by jim muehlhausen | Feb 4, 2011 | Business Model Secrets, Dim Dim, Private Companies, Public Companies, Salesforce.com, Success Stories
Who said there’s no money in not making money? Recently, Salesforce.com augmented its business model by purchasing web conferencing software provider DimDim for $31 million. As a Dim Dim user, I loved the service. For early users, the pitch was free WebEx-like...
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...
by jim muehlhausen | Jul 26, 2010 | Business Model Innovation, Business Model Tips, Business Model Trends, lottery business model, Public Companies, Success Stories, swoopo
Swoopo.com seems to be a mash-up of Black Friday meets the Lottery plus eBay. This ingenious business model allows Swoopo to sell a $699 iPad for $3,653? According to Swoopo.com, We are an internet company with a unique, worldwide business model. We are the creators...
by jim muehlhausen | Jul 26, 2010 | Business Model Innovation, Business Model Secrets, Jerry Jones, Private Companies, Steinbrenner, Success Stories, yankees
As the sports world mourns the loss of George Steinbrenner, let us reflect on just how much he changed the business model of professional sports. When George Steinbrenner purchased the New York Yankees from CBS for $10 million in 1973, the team was a mess. Today,...
by jim muehlhausen | Jun 9, 2010 | Business Model Innovation, Public Companies, Success Stories, Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart Effect
There is a large segment of the population who believe Wal-Mart is evil. They kill small retailers to create low paying jobs and the like. However, I read something interesting in The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman. In this book, Fishman describes how Wal-Mart...