Essay Instructions: **Request Writer: philipj
Background:
In this case assignment, you are asked to discuss and analyze the factors for success and failure in business ventures.
To do this we will look at two different companies that started more or less at about the same time, Siebel and eBay. They both did extremely well initially, with Siebel revolutionizing CRM and eBay the auction business. However, both went very different ways. Siebel developed major problems and was acquired by Oracle, while eBay grew to where it is today?the leader in its marketspace.
Required Reading:
Refer to the required and optional readings on entrepreneurship, the theme for this module. These articles will give you an understanding of the factors that contribute to the success or failure of a start-up company. Pay careful attention to the important lessons from these two start-ups, eBay (very successful) and Siebel (not so successful). Note too the exit strategies that both companies use?eBay's exit strategy was via IPO (initial public offering - stock market), and Siebel was through acquisition. These will come into play in future assignments.
Assignment:
Write a paper which examines the following questions:
?What are the critical factors that determine the success or failure of a start-up company?
?Analyze why the two companies in this module, Siebel Systems and eBay, differ so much in their outlook.
?Identify some of the important lessons you derive from comparing companies that continue to do well with others that flounder after being successful start-ups. Among the lessons you identify, which one is the most important?
?Assess the key start-up factors that determine long-term sustainability of a company such as eBay or Siebel.
Keys to the Assignment:
The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered in your paper are:
?Detailing the various factors contributing to the success (or failure) of start-ups.
?Evaluating these factors in reference to eBay and Siebel, (i.e., what they did right, what they did wrong).
?Evaluating these two organizations in terms of the key startup factors that determine long-term sustainability.
Assignment Expectations:
Your paper will be evaluated on the following seven points:
?Precision - Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)?
?Breadth - Is the full breadth of the subject, that is, all the keys to the assignment, addressed?
?Depth - Does the paper address all elements of the topic in sufficient depth? Does it include and apply the background readings and other background resources as references?
?Critical thinking ? Are the concepts of this module applied accurately, logically, and relevantly?
?Organization - Is the paper organized in a coherent and systematic manner? Are headings included in all papers longer than two pages?
?Clarity - Is the writing clear and are the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding to the questions, or are points conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
?Referencing (citations and references) - Does the paper use citations and quotation marks where appropriate? Are all references listed in the bibliography used and referred to via citation?
Required Reading:
*The following required reading will help you learn about the factors that make a new venture succeed or fail.
Anonymous (2008, Feb. 4), Entrepreneur Investment Opportunities: Will Your Start-Up Idea Fly? PR Newswire, New York, NY Retrieved from ProQuest.
Baron, R. A. (2006) Opportunity Recognition as Pattern Recognition: How Entrepreneurs "Connect the Dots" to Identify New Business Opportunities. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(1), 1331-1334. Retrieved from EBSCO.
Anonymous, (2012). CBS Television Network SWOT Analysis. Marketline.com, 1-8. Available 1/3/13 through EBSCO database.
*The following required reading gives examples of winners and losers in the new venture space.
Hof, R. D. (2003, August 25). The eBay Economy. The Company is not just a wildly successful startup. It has invented a whole new business world. Business Week, 3846. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_34/b3846650.htm.
Kerstetter, J. (2003, June 2). Can Siebel stop its slide? Missteps?and tough rivals?undermine the software giant. Business Week 3835. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_22/b3835081_mz063.htm.
Gaither, Chris, Alex Pham, (2005, Sep. 13), Oracle, eBay Snap Up Firms to Compete; The purchases of Siebel Systems and Skype Technologies signal a buy-or-be-bought tactic. Los Angeles Times (Home Edition). p. C1. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Optional Reading:
*The following optional articles will help you in developing your SLP business plan
The Nuts and Bolts of Business Plans. MIT Entrepreneurship Center. Retrieved from http://www.ipvisioninc.com/nutsandbolts/.
Tutorial on Business Plan. MyOwnBusiness. Retrieved from http://www.myownbusiness.org/s2/index.html.
Pages on Business Planning. Free Management Library. Retrieved from http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/bus_plan/bus_plan.htm.
Entrepreneur's Help Page. Retrieved from http://www.tannedfeet.com/.