Success

Elon Musk is among the top entrepreneurs who are in the news almost every day and have a vast impact on the latest technology trends. One day you will see Elon Musk in the news for Tesla motors and the other day you will be watching him celebrating the achievements at .

As an entrepreneur, Elon did not achieve the success that easily. It was only some years ago when Elon was struggling in his personal and professional lives and was almost with empty hands having nothing in his bank accounts.

There are a lot of of Elon Musk especially for young entrepreneurs and we will be discussing some of them in the coming lines.

1. Trust in your ideas.

Elon Musk’s first startup was about the Web listings like Yelp back in the days when the Internet was not common. No one was convinced to share his/her shop listings on the web when Musk and his brother approached the shopkeepers to list their shops on the web, but they believed in their idea, built it and ultimately sold it to Compaq for $407 Million in cash in coming years.

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Elon was so obsessed with his idea that he used to sleep next to the desk in the office and the other engineers used to wake him in the next morning.

2. Start early and be aggressive.

Like the Web listings startup Zip2, Elon Musk started thinking about the Internet banking in very early days of the Internet. He actually wanted to open an online bank which would eventually “rule them all.” With the money he had now after the Zip2’s acquisition by Compaq, he started an online payments transaction company the X.com. But because of the lack of his knowledge in financial matters, he joined the guys who had good knowledge of finance and they all became the co-founders of the X.com which later transformed into PayPal.

3. Always do your homework.

Elon Musk is only second to Steve Jobs in modern times, who has that vast impact in different industries and sectors. You will find all different ventures in his portfolio like Zip2, PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX. But what is the reason of his success? He is always prepared and always comes with complete homework.

When Musk entered the space and aeronautics industry, many industry giants considered him as one of the many millionaires who spend some good money on their hobby to fail only. But Elon Musk was different. He not only entered the industry with full preparations but with clear goals and targets. And now he is redefining the standards there.

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4. Hire fresh talent and trust them.

While we listen to the news of “big hiring” in different industries on the regular basis, Elon built his team for both SpaceX and Tesla mainly with the fresh talent. And to hire the fresh talent, he never hesitated to himself directly. While the inexperienced team can do big mistakes because of the lack of experience, they still can produce great results with the energy they have and the dynamic leadership.

But this is only possible when you can lead from the front. According to a colleague of Elon Musk in his early days, when the team used to work for 20 hours a day, Elon used to work for 23 hours.

5. Change the conventional ways of working.

Space and aeronautics industry was following (and still following) the old conventions of working. When Elon Musk entered the Space industry, one of the main challenges for the SpaceX was to challenge the giant companies like Boeing.

SpaceX brought the idea of reusable rockets and their is the big step in this regards. These cost-cutting strategies have now become the plus point for SpaceX to compete against the giants in the industry and for the first time, it is looking possible for the low-cost passenger flights in the space.

6. Fight, fight and fight more.

Elon Musk is a fighter, who strikes back very quickly. When the X.com was in trouble, some of the guys convinced the board of directors to remove Elon Musk as CEO. Musk got this news when he was on his honeymoon (after nine months of his marriage.) and he came back from the very next flight to face the situation.

Similarly, when the Tesla Motors failed to achieve the production deadline for its first Tesla Roadster and company was near to bankruptcy, one of the directors refused to fund anymore in order to fail Elon Musk and take his position. But Elon fought back, put all his stakes on the mortgage to avoid the bankruptcy and survived.

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In this fight for survival, Elon fell sick seriously and took months to recover. This is a very serious concern for every entrepreneur to take care of his/her health matters by bringing small things into the routine like to keep up to date about your health and fitness.

7. Keep enjoying life, celebrate success.

Despite his busy schedule, Elon has always managed to find the time to enjoy the life. When he got his share from the sale of his first startup, he immediately bought an 1800 square-foot condo and moved there from his apartment which he used to share with three other people.

Successful Online Distance Learning The advent of technology has enabled most universities to provide distance learning capabilities. California Intercontinental University provides technology enabled distance education in a convenient manner. I made a decision to enroll in an online program to achieve my Doctor of Business Administration degree to advance my career forward. I am fully aware that, pursuing my education in an open distance learning environment is not going to be easy.

First and foremost, balancing my online learning endeavor together with maintaining my regular life commitments involving family matters, my job and social interactions is expected to be challenging. In order to overcome these challenges, I intend to create appropriate enabling environment for my online learning experience without too much disruptions affecting my way of life. To achieve my objectives, I may have to compromise on some of my social interactions, weekend retreats and hobbies.

Establishing appropriate time and place for reading, comprehensions and conducting my regular assignments to stay on truck are critical success factors that enrich my new online learning experience. While I possess extensive experience using technology (computers and the Internet), acquiring reliable and sustainable communication bandwidth for Internet access is essential. This can be achieved by upgrading my current communication link to a reasonable but robust speed. Furthermore, working in a mobile environment will allow to use the Internet from anywhere at any time.

To excel in all of my online courses, I realize that making enough preparation to work in technology environment is critical. Accomplishing weekly assignments alone may not be enough to learn more and retain knowledge. I intend to widen my online learning experience with some extra work in order to retain extra knowledge to achieve my goals. Furthermore, establishing good communication and interaction with my instructors, advisors and peers is vital to learn more and share knowledge.

Business Applications of Computer Systems:

Assessing the Reasons for its Success and Understanding its Weak Points

Introduction

            Considering the times wherein the computer was still not available for business purposes, it is not difficult to imagine how tedious the task of organizing and controlling relevant information was for businesses. During the present however, it is not difficult for one to realize that computers have become a significant part of the operation of various businesses. It is also not hard to understand that computer systems, along with computer business software, have become relatively ubiquitous in the business industry today; in fact, computers can be considered as an essential tool for operating businesses in the current generation of businesses.

            There are always debates regarding the positive and negative effects of certain methods in business, one of which is the use of computers. It is irrefutable that even though there are numerous benefits from the use of computer systems, there are also downsides in relation to its use (Berschler 2009). Hence, it is expected that some are entirely not in support regarding the continuous use of computers in the realm of business management, while others are completely confident about its use. Therefore, the general aim of this article is to provide an overview of how computers are business. In the process, the reasons as to why businesses utilize computers, what distinctions do businesses that utilize computer systems develop as opposed to businesses that do not, and the positive and negative effects of computers will all be discussed.

Computers in Businesses

            In general, the use of computer systems defines and develops a business unlike that of a business that does not utilize computer systems at all. Computer systems are used in business environments due to its capability to enhance the reach or scope of the business, provide further insights into the organization and its competitors, and better organize documents and customer-related information as well (New Zealand Government [NZG] 2009). In this sense, the main reason as to why businesses use computer systems is that not only does it allow better information management, but it also allows for further improvements especially in relation to potential customers. Thus, if these are indeed the effects of computers to businesses, then there should in fact be notable differences between businesses that utilize computers and businesses that do not. In fact, businesses that use computer systems are able to reduce cost, increase ties between clients, suppliers, employees, and the management, and are capable of reaching more business outlets than businesses without computer systems (Kioskea Computing Community [KCC] 2008). Hence, it is clear that the trend in terms of the use of computers in business is not baseless as there are indeed numerous advantages entailed with its application.

Negative Impacts

As mentioned, even though there are numerous praises and benefits associated with the use of computers in business, negative aspects related to its use are also present and common. For one, it is a fact that upon certain situations, the use of computers in businesses may be more of a liability than an asset. If the use of computer systems is not well-planned and the budget and operating costs are not completely assessed, then it might become inefficient (McKeever 2007: 199). In addition, being of no beneficial use in certain situations, computer systems also require additional time before being completely useful. The need for training and struggling through the learning curve which depends upon the application are also an issue (McKeever 2007: 199).  Aside from inefficiency in certain scenarios, risks upon security are also associated with the use of computers in businesses. The potential risks associated with computer systems are generally regarding the issue of data theft and information-based security breach which are commonly the fault of negligent actions of employees (GFI Software 2009: 1). Besides, the negative points discussed there are also concerns about the possible occurrence of lowered productivity as well. The number of employees that only act as if they are working and yet in reality are simply doing away with personal amusement through web-based applications such as chat programs are relatively abundant (Steingold and Shroeder 2007: 226).

Conclusion

            As discussed, there are a lot of positive points regarding the use of computers in business from its most simple to most complex operations. In general, computer systems have been able to gain recognition and praise throughout the business community as these computer systems considerably allowed more growth than previously thought. Considering the negative side of the use of computers in businesses, it is quite obvious that all of the problems mentioned can be solved if the management takes every aspect into careful consideration. For example, the possibility of computers being more of a liability than an asset can be overturned by complete analysis and planning prior to choosing a specific computer system. As for the employee-based problems, properly placing and imposing fair but effective rules is a possible solution. It does not take complicated reasoning to think of possible solutions to these problems, but of course, further research is required in order to assess how effective the solution can be. Therefore, given that computers have allowed businesses to grow especially due to its capability to enhance the marketing capacity of businesses, and with its problems being solved at the management level, it is in fact proven that computer systems have become essential to the current businesses and will continue to be relevant throughout the years yet to come.

List of References

Berschler, B.I. (2009) How Digital Technology Affects Your Business Relationships [online]       available from <http://www.berschlerlaw.com/Articles-1.shtml> [19 May 2009]

GFI Software (2009, March) The GFI Software SME Security Report – GFI White Paper           [online] available from             <http://www.gfi.com/documents/articles/SME_UK_survey_results.pdf> [19 May             2009]

Kioskea Computing Community (2008, October 16) Introduction to e-Business [online] available from <http://en.kioskea.net/contents/entreprise/e-business.php3> [19 May         2009]

New Zealand Government (2009) Creating a Business Advantage with Technology [online]       available from <http://www.business.govt.nz/Technology-and-e-business/Using-  technology-in-your-business/Creating-a-business-advantage-with-technology.aspx> [19 May 2009]

McKeever, M. P. (2007) How to Write a Business Plan. 8th Edition. California, U.S.A.:  NOLO Publishing.

Steingold, F. and Shroeder, A. The Employer’s Legal Handbook. 8th Edition. California,

U.S.A.: NOLO Publishing.

Although has not become the big four retailer, Woolworths continues exhibiting attractive performance in Australia retailing industry. The success of Woolworths is due to several factors as following: Maintaining The Strengths of Main Chain Supply chain is important success factor in retailing industry. For this reason, the company continues strengthening their online stores since they believe online commerce becomes growing market especially in special occasion like Christmas season.

In addition, the company also improves their online services by conduct huge investment in their IT systems. Delivering “Fresh Food for People” As customers increasingly aware of the benefits of quality foods, the tagline of Woolworths in their food business, “Fresh Food for People” becomes the key success factors that drag over 13 million customers to visit Woolworths’s 700 supermarkets throughout Australia. Providing Excellent Customers Services Retail industry is prone to unsatisfied customers since retailers sell many products and customers must not fulfilled by the available products.

To cope with the issue, Woolworths provide quality staff to help customers have unforgettable shopping experience (Woolworths Supermarkets, 2007) Internal Analysis Not all companies understand the meaning of competitive advantages. When asked about the competitive advantages of the company, most managers will elaborate the internal processes of the company and how they perform improvement within internal processes. No doubt, internal processes are the key ingredients to create competitive advantages, but competitive advantages itself are about how the internal enhancement translates to external performance.

Competitive advantages can only be measure by how stakeholders of the company gain benefits from the enhancement of internal processes (Hill, 2004). In the light of this elaboration, I will explain some of the internal processes of the company that translates into external competitive advantages. By using SWOT Analysis, the company internal analysis is as following: Strengths Online and Traditional Retailing The company has a well-maintained website that serves online ordering of most of its products. Starting their stores in Sydney, the company has now expanded their services throughout the Australia.

This provides customers with state of the art retail services. Customers can browse for items from their homes or order the products online and have it delivered to the house. Australian Household Name The vast existence of Woolworth’s supermarkets, which render Woolworths to be second largest private employer in Australia, make the company to be the generic household name in the Australia. It means the company has gained strong brand equity in Australian consumers’ minds (Woolworths Supermarkets, 2007b).

Smarter Distribution

Woolworths has a state of the art distribution center which has just recently been built in Bedford. The facility has the latest handling system and also consists of various environmentally sensitive systems and environmental innovations. This means product management will be dealt with a new level of professionalism. The system ensures availability of the products at all times according to the region specifications. For customers, this means dependability and for shareholders, this mean customers’ trusts. Weaknesses

Despite the strengths of Woolworths Company in retailing industry, the company has also several weaknesses because the company faces many rivals from various industries they serve: supermarkets, liquor to petrol. Since each industry has specialized retailers, Woolworths face great challenges from such retailer has better bargain to supplier so that the retailers can provide lower price. Woolworths still focuses on Australia and New Zealand market while other retailer has expanded into foreign market. This situation will bring down the company competitive advantage when serving market from other countries.

“Cruel to be kind” is a cliche often used in modern society. It suggests using rather harsh means in order to accomplish benevolent ends. For example a parent grounds his or her child for a month after the child is caught smoking. The child thinks the punishment austere, but the parent inflicted the penalty to show the child that smoking is unhealthy and that he or she is breaking the law. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote “The Qualities of the Prince” to demonstrate how a ruler should rule and be successful doing so.

He asserts that the prince (or ruler) must use questionable means to be an effective ruler and that a successful ruler exhibits questionable or nearly corrupt qualities. Three of these qualities are making one’s only profession war, miserliness, and deceitfulness. Machieavelli’s values of a successful prince (or ruler) sound remarkably similar to those equated with modern day politicians. The values he praises, however, are seen as faults and would not lead a politician to success presently.

A prince, therefore, must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession but war, its institutions, and its disciplines… (Jacobus 35). ” Machiavelli first states that war is very important in finding success. Having an overwhelming army is how most princes come into power and how most regain power when it is lost. In present day America, all public officials are elected. Although, the process prior to being elected may very well be likened to war, no physicality is employed.

One may decide to campaign on a platform of war, but is not likely to prove prosperous as the vast majority of American citizens are opposed to war unless absolutely necessary. There are instances, however, where war is necessary. Were America being invaded, the public would cry for war in order to defend the country. But, using war to gain power in America would be considered a substantial offense, and the perpetrator could be sentenced to life (likely at the very least) or even be deported. Thus, we see an unnecessary concentration will not lead a politician to prosper.

War expends a country’s resource. One of those resources is money. “In our times we have not seen great deeds accomplished except by those who were considered miserly… (Jacobus 39). ” Thrift is considered a virtue while miserliness a fault. Being thrifty means being more efficient with one’s money while miserliness refusing to spend it. Thrift is an excellent quality for a politician to have. That means he or she is good at managing money and that is an exceedingly important quality for one to have, especially in this age of foreign debt, inflation, and stock mark instability. Miserliness, on the other hand, denotes bad money management.

If a politician is unwilling to spend money, no government- funded programs would get off of the ground; those programs already established would die. Machiavelli comments that in the practice of miserliness the ruler need not impose taxes. As much as any American citizen hates even the thought of taxes, they are absolutely necessary in order to keep our economical system functioning.

Perhaps what the average American hates more than miserliness is deceit. One sees from the experience of our times that the princes who have accomplished great deeds are those who have cared little for keeping their promises and who have known how to manipulate the minds of men by shrewdness; and in the end they have surpassed those who laid their foundations upon honesty (Jacobus 43). ” The most common stereotype with which we label politicians is that of having two faces or being deceitful. Politicians are well known for being liars and there is nothing they can do to escape this designation.

They are always seen as saying one thing and doing another. He or she makes their platform tax breaks, but when he or she gets into office, they sign a bill to raise taxes. Deceit can only take one so far. After the population learns of the deceitful ways of their elected official, that official will not be re-elected. Machiavelli presents compelling arguments as to the success of his qualities. However, presently each of those values are despised by the majority of the American public.

It scorns war, it detests miserliness, and it abhors deceit (perhaps this one above all). Therefore, we see that Machiavelli’s qualities would not lead a present day politician to success. The ideal leader is an honest and thrifty man who can fight his battles without the use of force. These characteristics apparently lead few men to successful leadership in the time of Machiavelli. However, One cannot expect things to be the same in this era as they were when Machiavelli lived, but there are some interesting parallels that present themselves when his words are analyzed.

As good as chocolate-dipped fruits taste, they aren’t the only ingredient in a successful franchise.

As the founder and CEO of Edible Arrangements, isn’t just an expert when it comes to fresh fruits — he is also a genius in coming up with fresh ideas for franchising. It’s no wonder that he’s grown Edible Arrangements from one modest shop into an immensely popular global phenomenon.

I sat down with him recently for a live “Business Brilliant” interview with  to talk about his entrepreneurial journey and to see if I could discover the secrets to his overwhelming success as the owner of one of the sweetest franchises around. It was a great discussion, and he shared with me three great insights when it comes to rocking the franchise game:

1. It’s all in the attitude.

Why is Edible Arrangements so great at attracting franchisees? Because the company culture is built upon being business people. “We have entrepreneurs that buy our business every single day. And they have no experience,” says Tariq. “If you’re not good at business, how are you going to make them successful? When a prospect walks into my office, they have to feel that people are building businesses here. Everybody has to talk that way and walk that way. That’s how you sell franchises.”

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2. Always be training.

A lot of businesses don’t bother with ongoing training or offer refresher courses only once in a while. That isn’t the way that Edible Arrangements does it. “The mistake we made in the beginning was that we would only train once in a while and we would leave the training to the franchisee,” Tariq remembers. “What ends up happening is that the stew you cook in starts to define you.”

In order to keep their employees’ skills on the cutting-edge, Edible Arrangements installed training terminals in all of their location. “I like to call them Inspire terminals because you have to inspire people,” Tariq says.

The terminals feature step-by-step instructions in easily digestible segments, making them a breeze to follow. “We bring people back to the corporate location once a year, to re-energize them. We don’t bring them back to train them because you can’t train in an hour. We bring them back to say, “Hey, let’s show you where we’re going in the next five years.” Just to kind of excite them to stay in the business.”

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3. Stay connected.

Inspired by Apple, Edible Arrangements opened a corporate store that allows both corporate employees and franchisees to explore and understand the Edible Arrangements experience. “We built a corporate store because my people slowly were disconnecting from what’s actually happening at the stores,” Tariq explains. “Now, every single day when they walk in, they walk through the store.”

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The company regularly invites franchisees to come experience the corporate store and pays for the hotel stays. This is especially important when a business wants to roll out a new feature in all of their locations, such as when Edible Arrangements decided to start offering smoothies. At this point, Tariq says, the goal is to wow them. “If they go, ‘Wow,’ then they’re willing to… put in the smoothie concept. You don’t want them to put in smoothies just because you forced them. You want them to put it in because they think it’s the best smoothie in the world.”

By keeping the franchisees engaged and enthusiastic, Edible Arrangements makes sure the relationship stays naturally sweet (just like those amazing smoothies.)

The focus on Google HRS Is on gluing Its employees flexibility to produce results, not Just following core Job requirements. HRS at Google has established Innovative efforts for Its people and to make the administrative part of HRS efficient. Scripps Network is a variety of organizations and strong HRS culture. At Scripps, HRS plays a core role in establishing strategic goals and efforts. Even when Scripps has merged separate media firm, HRS has focused on getting the cultures of the two entities to integrate effectively.

Several HRS functions are used to support the culture ND core value at Scripps such as pay for performance system to reward employees at higher job levels with base pay increases, annual incentives, and long term incentives. LIPS has been recognized for its corporate integrity, culture, and HRS inclusion with employees. UPS has emphasized linking HRS with business objectives and uses communication and internet programs to ensure that employees are kept constantly informed on business objectives and workforce challenges. One well-recognized component at UPS is the established codes of conduct that are consistently reviewed with all employees.