A) Pick an actual (not fictional) company. Do not pick one of the companies in Chapter 1 of the textbook: Walmart, Neiman Marcus, Payless Shoes, Tiffany & Co. Provide a web link to the webpage or Facebook page for the company you pick, so other students can find out more about it.

B) Briefly describe these four items related to your company: 1) the products/services the company provides to make money; 2) the major competitors for the company 3) the types of customers for the company; 4) the major suppliers for the company.

C) Based upon the description of Porter's generic strategies in chapter 1 (cost leadership, differentiation, or focused strategy), pick the one strategy that best fits the way your company differentiates itself from its competitors in order to better serve customers. If your business strategy is cost leadership, low costs are provided to a broad market. A differentiation strategy often involves unique products /services that can command a higher price. A focused strategy concentrates on serving the needs of the customers in specific niche markets. Justify why you think a particular generic strategy fits your company.

After you have made your discussion board posting, ask probing questions of at least two other students so you can better understand the strategy for the company they picked.