concerns can be addressed by processes internal to the firm and which must be handled by factors that are external to the firm (for example, laws, regulations, customer behavior, etc.).

Discussion 4 part 1:

• Describe a business idea that will require early-stage funds to get started. Using that business idea, provide an estimate of the amount of start-up capital needed to fund the venture for one year. Create an outline that details the funds needed and why they would be required.
• From the e-Activity, rate each of the resources that you located on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the best) in terms of the ease with which a start-up could obtain funds. Explain how you determined the rating.

e-Activity:
Use the Internet to locate at least two resources that would help secure start-up capital for a new business.

Discussion 4 part 2:
• Bootstrapping allows founders to have more control and give up less of their company to investors. Yet continually living on limited resources can take its toll on entrepreneurs. Examine the pros and cons of both working full time and taking a part-time job to help finance a new business.
• Prepare a plan that describes how a new entrepreneur can manage his or her personal credit prior to starting a business so he or she can qualify for bank loans and other sources of funding.