Case 2 Able Planet How can a small company find capital to finance an innovative new product? V enture capitalist Kevin Semcken discovered Able Planet, a small startup in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, that produces headphones with an imbedded magnetic coil to enhance sound quality, at a technology conference in Denver, Colorado. Semcken, who suffers from a hearing loss in one ear, was intrigued and tested the small company’s product by listening to Dean Martin’s “You’re Nobody ’Til Somebody Loves You.” “I was instantly a fan,” he says. Semcken invested in Able Planet and soon became the company’s CEO and chairman. Two years later, the company’s unique noise-cancelling Linx headphones won an award for innovation at the Consumer Electronics Show, and orders began pouring in. In no time, the company’s annual revenue reached $2 million. Semcken was pleased with Able Planet’s progress, but he had a bigger vision for the company. Inspired by stents, balloonlike devices used in medical procedures to clear blocked arteries, Semcken came up with the idea of earphones that incorporated an inflatable disk that could conform perfectly to the size and shape of a person’s ear canal. The result would be a set of earphones that fit snugly into the ear canal, stay in place even during strenuous activity, and block out ambient noise. He even had a great name for the product: Sound Fit. Semcken saw the potential for Sound Fit not only to improve substantially the performance of earphones, but also to revolutionize the design of other products, such as Bluetooth headsets and hearing aids. He had lined up 30 potential customers who were interested in learning more about the innovative earphones and had convinced them to sign nondisclosure agreements. What Semcken needed now was financing so that Able Planet could manufacture production-quality prototypes of the Sound Fit earphones and generate orders. Then Able Planet’s banker called with bad news. The bank was changing the terms of Able Planet’s $2.5 million line of credit. Under the new terms, the bank would no longer finance the upfront cost of raw materials and manufacturing. Semcken was stunned because even though Able Planet was not yet cash flow positive, the company had always made its payments to the bank on time for the last 3 years. Without a flexible line of credit, Able Planet would not be able to purchase the materials and manufacture the headphones that its retail customers, 812 including Costco and Walmart, demanded. The credit line restriction came at the worst possible time. Able Planet was gearing up for the late-spring graduation season, its second biggest sales period of the year after Christmas. The company normally cranked up production for the crucial back-to-school and Christmas seasons (which account for 60 percent of its sales) during the summer, but the bank’s new restrictions on its line of credit put its most lucrative sales seasons in jeopardy. Semcken met with Able Planet’s two board members, Rob Cascella and Steve Parker, both of whom are investors in the company. They advised him to put the Sound Fit earphones on hold for the time being and to focus on increasing sales of Linx headphones. Without a way to finance production of the headphones, however, Semcken knew that opening new retail accounts and increasing production would be impossible. He needed $1.5 million to finance current operations for Linx, build the Sound Fit prototypes, and market both products to new and existing customers. Semcken traveled around the country to call on 15 different banks, but none of them was interested in making a loan. A crisis in the financial markets had all but slammed shut the lending window at most commercial banks. Semcken pondered his options. Questions 1. Experts say that entrepreneurs who need between $100,000 and $3 million often face the greatest obstacles when raising capital for their businesses. Why? 2. How should Kevin Semcken raise the $1.5 million in capital that Able Planet needs? Be sure to consider sources of both debt and equity financing. 3. Write a short memo to Kevin Semcken explaining what he should do before he approaches potential lenders and investors to maximize his chances of getting the capital that Able Planet needs. Sources: Based on Jamie Kripke, “Case Study: Able Planet,” Inc., July–August 2009, pp. 58–61; “About Us,” Able Planet, www.ableplanet.com/ aboutus.html. Assignment-3 MGT402 – Entrepreneurship and Small Business Course Name: Entrepreneurship and Small Business Course Code: - MGT 402 Student’s Name: Semester: I CRN:13363 Student’s ID Number: Academic Year: 1443/1444 H For Instructor’s Use only Instructor’s Name: Students’ Grade: Marks Obtained/Out of Level of Marks: High/Middle/Low Instructions – PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY • The Assignment must be submitted on Blackboard (WORD format only) via allocated folder. • Assignments submitted through email will not be accepted. • Students are advised to make their work clear and well presented, marks may be reduced for poor presentation. This includes filling your information on the cover page. • Students must mention question number clearly in their answer. • Read carefully Grading Rubric below for specific criteria: 0-5 Marks • Late submission will NOT be accepted. • Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from students or other resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions. • All answered must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, double-spaced) font. No pictures containing text will be accepted and will be considered plagiarism). • Submissions without this cover page will NOT be accepted. Assignment – 3 Entrepreneurship and Small Business Submission Date by students: Before the end of Week- 13th Place of Submission: Students Grade Centre Weight: 05 Marks Course Learning Outcome: 1. Demonstrate a solid understanding of the potential of entrepreneur in today's competitive business world. (Lo 1.2). 2. Design a solid projected financial Plan and conduct a breakeven analysis for a small company. (Lo 2.5). 3. Demonstrate a thorough understanding regarding the importance of cash management for the success of a small business. (Lo 2.8). Assignment Workload: This assignment is an individual assignment. Case Study Students are supposed to read the attached Case 2- Able Planet. Based on your understanding of the case and basic concepts of Entrepreneurship. Answer the following question: 1. Experts say that entrepreneurs who need between $100,000 and $3 million often face the greatest obstacles when raising capital for their businesses. Why? (1.5 marks) 2. How should Kevin Semcken raise the $1.5 million in capital that Able Planet needs? Be sure to consider sources of both debt and equity financing. (1.5 marks) 3. Write a short memo to Kevin Semcken explaining what he should do before he approaches potential lenders and investors to maximize his chances of getting the capital that Able Planet needs. (2 marks) The Answer must follow the outline points below: • Each answer should be within 200 to 500 range of word counts. • Reference Note: You can support your answer by the course book. You can use secondary source available on internet. Answer: 1. 2. 3.
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