Babson faculty members infuse their intellectual capital into our academic programs with teaching cases. These cases promote our teaching method of combining entrepreneurship theory and practice. Most of the cases include teaching notes and more than one-half include a video of the entrepreneur visiting a Babson class while the case is being discussed. You can order any of the following Babson teaching cases through the www.ecch.com (European Case Clearing House).
| Teaching Case |
Case Director(s) |
Key Words |
| Active International |
Julian Lange
Benoit Leleux |
entrepreneurship, barter, growth, information technology, Internet, international |
| Adam Aircraft |
William Bygrave |
Business aircraft, Design engineering, Fabrication & prototype development, FAA regulatory process, Market identification, Product positioning, Marketing to a sophisticated, limited pool of prospects, Building an aircraft company in the middle of a slow economy, Funding Government contracts, Manufacturing partnerships, Strategic partners and alliances, Building a top-flight management team, Financing |
| AirTech |
Stephen Spinelli Jr. |
entrepreneurship, rapid growth, cash businesses, service delivery systems, consolidating fragmented industries, dealerships |
| Ajay Bam |
William Bygrave |
career choices, finding and shaping an opportunity, team building, networking, bootstrapping, venture capital, board of advisers |
| Alco Equipment |
Stephen Spinelli Jr. |
entrepreneurship, distributors, dealerships, opportunity assessment, rapid growth, ethics, family business, consolidating industry, crisis management, financing issues |
| Alternative Sources of Revenue for Nonprofits |
Natalie Taylor |
nonprofit, UBIT, philanthropy, IRS |
| American Financial Services |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, new venture, managing a growing business |
| America's Youth Baseball Industry Note |
Natalie Taylor |
entertainment, baseball, sports, youth, non-profits, mature/declining industry |
| Bagelz |
Stephen Spinelli Jr. |
entrepreneurship, franchising, strategic alignment, franchisee selection criteria, franchisee/franchisor relations, systems innovations, financing requirements, process flow and the service delivery system, new product development, and competitive strategy |
|
William Bygrave |
fashion retailing, entrepreneurship, opportunity recognition, wholesale purchasing, retail training, retail management, family funding, growth strategies |
| Barter Industry Note |
Julian Lange
Benoit Leleux |
entrepreneurship, barter, trade credits |
| Beard Food Company A-B |
Leonard Green |
Family business, entrepreneur, harvesting, manufacturing, succession, food, brand |
| Beautiful Legs BY POST |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, finding and developing an opportunity, writing a business plan, raising money, mail-order marketing, starting a business in a foreign country, entrepreneurship as a career choice |
| Bellobuono, Mike |
Stephen Spinelli Jr. |
franchising, opportunity recognition, new ventures, career development, growth management, angel capital, strategic partnerships. |
| Berggren, Scott |
William Bygrave |
import/export, Eastern Europe International Business, Russia, Soviet Union , political instability, aluminum, currency, scrap metals, smelting |
| Birkental A-B-C-D |
Leonard Green |
family business, family succession, generations, manufacturing, buyout |
| Blueview Farms A-B |
Leonard Green |
entrepreneurship, family business, family succession, sales, horses |
| Cabletron Corporation |
Julian Lange |
entrepreneurship, partnership, network, cable, test equipment, human resources |
| Cardsmith |
William Bygrave |
debit cards, campus town retailing, on-campus entrepreneurship, opportunity recognition, bootstrapping, new technologies, 1990s internet wave, sustainable vs unsustainable business models, low overhead and virtual businesses |
| Chevron in Central Asia |
Joel Shulman |
oil, gas, Caspian Sea, , Chevron, political instability, |
| Chrysler Rebirth of an Automaker |
John W. Altman |
corporate culture, autos, bailout, turnaround, entrepreneur, extended enterprise |
| Circle Lending |
Les Charm |
Angel Financing, Sources of Capital |
| ClearVue |
William Bygrave |
large chain retail stores, guerrilla marketing, promotion, packaging, virtual corporations, foodbrokers, supermarkets, discount department stores, automobile parts stores, family business, methods of growing a business |
| College Coach |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, marketing, education, venture capital |
| Collingsworth Corporation |
Julian Lange |
entrepreneurship, startup, marketing, business plan, partnership |
| Coffin, Matt |
William Bygrave |
web business, online marketing, opportunity recognition, bootstrapping, fund raising, bank credit lines, 1990s internet wave, sustainable vs unsustainable business models, harvest strategies |
| Cover-It |
Stephen Spinelli Jr. |
entrepreneurship, harvest, buyout, advertising, marketing, partners, resource marshaling |
| Database Technologies A-B |
Edward Marram |
entrepreneurship, software, harvesting, growth management, re-engineering, corporate culture |
| DayOne |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, childcare, franchise, maternity, education |
| Diamond Technical Group |
Edward Marram
Jennifer Starr |
financing, start-up, growth management, team building, opportunity recognition, leadership, cash flow, valuation, and strategic partnerships |
| DiGrigoli Salons |
Stephen Spinelli,
D.R. Widder |
Entrepreneurship Franchising Hair care industry Employee training Store management Partners Concept replication Branding Growth strategies |
| Driver FX |
Stephen Spinelli Jr. |
automotive, automotive parts, retail, online, entrepreneur, dotcom, marketing, business model, strategy |
| Elderline Communications |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, voice recognition, VXML, startup, speech application |
| Ellacoya Networks |
Julian Lange |
entrepreneur, intrapraneur, corporate entrepreneurship, software, buy-back, first-round financing, second-round financing, venture capitalists and angel financing |
| ENOX Technologies |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, new venture creation |
| Eureka! Ranch |
John Altman |
entrepreneurship, idea generation, corporate education, conferences |
| Family Education Network 2001 A-B-C |
Edward Marram |
entrepreneurship, Internet, dot-coms, AOL, competition, acquisitions, tombstones, dot-com meltdown, investors, burn rate |
| FEED Resource Recovery |
Andrew Zacharakis |
Clean Technology, Entrepreneurship, Opportunity recognition, Raising capital, Bootstrapping, Core customer, Team Building |
| Fjord Trading Company A-B |
William Bygrave |
angel capital, valuation, growth management, family business, international entrepreneurship, strategic partnerships, and MBIs |
| Food from the ’Hood |
Natalie Taylor |
entrepreneur, gender and race issues, nonprofits, social entrepreneurship |
| Formica Corporation A-B |
Joel Shulman |
Manufacturing, buyout, auction, debt, leveraged, IPO |
| Galindo, Andres |
Carl Hedberg and William Bygrave |
Sports Retailing, Entrepreneurship, Opportunity recognition, Wholesale purchasing, Retail pricing, Family Business, Importing, Growth strategy, Government relations |
| Global Risk Exchange A-B |
Stephen Spinelli and Alex Hardy |
Entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, start-up, insurance, Internet, on-line, risk management, business models |
| Glow Dog |
William Bygrave |
women entrepreneurs, technology, marketing |
| Go Fish |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, marketing, Internet, credit, broker, wholesaling, food |
| Grant, Matt |
William Bygrave |
Career choice, finding and shaping an opportunity, networking, raising money from the 4Fs, bootstrapping, publishing, distributing a give-away magazine, young professional couple with dual careers |
| Healthrock |
Stephen Spinelli |
Medical health and education, Advocacy, Music and songwriting, Opportunity recognition, Bootstrapping, Funding sources, Media production, Advertising and promotion |
| Hirschtick's, Jon: New Venture |
William Bygrave |
Creating a high-tech software company, developing a prototype, positioning a new product, building a team, raising venture capital, valuation, negotiations, value added by venture capitalists, ownership, founders’ stock, and stock options. |
| Inanovate |
William Bygrave |
Bootstrapping, Entrepreneurial science, Growth and harvest scenarios, Licensing/Commercializing advanced technologies, Medical testing and diagnostics, Nano technology, Opportunity recognition, Patents, Pharmaceuticals, Research & Development, Sales management, Strategic partnerships |
| Internet Fashion Mall |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, Internet, Web-based retailing |
| Intrinsigo: Looking to Launch |
Stephen Spinelli Jr. |
entrepreneurship, start-up, software, valuation, investor relations |
| Jack Sprat’s Restaurant |
William Bygrave |
opportunity, pre-start-up, shaping an opportunity, quick service restaurants, developing a healthy food menu, family business, financing, careers |
| Johnson, Eric |
Stephen Spinelli |
Entrepreneurship, African American entrepreneurship, acquisition, business models, market segmentation |
| Kronos Incorporated A-B |
Edward Marram |
entrepreneurship, computer software, enterprise resource planning, enterprise application software, partnering |
| Liquid Power Boats – SuperCats C |
Stephen Spinelli and Matt Lauzon |
Opportunity recognition, Deal making, Resource marshaling, Acquisition |
| Lucent Technologies |
Joel Shulman |
telecommunications, high-growth, mergers, acquisitions, expansion, corporate restructure, leadership change, downsize |
| Maker’s Mark |
Kathleen Seiders |
entrepreneurship, alcohol, marketing, international business, family business, advertising |
| Malincho |
William Bygrave |
start-up, early growth, resource marshaling, import business, bootstrapping, entrepreneurship, short-term capital |
| Manhattan Bagel A-B-C-D |
Leonard Green |
franchise, family business, IPO, bankruptcy, acquisitions, harvesting |
| Microline |
Jean-Luc Boulnois |
entrepreneurship, R&D, Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), laparoscopy, FDA, engineering |
| Monty Python |
Stephen Spinelli Jr. |
entrepreneurship, licensing, entertainment, merchandising |
| Nahill, Jim |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, marketing, healthcare, insurance, medicine, benefits, hatchery |
| Nancy's Coffee |
Ed Marram, Les Charm |
competitive strategy, customer segmentation, growth strategies, family issues, team building, infrastructure, raising money, strategic thinking, system/controls |
| Nantucket Nectars |
William Johnston |
entrepreneurship, distribution, marketing, guerrilla marketing, partnership |
| NetMarquee |
Julian Lange |
entrepreneurship, Internet, dot-com, family business, technology, Web, advertising, marketing, content |
| Neverfail Computing A-B |
William Bygrave |
career building, entrepreneurial teams, product development, marketing, angel financing, creative financing, working capital financing, private venture capital, term sheet, valuation, ownership, preferred stock, negotiating |
| NextWorth |
Steve Spinelli, Melissa Martinelli |
Entrepreneurship, Apprenticeship, Student entrepreneur, Start-up n Opportunity assessment and shaping n Incubator, Business Plan, Start-up capital, Investor perspectives, Internet, On line auctions |
| Norman, Alexander and Toni Randolph |
Bill Bygrave |
finding an opportunities creativity; developing, marketing, and selling a new product; brand names; ethnic markets; fashions; department stores; entrepreneurial careers; minority and female entrepreneurship; family business; ethics; and virtual corporations |
|
Natalie Taylor |
Community development investment funds, subsidiaries, non-profit versus for-profit missions, rural entrepreneurship, fund raising, career management and risks, measuring social returns in an investment portfolio |
| Panera Bread |
Robert Rosenberg |
entrepreneurship, franchise, fast food, restaurant |
| Paragon Lake |
William Bygrave |
Online business models, User innovation, Fashion retailing, Entrepreneurship, Opportunity recognition, Wholesale purchasing, Retail training, Retail management, Family funding, Growth strategies |
| Patio Rooms of America |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, construction, dealer, marketing, baby boomers |
| Pearlman, David |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, sales, lawsuits, manufacturer's representative |
| Polartec A-B-C |
John W. Altman, Robert E. Weissman,
Margaret C. DePalma |
Manufacturing, textiles, philanthropy, social responsibility, bankruptcy, reorganization, unions, |
| Poss, Jim |
William Bygrave |
Entrepreneurship, Fabrication and prototype development, Financing, Bootstrapping, Raising money, Venture capital and private equity investors, Start-up and early expansion stage, Solar power |
| Quick Lube Franchise Corporation |
William Bygrave |
franchising, alliances, valuation, negotiations, and legal issues. |
| Quick Lube Franchise Corporation (QLFC) |
William Bygrave and Stephen Spinelli |
Franchising, alliances, valuation, negotiations, and legal issues |
| Richterich, Peter |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, biotechnology, software, venture capital, valuation |
| Rocky’s Ace Hardware |
Stephen Spinelli Jr. |
entrepreneurship, cooperative, hardware, retail |
| Roughneen, John |
William Bygrave |
careers, opportunity search, opportunity recognition/evaluation/shaping, marketing, business start-up, founder financing, the vending industry, software development |
| SeaFax A-B |
William Bygrave |
cash flow, new ventures, growth management, guerrilla marketing, leadership, benefits of computerization, product development |
| Shaker Circuits A-B |
William Bygrave |
due-diligence, deal negotiations, valuation |
| Sir Percy Scott |
John Altman |
entrepreneurship, military, navy, England, British, inventor |
| SolidWorks |
William Bygrave |
private venture capital funds, Japanese corporate venture capital funds, strategic alliance with large Japanese companies, negotiations, valuations, and ownership. |
| Sten-Tel Inc |
Stephen Spinelli Jr. |
franchise, entrepreneurship, alliances, family-owned business, growth, angel financing |
| Streamline Business Systems |
William Bygrave |
business plan, software for companies operating vending machines |
| Streamware Corporation |
Edward Marram |
entrepreneurship, board of advisers, software, marketing research |
| StudentCity |
William Bygrave |
Career choices, Perseverance and focus, Web Business, Opportunity recognition, Online marketing, Partnerships, Mergers and acquisitions, The Internet wave; late 1990s, Sustainable vs Unsustainable business models, Valuation, Harvest strategies |
| Take-A-Break Travel |
Edward Marram |
cash flow, new ventures, growth management, guerrilla marketing, partnerships, international entrepreneurship, product development. |
| The Beard Food Company |
Leonard Green |
family business, entrepreneurship, harvesting, manufacturing, succession, food, brand |
| Tompkins, Scott A-B |
William Bygrave |
new ventures, career development, partnerships, campus ventures, family business |
| USA Golf Holidays |
William Bygrave |
Leisure travel, Fragmented industry, Early growth and expansion, Using information technology to the company more effective and efficient, Internet and its impact on the travel industry, Financing growth, Management team |
| Vayusa |
William Bygrave |
Career choice, Opportunity recognition, Business planning, Team building, Networking, Bootstrapping, Venture capital, Board of advisors |
| Visionsense |
Ed Marram |
Re-Aligning the opportunity Attracting investors Strategic partnerships Research & Development Introducing a New Technology Patents Maintaining momentum in the face of severe budget cuts, layoffs Sales management Fund raising and bridge loans Working with a wealthy, high profile lead investor Board of Directors |
| West Construction Company |
Leonard Green |
entrepreneurship, family-controlled enterprise, succession |
| Widget Manufacturing Company |
Leonard Green |
family business, succession, financial analysis, valuation |
| Wink Communications |
Stephen Spinelli Jr.
Julian Lange |
entrepreneurship, communications, finance, technology, research and development |
| Winsales |
William Bygrave |
family business, new ventures, guerrilla marketing, high-tech marketing, direct marketing, and distribution issues |
| Xerox New Enterprise |
John W. Altman |
corporate entrepreneurship, IPO’s, venture capital, spinouts, business model, corporate culture |
| Zenoff, Andrew |
William Bygrave |
entrepreneurship, opportunity search, creativity, developing/marketing/selling a new product, entrepreneurial characteristics, financing from family/friends/angels, valuations, ethical and legal issues in the sale of securities, and protection of intellectual property |
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