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“The Little Red Hen” As she left her class on economics, the little red hen had a spark of intuition. She decided to found a multinational corporation, one which sold bread and other food products worldwide. “This global conglomerate will be the darling of Wall street,” she thought to herself. Dreams of sales in the millions danced through her head as she walked away from the graduate school where she was earning her degree. The little red hen had many titles- mother, student and now entrepreneur. With enough work, she could transform her dream into reality; her idea could be translated into millions in revenue and a future of financial security for her and her children. After leaving school, she picked up her two chicks from soccer practice. Once her children were home, the little red hen drove to the bank. She walked inside and asked to speak to a loan officer. She had prepared a business proposition outlining her plans. It was a well-thought out, professional presentation which showed that she was highly educated and very intelligent. This was a clear moneymaker, but the loan officer seemed to overlook this fact. “Will you approve the loan?” she asked. “Not I,” said the loan officer. The little red hen went home and logged on the Internet using a high-speed connection. She visited an online bank she had seen advertised on her HD-TV. Within minutes, she was approved for a loan, thus securing the funds needed to begin her company. With this news in mind, she visited the first of her business partners, the duck. Her business partner was excited, knowing that once the company was off and running, she was sure to see a profit. But first, someone must find the necessary equipment to begin production. “Will you purchase the machinery we need for the factory?” asked the little red hen. “ Not I,” said the duck, “ But I’d be willing to discuss a profit sharing plan.” So the little red hen made a few calls on her cell phone and secured the latest in high tech robotics for use in automated factories. Soon she was off again, this time she was going to visit her second business partner, the cat. The little red hen needed help organizing a method for delivering the baked goods. “Will you help me create a shipping department?” asked the little red hen. “Not I,” said the cat. “But I am willing to discuss stock options.” Once again the little red hen was forced to take the lead. She signed a contract with Federal Express, who would ship her products globally using delivery trucks and airplanes. By now the little red hen was tired. She decided to contact another business partner, an expert on e-commerce, from home. She set up a video conference call and began discussing business. “Will you set up the company’s website, from which customers can place orders for goods directly?” asked the little red hen. “Not I,” said the dog, an Internet expert. “But I’d be willing to take a position as director of online marketing.” As usual, the little red hen was left to do the necessary work on her own. At this point the little red hen was ready to contact her last business partner, the pig. She emailed him from her home office. “Will you set up a hotline for consumer questions and complaints?” she asked. “Not I,” replied the pig in an Instant Message. “But I’d be willing to be head of consumer affairs.” So the little red hen set up this department on her own as well. Soon many weeks had passed and the company was up and running. The little red hen had also graduated from business school, earning an MBA. The product launch date soon arrived. It was the first official day of business. “Would you like to purchase some high quality baked goods?” asked the little red hen in a TV and Internet add campaign. “Yes we would!” responded the consumers, and they did. Suddenly the little red hen’s corporation was making millions, and the company’s stock soared. She was now the successful owner and CEO of a large multinational corporation. The little red hen was now stable financially. “Can we share in your profits?” asked all of her prior business associates, seeking high paying positions. “No,” replied the hen. “But I think we have a few openings in the mail room.” |
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National Engineers Week Foundation
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