Howard Schultz Executes an Unassisted Triple Play

Hats off to Howard Schultz, chairman of Starbucks.  Schultz announced that starting Nov. 1, Starbucks will collect donations of $5 or more from customers to help job growth in the U.S.  With this “Jobs for USA” program, Schultz is collaborating with the Opportunity Finance Network, a nonprofit that works with nearly 200 community development financial […]

Starbuck’s $16 Billion Business Model Dilemma

One has to wonder if the once-vaunted Starbucks business model is in decay.  For many years, Starbucks has relied on the overall customer experience as their defacto advertising.  Now, Starbucks is engaged in an old-fashioned television, radio, and newspaper media blitz. In 2007, Starbucks experienced its first-ever store traffic decline.  In response, Starbucks lowered prices […]

Panera Bread’s Business Model Secret

The Freemium business model is sweeping the technology world.  The simplest explanation of the Freemium business model is giving away a lite version of the product at no charge.  In many freemium business models, approximately ten percent of the free users upgrade to a more robust paid version.  The free version is typically a low-risk […]