E-Loan and Lending Tree are two entrepreneurial
firms that offer lending services over the Internet.
Evaluate the features of these two companies and, for
each company:
Evaluate their characteristics and assess the extent
to which they are comparable in terms of market
commonality and resource similarity.
Based on your analysis, what strategic and/or tactical
actions might these companies take to improve
their competitive position? Could E-Loan and Lending
Tree improve their performance more through
co-opetition rather than competition? Explain your
rationale.
Using the Internet, research the Small Business
Administration's website (www.sba.gov). What different
types of financing are available to small firms?
Besides financing, what other programs are available
to support the growth and development of small
businesses?
Think of an entrepreneurial firm that has been successfully
launched in the last 10 years. What kind
of entry strategy did it use—pioneering, imitative,
or adaptive? Since the firm's initial entry, how has it used or combined overall low-cost, differentiation
and/or focus strategies?
Company E-Loan
Market Commonality
Resource Similarity
Lending Tree
Company E-Loan
Strategic Actions
Tectical Actions
Lending Tree
Select an entrepreneurial firm you are familiar with
in your local community. Research the company and
discuss how it has positioned itself relative to its close
competitors. Does it have a unique strategic advantage?
Disadvantage? Explain.
