Effectual Entrepreneurship, Third Edition
Practically Speaking
Disposable Income
The business model of this diaper company is tightly linked to the preferences and aspirations of customers, partners, and employees.
Entity: gDiapers
Country: USA
Pages 321-322 in
Chapter 19 Business Plans and Business Models (pp. 312 to 334)
"g Diapers makes completely biodegradable and flushable baby diapers based on these business plan elements:
• Revenue model. gDiapers generates sales revenue by selling products to grocery and apparel retail chains and to consumers from its website gdiapers.com. Retailers order crate-size shipments with return rights; consumers order starter and refill packs.
• Operating approach. The company focuses on the design and marketing of the product and packaging, sourcing the components from suppliers who ship finished, boxed product to the main office.
• People approach. Critical talent needs are design, creative marketing in two different arenas (channel marketing and online marketing), and supply chain management. These skills are all in-house, and the company accesses additional talent in technical design through partners.
• Differentiators. The key differentiation is the 100% eco-friendly disposable diaper with unique style. The company has also cultivated relationships with a large group of remarkably passionate users online who help manage channel opportunities and sell products online.
This is clearly a summary of the business, a glimpse at the critical components gDiapers must master to be successful in its current endeavors. However, it offers a clear idea about the risk and opportunities facing this company."
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Video Resources
References & Links
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- Howard Schultz. (n.d.-a). Schultz Family Foundation. Retrieved April 20, 2025, from https://schultzfamilyfoundation.org/team-member/howard-schultz/
- Howard Schultz. (n.d.-b). Forbes. Retrieved April 20, 2025, from https://www.forbes.com/profile/howard-schultz/
- Howard Schultz. (2025). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Howard_Schultz&oldid=1285405168
- Howard Schultz: An Overview of the Entrepreneur’s Career - 2025. (n.d.-c). MasterClass. Retrieved April 20, 2025, from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/howard-schultz-life-and-career
- hpeiper. (2018, September 4). Schultz to young entrepreneurs: ‘It can happen for you’. Starbucks Stories EMEA. https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2018/bocconni-university/
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- Starbucks’s Howard Schultz: From Coffee Entrepreneur to Three-Time CEO. (n.d.). WSJ. Retrieved April 20, 2025, from https://www.wsj.com/story/starbuckss-howard-schultz-from-coffee-entrepreneur-to-three-time-ceo-439768fc
- Taylor, K. (2017, December 13). From Brooklyn to Billionaire: The Story of How Howard Schultz Transformed Starbucks Into an $84 Billion Business. Inc. https://www.inc.com/business-insider/howard-schultz-chairman-former-ceo-starbucks-successful-billionaire-coffee.html
- The Man Behind Starbucks Reveals How He Changed the World—YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnA7n9qSB7E&t=255s