Today the students finished their business-proposal exercise. They broke up into six groups of 6-7 members. In about three hours of prep time, they came up with solid business ideas, mission statements, marketing strategies, high-level staffing plans, three-month cash-flow projections and growth curves. They were awesome… awesome in the pre-Valley girl sense. I’m truly full of awe.
Each plan was excellent; I could see investing in each of the teams.
But, of course, the most creative is what caught my eye. One firm planned a meat-packer… specializing in bush meat, what Americans would call “game.” Of course, one of the other students asked “wait a minute, isn’t the government going to ban hunting? How would you keep up with supply?” “With a corral on our grounds,” was the response. “Okay,” asked the questioner, “then is it still bush meat (ie wild) anymore?” Good question.
To wash down your antelope, try some cashew-flavored soda from another group. The soda will be all natural, made with organically grown cashews (just as their juice made from pineapples and oranges), because that will aid their marketing differentiation strategy). Plus, they would emphasize that the product is made in Ghana, adding to the customer loyalty and sense of community.
These, of course, are the made-up companies. After we return to the states, many of the group will send real proposals for real businesses, in the hopes of securing funding from GBA. If they impressed me after three hours, imagine what they can pull off in three weeks or more?
Tomorrow’s graduation day…someone ship me some mortar boards!
-Fuzz
Tags: antelope, bush meat, cahew soda, ghana
February 23, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Cashew flavored soft drink sounds great- I’d try it — just don’t let Stephen eat too many of the cashews before they can be pressed into juice (remember that flat of strawberries you ate in California!!!).
Nice work Stephen and Fuzz!
Love,
Bill