Each month, the Richard Ivey School of Business Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship prepares a mini-case study with Financial Post Magazine. The case method is a key learning tool in the cross-enterprise leadership approach used at Ivey.
Without doubt, anyone who invests in a company is entitled to information about that firm’s performance. But how much detail should investors expect? Calgary’s Podium Participation Funds wrestled with that issue when its investors demanded that companies receiving backing disclose far more details than markets generally expect. The resulting dilemma landed Podium’s founders in a tight spot between their investors and the companies they back. Their challenge: finding middle ground.
Many hands make light work. Or so the old chestnut goes. But hiring those hands costs money—something that’s not always easy to come by in the business world. That’s the source of the dilemma in this month’s case. Ctar corp., a small firm, has more work than its founders can handle. Problem is, they don’t yet have enough business to cover the cost of taking on staff. Should they hire anyway in hopes that business will increase? Or should they grow first? There’s no easy answer.
Daniel Martindale had an offer for his year-old business. But there are risks to cashing out early.
Melanie Kau needs a senior executive. Can her family business succeed with a new helmsman?
Alan Stransman of Men’s PowerSpa was pioneering a concept by taking a business typically aimed at women and recreating it for men. He wanted offer his staff salaries rather than fees for service. It would help him build a better team, but would it also build a better business?