Pre-Impressions
I do not know much about tobacco or the tobacco business, so I am interested in learning more about it at the tobacco museum. I expect that we will learn about the process of how tobacco is grown, processed and then eventually sold. We will probably learn about the business strategy of this tobacco shop and whether or not they sell their tobacco internationally. I also expect that we will learn more about how small businesses are run and how they can compete with larger and more well-known companies.
Post-Impressions
I enjoyed the tour of the tobacco museum and learning more about the tobacco business. We began by watching a video about tobacco, from growing it to harvesting and processing it. Then we were able to tour a few small rooms that contained items such as uniquely-shaped pipes, tobacco packaging equipment and other tobacco-related items. Then, we watched the owner's son demonstrate how the tobacco packages were filled. I was a little surprised by the amount of work that goes into selling tobacco, especially at a smaller company like this one. Just the packaging alone takes time as everything is done by hand using old equipment. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the equipment in use and learning about their business and how it is growing internationally.
Vincent Manil has used the entry strategy of exporting to grow his business internationally. This strategy has some advantages, including being low-risk, an easy business to leave, and a business that does not require a lot of capital. However, the disadvantage of this strategy is that it is the one that will result in the least amount of growth in international business, compared to the other types of entry strategies. Another strategy that the company could use is entering into a strategic alliance. This would allow the company to work closely with another company in order to grow both businesses. For example, the tobacco shop could partner with other tobacco companies or with tobacco shops. This way, the company could utilize the other company's resources in order to expand its own business. A disadvantage of this option is that there is the risk that the partner will drop out of the alliance, which would harm the tobacco company and negatively affect its distribution and revenues (Gaspar Chapter 8). The company is ethical in doing business by placing a large warning label on each package of tobacco that they sell that explains the dangers of smoking tobacco to your health. They do not just ignore the fact that their product can cause health problems, but clearly warn their customers about their product's risks. They are not willing to add preservatives because they want to maintain the purity of their products. This seems to be a form of social responsibility because they are keeping their tobacco as natural as they can, which may help reduce some of the health risks that tobacco can cause.
http://www.tabac-semois.com/manufacture.html
I do not know much about tobacco or the tobacco business, so I am interested in learning more about it at the tobacco museum. I expect that we will learn about the process of how tobacco is grown, processed and then eventually sold. We will probably learn about the business strategy of this tobacco shop and whether or not they sell their tobacco internationally. I also expect that we will learn more about how small businesses are run and how they can compete with larger and more well-known companies.
Post-Impressions
I enjoyed the tour of the tobacco museum and learning more about the tobacco business. We began by watching a video about tobacco, from growing it to harvesting and processing it. Then we were able to tour a few small rooms that contained items such as uniquely-shaped pipes, tobacco packaging equipment and other tobacco-related items. Then, we watched the owner's son demonstrate how the tobacco packages were filled. I was a little surprised by the amount of work that goes into selling tobacco, especially at a smaller company like this one. Just the packaging alone takes time as everything is done by hand using old equipment. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the equipment in use and learning about their business and how it is growing internationally.
Vincent Manil has used the entry strategy of exporting to grow his business internationally. This strategy has some advantages, including being low-risk, an easy business to leave, and a business that does not require a lot of capital. However, the disadvantage of this strategy is that it is the one that will result in the least amount of growth in international business, compared to the other types of entry strategies. Another strategy that the company could use is entering into a strategic alliance. This would allow the company to work closely with another company in order to grow both businesses. For example, the tobacco shop could partner with other tobacco companies or with tobacco shops. This way, the company could utilize the other company's resources in order to expand its own business. A disadvantage of this option is that there is the risk that the partner will drop out of the alliance, which would harm the tobacco company and negatively affect its distribution and revenues (Gaspar Chapter 8). The company is ethical in doing business by placing a large warning label on each package of tobacco that they sell that explains the dangers of smoking tobacco to your health. They do not just ignore the fact that their product can cause health problems, but clearly warn their customers about their product's risks. They are not willing to add preservatives because they want to maintain the purity of their products. This seems to be a form of social responsibility because they are keeping their tobacco as natural as they can, which may help reduce some of the health risks that tobacco can cause.
http://www.tabac-semois.com/manufacture.html