$1.$ How is management universal?

$2.$ What are some of the skills that an entrepreneur must possess?

$3.$ What challenges might confront a Mexican manager transferred to Canada to manage a

manufacturing plant in Winnipeg? Will these be the same for a Canadian manager transferred to Guadalajara, Mexico? Explain

$4.$ Case study$-$ Questions at the end

Shopify

It may surprise you that two snowboard enthusiasts who simply wanted a better way to sell their snowboards online created an ecommerce platform that now has over $600000$ merchants in $175$ countries, including Pixar, Angry Birds, and the Foo Fighters. Shopify became Canada$$s first Internet startup since the dot$-$com crash to reach a billion$-$dollar valuation, thanks to $$100$ million in venture capital raised primarily through the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System $($OMERS Ventures$).$

Tobias L$$tke$,$ CEO and cofounder, has created a business that allows companies of all sizes to set up online stores, simplifying a task that used to take months and trimming it down to as little as half an hour. Shopify takes care of everything behind the scenes in return for a subscription fee and transaction fees. A typical Shopify customer spends less than $$100$ per month for the software use, a drop in the bucket compared to the cost to retailers a few years ago to operate an ecommerce site. Retailers using Shopify have made more than $$63$ billion in sales.

$$I think everyone in the company has a sense Shopify is doing well,$$ said L$$tke$,$ noting that the $3000+$ employees own a significant chunk of the firm. $$Most don$$t realize how well it$$s going.$$ Joining the $$unicorn club$$ by reaching the $$1-$billion level is very rare. In the past decade only $40$ tech firms, including Facebook and Twitter, have reached this elusive level.

Shopify has been doubling in size every year for the past four years and has emerged as the poster child of a group of online software providers who have substantially reduced the cost of ecommerce, enabling even small companies to build a commanding web presence. The accolades have poured in$,$ with Shopify featured as one of Fast Company$$s $50$ Most Innovative Companies.

Shopify focuses on developing entrepreneurs, both internally and externally. It launched a Build$-$A$-$Business contest, inviting online entrepreneurs to dream up something to sell using Shopify and compete to bring in the most revenue within two months for the chance to win more than $$500000$ in prizes. $$Our first two competitions were extremely successful. In total $4438$ new businesses were created, selling over $$15$ million worth of products,$$ said L$$tke$.$ Harley Finkelstein, Shopify$$s chief platform officer, is a judge for the Future Entrepreneurial Leaders $($FuEL$)$ Awards.

Shopify$$s commitment to its people is evident even in the little details. It has moved its head office for the second time in a year to accommodate its recently doubled workforce. Its new office is in Ottawa$$s trendy Byward Market area, so staff members have a great variety of fun places to eat and play after work. The office itself is a mix of glass and exposed brick, with open concept workspaces.

Shopify has many benefits and perks, including very popular company video$-$game tournaments, share options for all employees, daily catered lunches, and even the chance to go to any conference at the company$$s expense. They believe employees will produce their best work when they can wear their choice of clothing, start work later in the morning, and play video games whenever they need a break.

$$Our mission continues to be to make it as easy as possible for retailers of all sizes to start and run a business online,$$ said L$$tke$.$ That mission also extends to its employees$$hardworking$,$ talented individuals who get things done and always push themselves to improve.

Discussion Questions

$$ As a company gets bigger, does it become harder to stay innovative? Why or why not? Write your answer based on Shopify case study.

$$ Do the perks at Shopify appeal to you? If so$,$ why? If not, what perks would you prefer at workplace?