1uptoys: Breaking into the global toy industry

This case chronicles the start-up of 1uptoys, a Dutch start-up that aims to commercialize innovative electronic music toys in the highly competitive toy business. It examines the challenges resource-limited start-ups face when attempting to introduce a consumer product onto a market characterized by a highly concentrated seasonality, and short product life cycles.

In a race against time to meet the deadline for delivery of 1uptoys’ prototypes to its Chinese manufacturing partner the founder, Ronald Mannak, goes through a series of setbacks as he tries and fails to findthe necessary funding to pay the wages of his team and complete the prototypes. The future of the company is left on a knife-edge.

Written by Armand Smits and Wynand Bodewes from Maastricht University and Maastricht Centre for Entrepreneurship. Download the case and teaching note at www.thecasecentre.org or request them from w.bodewes@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Ready to tack? The case of Jurofoon

The Jurofoon case follows the development of Jurofoon, a Dutch venture founded by three graduates of Maastricht University (the Netherlands). Jurofoon provides legal advice by phone to private clients. Jurofoon’s success depends a lot on good marketing. It needs to generate and maintain sufficient market recognition to provide a continuously growing stream of telephone calls.

The case describes a day in Jurofoon’s history when it is facing three major challenges.  First, the founders will have a meeting with a consortium interested in providing an additional investment of 2 M€ in exchange for equity of Jurofoon. However, the consortium is only willing to invest this if Jurofoon adapts its business model in a way that will make it an attractive acquisition target. Second, one of the founders of Jurofoon and the only one of them with a legal background, has announced that he wants to quit. Finally, on the coming Monday a television program that addresses consumer problems will have a story on Jurofoon. The makers of the TV program have been monitoring the advice Jurofoon has been giving its customers. They will present their results claiming that most of Jurofoon’s advice is wrong…

Written by Gert Poppe and Wynand Bodewes from Maastricht University and Maastricht Centre for Entrepreneurship. Download the full case and teaching note at www.thecasecentre.org or request them from g.poppe@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Petosan: Helping dogs to a longer life

There is an estimated 1 billion dogs in the world today. Every day, about one million dogs are born. The US has the largest number of dogs. Dog owners around the world spend enormous amounts annually on dog food, as well on accessories and visits to veterinarians. Strangely enough, dogs’ oral hygiene has not been much in focus, while studies show that poor oral hygiene might shorten a dog’s life with many years. Based on these studies, veterinarians strongly recommend that dogs have their teeth cleaned regularly. Until a few years ago, this was normally done by veterinarians only, involving costly visits to veterinarian clinics, and often dogs had to have anaesthetics in order to have the job done. Some years ago, Ole Barman, son of the inventor of the famous three-headed tooth brush for human beings, developed this idea, and the result was a tooth brush for dogs. The brush is so simple to use, that the owners now can perform adequate cleaning of the dogs’ teeth at home. Could he repeat his father’s formula? And would investors give funds to grow in the pet market?

Written by Tor Aase Johannessen from Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration. Download case and teaching note at www.thecasecentre.org or request them from Tor.Johannessen@nhh.no.