PROJECT VIII Eating In a Having been employed by the same company for more than 20 years, Mary Lou Lively was shocked when she was suddenly terminated along with about 900 of her co-workers. It took Lively a few weeks to recover from the shock, and then she finally began focusing her efforts on searching for new job. Lively was sure her loyal employment history and strong skill set would land her a new job in no time; however, after several months of searching, she wasn't having any luck. With her emergency funds quickly being depleted, Lively knew she had to find a new job soon or she'd need to start selling her assets or cashing in her retirement savings. The one positive aspect of having so much free time was that she could focus on her true passion, cooking. Mary Lou began making a little money by catering lunches and dinners for local businesses and neighbors. One day she overheard a neighbor remark that she was hosting a large party and didn't have enough time to prepare the meal. Almost jokingly, Lively asked her how much she'd be willing to pay for a catered event. Soon Lively was catering for numerous neighbors and small busi- nesses, and she knew she had make a decision about whether she would go into business for herself or continue searching for other employment. After a year in the catering business, Lively was earning a good living and building a stellar reputa- tion. She began catering for all types of events, including weddings, and business was so good that she hired several employees to help grow her business. As Lively begins to plan her expansion, she has asked for your help in answering the following questions: 1. How important is customer loyalty for Lively's business? What can she do to ensure that her customers remain loyal? How could one disgruntled customer hurt business? What can she do to combat this challenge? 2. Research the business Yelp.com. What service does Yelp.com perform? Would a small business see Yelp.com as an opportunity or a threat? What are the pros and cons a customer should be aware of when using Yelp.com? 3. Lively's responsibilities include forecasting, inventory control, scheduling, and ensuring high- quality products. What types of forecasts would she require to run her business? What types of inventory would she want to track? What might happen if her inventory tracking tool was off by 50 percent? What types of schedules does Lively need to generate? What things might occur to cations: Business Communications