Case Study - Small Business Management Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

- Small avocation Management - Case Study ExampleWithin three years (1997-2000), profits increased by 350%. OBO is Simons third business act and he has learnt considerably from each undertaking.Simon invests heavily on research and maturation which fuels his desire to improve his existing products and to develop new cardinals. He has also kept up with the changing technology and offers a website that encourages customer focus groups, gives playing tips, product information and also sells the product online. Simon believes that consumer grocery store research is essential in product development. At present, OBO has a actually strong distribution interlocking and a formidable brand value.OBO is a strong company and has a far sighted chief executive officer Simon Barnett, who has over a 20 year experience, ranging from manufacturing table tennis table to selling and distributing hockey equipment for Ishan. finally however, he also went into production and specialized in make protective hockey equipment for goalies. Simon is an ambitious individual, a visionary leader who believes in managing by setting his own examples. He is a creative individual who invests heavily on product research. Simon is of the opinion that it is important to bring changes in the product so that it seems dashing as well as useful to the customer.His sound distribution networks and brand value has made OBO the grocery store leader in its industry. Simon holds a strong relationship with his agents and also with his customers. He encourages his customers to express their opinions and ensures that new products atomic number 18 made keeping in mind the customers changing needs. Moreover, OBO gives a lot of attention to product case which is their key competitive advantage. Although OBO operates in a niche market, it is still a big name. It is doing well in the market and had a profit of $450,000 in the year 2000.However, if OBO decides to step into a new market of making crick et equipment it will be big change for the company. This big change brings with it a lot of risk. Simons financing policy has continuously been to avoid bank loans. He prefers to reinvest his retained earnings. For a venture as long as cricketing equipment, heartrending investment will be needed and with Simons current policy this passel be a huge gamble.OBO has limited staff and a new venture would certainly mean expanding the personnel base. Apart from this, Simon depends very strongly on 2 key personnel. Simon acts as a facilitator and the manufacturing and designing sides are looked after by two men. Such excessive reliance can be dangerous as even if one of them quits, Simon can be in big trouble. Although Simon has ample experience in business, a cricket venture will still be a new area. The requirements of cricketing equipment will be very different from hockey as the two games vary greatly in the way they are played.External EnvironmentIn terms of opportunities, there ar e many. OBO operates in a niche market and in comparison cricket will offer a bigger market. For hockey a team would at a level best need 2-3 pairs of protective pads, but for cricket, all the batsmen will need pads along with the wicket keeper. If OBO is able to correct pads that are lighter and allow players more speed and agility then there will certainly be a lot of scope of the product. Also cricket is a game that is more pop all over the world and is played by many countries at a national level. With time, OBO can also expand towards