Answer the discussion questions and provide summary of case study
Business Finance
First, summarize the case study. Then use the numbering to answer the questions. Please elaborate on this with detail and references APA. Finally, give your own opinion to demonstrate you have a good understanding on the content.
Mandy Toberman had enjoyed her engineering job at Acme Electronics, but she began to grow restless. Most of her work for the past five years had involved designing minor adjustments to existing products. She worried she would lose her edge in a fast-changing industry, and work just didn’t engage her imagination or problem-solving skills the way it once did. In the evenings, she found herself pursuing new ideas, researching some of the latest technology, and testing out some possible inventions. As the weeks passed, Mandy became increasingly interested in one idea: an e-reader made with flexible materials that could be rolled up and stuffed into a satchel, backpack, or purse. At first she doubted it could be made, but with some investigation, Mandy began to develop a design for the device, which she called the Scroll.
The more Mandy considered the Scroll, the more she thought it would be an exciting new product for Acme to offer. It would open up a whole new area of sales for the company, which had not seen much growth for the past few years. It would generate tremendous publicity for Acme and excitement in her division. So Mandy collected a few of the drawings she had created, estimated the manufacturing costs, and prepared a proposal. She invited her supervisor, Tom Ringsack, and two of her colleagues to a meeting, saying only that she had an idea she wanted to bring up.
At the meeting, Mandy started her laptop to show her drawings and describe her idea for the Scroll. The other engineers’ eyes were wide, and Mandy could sense their eagerness to explore the concept. However, Tom sighed and said, “Mandy, you know our situation, right? In the present economy, we can’t get a lot of financing for risky new projects. We have to focus on the product enhancements that will increase our profit margins, and the budget for anything else is tight—well, really, nonexistent.” Mandy could tell the discussion was over, so she shut down her computer with a quiet sigh.
That weekend, Mandy spent hours at her desk at home, beginning to plan her escape from Acme Electronics. She perused the Small Business Administration website, looking for advice on writing a business plan, and explored her LinkedIn network, looking for contacts who might give her advice—and possibly funding—for her start-up, which she intended to name ScrollCo. By the end of the weekend, feeling more than a little nervous, Mandy had drafted the outline of a business plan.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.What actions could Acme Electronics take to foster intrapreneurship? What consequences does it suffer from failing to foster it?
2.What information should Mandy include in her business plan?
3.Describe three nonfinancial resources likely to be important for the future of ScrollCo. How can Mandy ensure that her business has those resources?
