Sakura Eikaiwa 2014

Abstract

Small enterprises often run into problems with growth. This is especially true when it is the first start-up for the entrepreneur. When grow reaches a plateau, what is the next best step? How should internal capabilities be analyzed against market conditions that may have changed since the company was founded? Even worse, what happens when the dilemma of stagnant growth is compounded by a serious financial problem that threatens the existence of the company? Entrepreneurs are not all geniuses like Sergey Brin or Elon Musk - but ordinary people who aren't afraid of dealing with problems, accepting challenges, and taking on a little risk while having the drive and creativity to make solutions. This case looks at the way a real small business in the foreign language industry in Japan successfully resolved this issue. Students learn how internal data was collected, organized, and analyzed with 4P growth and other growth frameworks to identify and execute creative solutions. The case provides questions for a variety of activities and discussions. Ultimately, this is a practical exercise that will teach students the importance of planning ahead and collecting information, and give them frameworks to be creative for their own start-up, business development planning, or strategic management. Actual results are included with this case.

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