Box

The Box Jellyfish is known as one of the most venomous creatures in the world and has caused significant injuries and fatalities (Straw 2010). Due to the box jellyfish’s dangerous nature much research has been carried out in regards to its physical appearance, habitat, mating habits and its known predators. Further research has been done in the area of its venomous properties and effective first aid procedures. It is hoped that with a better understanding of the box jelly fish, humans will be able to co-exist with it and be safer in the water. Box jellyfish are commonly found on the northern shores of Australia (Edmonds 2000).

The box jellyfish seem to move towards the shore in calm waters when the tide is rising and gather near the mouths of rivers, estuaries and creeks following the rain (Gershwin 2002). These are also areas that are frequented by humans in their pursuit of leisure activities and therefore place humans at risk of being stung by the box jelly fish. The jellyfish has four distinct sides and is cubed shaped. This is what has given these jellyfish their common name of “Box Jellyfish”. A fully grown box jellyfish measures up to 20 centimetres along each box side and the tentacles can grow up to three metres in length.

Each side has approximately 15 tentacles and 5000 nematocysts, which are the little stinging cells located on their tentacles. The box jelly fish can weigh up to two kilograms. Box jellyfish are pale blue in colour and are translucent, which makes them invisible in the water. So much so, that for years nobody knew what was causing swimmers such excruciating pain, and sometimes killing them. The animals have eyes but no brain so no one knows how they process what they see (Birgit, 2008). Mating behaviours in box jellyfish species are quite different compared to other marine species.

Box Jellyfish usually mass spawn, during which males and females never touch while they release sperm and eggs into the ocean and let nature take its course (Live 2009). Box jellyfishes are fast-swimming hunters that move horizontally through the water up to speeds of seven kilometres an hour, with their tentacles trailing behind (Ayling 2007). This characteristic together with its translucent appearance gives it an effective means of travelling undetected and capturing its prey. It also means that humans would find them almost impossible to discover in the ocean.

The box jellyfish on the other hand has few known predators. The Sea turtle which is unaffected by the box jellyfish’s sting and venom, is one of the few animals that eat the box jellyfish(Pryor 2009). The box Jelly fish is generally regarded as the most dangerous animal in the world (Pryor 2009). Its venom, which can be fatal, is responsible for more deaths in Australia than snakes, sharks, and salt water crocodiles put together (Emergy 2008). There are thousands of millions of stinging capsules that cover their tentacles (Sutherland and Sutherland 2006).

When a swimmer bumps into the box jellyfish the thin tentacles get torn off, stick to the victim and inject the poison into their body. (Sutherland and Kennewell 1999). There are ways to minimise and survive box jellyfish stings. Small box jellyfish appear in October and grow larger throughout summer until March and April (Ayling, 2007). Swimmers are advised to stay in netted-off areas which are patrolled by life-`savers, wear covering such as long trousers or panty-hose and listen to the radio and television for warnings of the presence of the box jellyfish (Bolton 1992).

Once a person has been stung vinegar is to be poured all over the jelly-like tentacles sticking to them. This kills the tentacles so they can be removed without injecting more poison (Sutherland and Kennewell 1999). It is recommend to commence mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and seek medical help immediately, should the effected person lose consciousness. Slow sustained mouth to mouth resuscitation until help arrives is considered the most important first aid procedure (Davey 1998).

The Box Jellyfish has some unique physical characteristics which include its translucent and pale colour and its long tentacles that help it glide gracefully through the water at a high speed. Due to its unique habitat in shallow subtropical waters, which are also frequented by human beings the box jellyfish, as has been noted, can cause harm to human beings. Knowledge of the box jellyfish’s appearance and habitat is a step towards understanding this creature and hopefully this knowledge will assist in preventing injuries and fatalities.

While the venom has caused fatalities, basic first aid measures, once known and understood can and have, prevented deaths. It is important to remember that where harm has been caused by the box jellyfish it is often due to people accidently swimming in an area frequented by box jellyfish or stepping on a box jellyfish as it lazily sleeps on the bottom of the shallow ocean. The box jellyfish does not actively seek to cause harm to humans. If humans respect the box jellyfish’s habitat and understand firstly, how to avoid them and secondly, what first aid to administer, the general public will be a lot safer.

This can lead to a peaceful co existence with mutual respect. References: Ayling, T. (2007). The Great Barrier Reef: a world heritage national park Archerfield: Steve Parish. Birgit, L. (2008). The Australian Box Jellyfish: an exceptionally lethal creature. Retrieved from: http://www. outback-australia-travel-secrets. com/box-jellyfish. html. Bolton, F. (1992). A handbook of poisonous creatures in Australia. Gosford: Bookshelf Australia. Davey, K. (1998). A photographic guide to seashore life of Australia. Australia: New Holland. Doublet, D. 2010). Box Jellyfish Cubozoa. Retrieved from: http://animals. nationalgeographic. com/animals/invertebrates/box-jellyfish/ Edmonds, C. (2000). Field guide for medical treatment: dangerous marine Creatures. Australia: New Holland Emergy, D. (2008). The most dangerous animal in Australia. Retrieved from: http://blog. hotelclub. com/the-10-most dangerous-animals-in-Australia/. Gershwin, L. (2002). Great Barrier Reef: Box Jellyfish. Retrieved from http://www. barrierreefaustralia. com/the-great-barrier-reef/jellyfish. htm. Live, S. (2009).

The Box Jellyfish. Retrieved from: http:www. livescience. com/animals/09119-boxjelly. Pryor, K. (2009). Venom, poison and electricity. South Yarra’ Macmillan Education. Straw, R. (2010). The Box Jellyfish: Australia’s other marine killer. http://www. jyi. org/features/ft. php? id=189. Sutherland, S and Kennewell, S. (1999). Take care: Poisonous Australian animals. South Melbourne, Hyland House. Sutherland, S and Sutherland, J. (2006). Venomous creatures of Australia: A field guide with notes on first aid. Melbourne, Oxford University.

CASE STUDY: EDMUNDS CORRUGATED PARTS AND SERVICES. Larry Edmunds grimaced as he tossed his company’s latest quarterly earnings onto his desk. When Virginia-based Edmunds Corrugated Parts & Service Company’s sales surged past the $10 million mark a while back, he was certain the company was well positioned for steady growth. Today, the company, which provided precision machine parts and service to the domestic corrugated box industry, still enjoys a dominant market share and is showing profit, although not quite the profit seen in years past.

However, it is no longer possible to ignore the fact that revenues were beginning to show clear signs of stagnation. More than two decades ago, Larry’s grandfather loaned him the money to start the business and then handed over the barn on what has been the family’s Shenandoah Valley farm to serve as his first factory. Today, he operates from a 50,000 square-foot factory located near I-81 just a few miles from that old barn. The business allowed him to realize what had once seemed an almost impossible goal: He was making a good living without having to leave his close-knit extended family and rural roots.

He also felt a sense of satisfaction at employing about 100 people, many of them neighbors. They were among the most hard-working, loyal workers you’d find anywhere. However, many of his original employees were now nearing retirement. Replacing those skilled workers was going to be difficult, he realized from experience. The area’s brightest and best young people were much more likely to move away in search of employment than their parents had been. Those who remained behind just didn’t seem to have the work ethic Larry had come to expect in his employees.

He didn’t feel pressured by the emergence of any new direct competitors. After slipping slightly a couple years ago, Edmunds’s formidable market share – based on its reputation for reliability and exceptional, personalized service – was holding steady at 75 percent. He did feel plagued, however, by higher raw material costs resulting from the steep increase in steel prices. But the main source of concern stemmed from changes in the box industry itself. The industry had never been particularly recession resistant, with demand fluctuating with manufacturing output.

Now alternative shipping products were beginning to make their appearance, mostly flexible plastic films and reusable plastic containers. It remained to be seen how much of a dent they’d make in the demand for boxes. More worrying, consolidation in the paper industry had wiped out hundreds of the U. S. plants that Edmunds once served, with many of the survivors either opening overseas facilities or entering into joint ventures abroad. The surviving manufacturers were investing in higher quality machines that broke down less frequently, thus requiring fewer of Edmund’s parts.

Still, he had to admit that although the highly fragmented U. S. corrugated box industry certainly qualified as a mature one, no one seriously expected U. S. manufacturers to be dislodged from their position as major producers for both the domestic and export markets. Edmunds was clearly at a crossroads. If Larry wanted that steady growth he’d assumed he could count on not so long ago, he suspect that business as usual wasn’t going to work. But if he wanted the company to grow, what was the best way to achieve that goal?

All he knew for sure was that once he decided where to take the company from here, he would sleep better. QUESTIONS 1. What would the SWOT analysis look like for this company? 2. What role do you expect the Internet to play in the corrugated box industry? What are some ways that Edmunds could better use the Internet to foster growth? 3. Which of Porter’s competitive strategies would you recommend that Edmunds follow? Which of the strategies do you think would be least likely to succeed?

Beauty industry in India is a whopping $4.8 billion market and the same is expanding at a rapid pace, with changing lifestyle and increasing disposable income. Today, we see more and more start-ups emerging in the online space to serve ever growing consumers’ demands. These online marketplaces for beauty and wellness professionals are changing the way customers find and book beauty and wellness services. Start-ups like MSM Box, Vyomo, MangeMySpa, Nykaa.com, VanityCube, Purplle and many more are fuelling demand and expansion in a big way. Moreover, these start-ups are receiving huge backing from investors also.

Fund Raising

One such example is Delhi-based World One Retail Private Limited, which runs online discovery and e-commerce platform MSM Box. Recently, the firm announced to secure an undisclosed amount of funding from angel investor Rohit Goel. MSM Box works on an online subscription-based model offering consumers the opportunity to buy, try and enjoy beauty brands via subscription boxes and individual beauty and grooming products from across the world.

The company plans to use this fund for developing technology, market expansion and ramping up operations. Further, they also plan to launch their iOS and Android app in the coming 3-4 months. Rohit Goel, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus and serial entrepreneur, believes that a good idea and burning passion is a starting point for any start-up, but a strong team with complementary skills, backed by a good strategy, is of utmost importance for its success. He feels team MSM has all this and more.

Inception

Founded by Bindu Sharma, Hans Vivek and Kavita Joshi Rai, MSM Box began its journey in 2012 as MyStyleMile.com, a beauty and fashion blog, with an aim to provide quality content to its readers, and keep them updated with the latest trends in this space, both in India and abroad. However, the team soon realised that more needs to be done than just the content. As a result, MSMbox.com was finally launched in 2014.

“Being a self-confessed beauty junkie, I soon realised how difficult and inefficient it was to search through innumerable beauty brands in the market and to figure out which one to buy. This is how the idea of a curated beauty box service was born and in October 2014 we finally launched MSMbox.com,” says Bindu Sharma, Co-founder and Managing Director, MSM Box.com.

How it Works?

With 1 lakh registered subscribers’ user base, MSM Box works on both subscription and e-commerce business models. The company offers 3 months, 6 months and annual subscription plan to its subscribers, which provides a range of skin care, hair care and makeup products samples. They offer two boxes, one for masstige and one for prestige brands.

The venture deals with popular brands like Benefit Cosmetics, Vichy, Avene, Kama Ayurveda, Clarins, Clinique, MAC, Estee Lauder, Color Baretc from premium to luxury segment, and Biotique, Body Shop, Maybelline, Lakme in the masstige segment. “The benefit of being an MSM Box subscriber is to discover and try brands and products with reduced financial outlay. Subscribers benefit from our expert curating skills and from our input, tips and guidance on how to get the best out of the products on offer,” shares Sharma.

User can choose to subscribe or order from 3 boxes – MSM Express Box of worth Rs 416, MSM Select Box of worth Rs 832 (along with this you even get a surprise goodie box containing beauty, grooming and lifestyle products from new and established beauty brands every month), and MSM Bulldawg (men’s box) of worth Rs 1,495. They offer free shipping and cash on delivery option to consumers. “Every month we have themes around which we curate products for the box. We also create relevant content that help our customers decide which product to buy,” explains Sharma.

Growth and Expansion Plans

Eyeing to grow more than 200 per cent month-on-month, MSM Box also plans to add lifestyle and self-curated boxes in coming months. “This is a largely untapped segment and we plan to focus our efforts towards reaching a wider customer base and to scale up operations. Another key area for us is to further enhance our existing digital content,” Sharma adds further.