by jim muehlhausen | Jul 25, 2011 | Business Model Innovation, Business Model Trends, Groupon, Public Companies, Web Business Models
Is Groupon “wildly profitable”? That’s how Groupon co-founder Eric Lefkofsky described his company in an interview with Bloomberg in early June 2011. But now Groupon is singing a different tune. Groupon Inc. has filed an amended document for its planned initial public...
by jim muehlhausen | Jul 6, 2011 | breastfeeding truck, Business Model Innovation, Business Model Trends, new business models, Private Companies
What would you do if you saw an ice cream truck with a giant boob and nipple on its roof? WTF, right? Then you would have to explain to your kids that the truck was not selling any ice cream. This truck is called The Milk Truck, an on-call mobile breastfeeding...
by jim muehlhausen | May 3, 2011 | Business Model Tips, Business Model Trends, Environmentalism, Failure Stories, Public Companies, Sears, Web Business Models, Yellow Pages
It seems that the green movement is now focused on the Yellow Pages. The city council of San Francisco recently passed an ordinance banning the distribution of Yellow Page books within the city. Whether the San Francisco ordinance holds up or not, the direction is...
by jim muehlhausen | Apr 19, 2011 | Business Model Innovation, Business Model Trends, Hollywood, movie business model, Netflix, Public Companies, Success Stories
Starz and Showtime recently announced that several hit shows such as Dexter would not be available for instant download on Netflix due to fears of declining DVD revenues. Whether it makes sense or not, physical products, like DVDs, can command higher prices than...
by jim muehlhausen | Sep 22, 2010 | Business Model Innovation, Business Model Trends, Private Companies, Success Stories, tire business model, tirerack
It seems there is no end to how much a distribution channel can be collapsed. Now consumers can buy tires directly online without the need for a tire store. Tirerack.com offers more selection than a typical tire store as they are not affiliated with any one brand...
by jim muehlhausen | Sep 5, 2010 | Big Box, blockbuster, Business Model Innovation, Business Model Trends, Public Companies, redbox, Success Stories
Many business models have been built upon the foundation that bigger is better. Business models such as Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Costco, Men’s Warehouse, and more were all predicated on the presumption that massive selection would act as a...
