Mr Marcus McGowan MSc PgDip BA (Hons)

This Business Education Learning Blog is aimed primarily at Higher Business Management students/teachers and ICT students/teachers.

The aim of this blog is to provide you with interesting articles, news, trivia as well as resources or links to materials which will help in your course of study.

I am a Teacher of Business Education and I have written for Education Scotland and BBC Bitesize.

If you'd like to contact me please click on the link to: email me

Monday 28 April 2014

Walmart facts that will amaze

And some astonishing facts about Walmart!

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/crazy-facts-about-walmart-2012-11?op=1

 

Facts about McDonald's

Some interesting facts about the World’s Biggest Fast Food restaurant.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/19-facts-about-mcdonalds-that-will-blow-your-mind-2012-4?op=1

 

Hawick Knitwear

Watched the new Troubleshooter series with Lord Digby Jones. The episode concerning Hawick Knitwear was interesting, but not too entertaining.

 

http://www.drapersonline.com/news/hawick-knitwear-plots-global-growth-following-bbc-show/5059066.article#.U14WDkZwa5c

 

It did however highlight some issues which are taught in our lessons. The need for growth and expansion especially in the Japanese and Chinese market. It also briefly showed production processes and mentioned premium pricing.

 

It wasn’t a patch on the classic original series which starred Sir John Harvey Jones. I still remember seeing the Triang episode at University, and the poor beleaguered Sydney, the MD, who can’t come to terms with the future. It was the first time I had ever seen baffling diversification… a toy company involved in garden furniture! Oh how I wish I could show that to pupils! Perhaps with the wonder of Youtube I can.

Thursday 24 April 2014

The End of the Oil Era?

Could it be that Solar Power will overtake the fossil fuels as the most common energy source shortly?

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/10755598/Global-solar-dominance-in-sight-as-science-trumps-fossil-fuels.html?fb

 

If this is the case, think of the implications for the Middle East in particular. Dubai are already well on the way to diversifying and preparing for life after the oil, as is Qatar. What of Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries?

Revision syllabus for National 5 Business Management

I have put a revision syllabus for the exam on my relatively new N5 blog:

 

http://national5businessmanagement.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Business of Football - Why Manchester United had to sack David Moyes - Part 2

Following on from talk of the finances which played a part in the dismissal of David Moyes comes this article which implies the same:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2611067/David-Moyes-sacking-saved-Manchester-United-financial-meltdown.html

 

Leadership Lessons from the Manchester United

Forbes magazine have identified Ten Key Leadership Lessons that should be learned from the crisis at Manchester United.

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewcave/2014/04/22/ten-leadership-lessons-from-manchester-uniteds-hiring-and-firing-of-david-moyes/?utm_campaign=forbestwittersf&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

 

It is great to come out with this sort of thing in hindsight, however, personally I do believe they needed someone more experienced and with a more glittering CV. I do also think that for both the Manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the CEO David Gill to stand down at the same time was perhaps misguided.

 

The situation at Manchester United is fascinating both students and myself due to the fact we went there in November for the Stadium Tour and received an excellent business presentation. The club are trying to be like a Fortune 500 company and perhaps they are now seeing all the inherent problems such size and expectation brings once the successful leader moves on.

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Business of Football - Why Manchester United had to sack David Moyes

It is no surprise to any of our school trip that went to Old Trafford in November to see that Manchester United have parted company with David Moyes. To finish outside the Champions League spots is just unthinkable. Not because United have a divine right to European football, but more in terms of the money situation.

Man Utd are a money machine. They are the world’s biggest sports brand. Okay so they still had a debt of £436.9 million as at 30 June 2012, but they have deals with AON bringing in £20 million a year, Nike (£23 million) and Chevrolet, another £28 million to name a few. But the Broadcasting Revenue the club makes from Europe and the Premier League (as well as endorsements because they could say they were the Champions is somewhere in the region of £60 million plus.

 

However expenses and costs go up to, as witnessed by Wayne Rooney signing an incredible £300,000 a week deal.

 

Basically, a business like United need to maintain their success in order to keep the income streams coming in. After a poor year like they have had on the pitch, no other big firm would keep things they way they were. Imagine if Coca Cola dropped from being number one to seventh? It is unthinkable. Or if Apple had a terrible year of sales for iPhones and iPads? The CEO would step down. Football at this level is no different.

 

And I am sorry to say, it is the financial side of football which has done for Moyes. Managers cannot and indeed will not be given the time that perhaps they need to build a winning team. Instant success is needed by the big clubs and in Manchester United’s case, the big businesses.

End of the iPod?

Times change quick in the electronics business and indeed in the music business:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25927366?ocid=socialflow_twitter

 

Tuesday 1 April 2014

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