Early-Stage Business Vignettes

In the spring of 2007, four budding companies were in the very early phase of their development. These entrepreneurial ventures illustrate the variety and breadth of new business ideas that can be pursued, and the unique issues that need to be tackled in order to turn each concept into a sustainable, profitable business. The case briefly describes each of the four companies—a footwear manufacturing company, a primary healthcare provider, a medical device, and a technology platform for creating biofuels and chemical products—in terms of the product or service being offered and the market being addressed.