Discussion Board Post

BUSI 561

Discussion Board Forum 3 Case Study

Starting and Naming a Business

Shania Jackson is a mature Christian thinking of opening a Christian coffeehouse near Denver, Colorado. Her husband, Marvin, is open to making a contribution of capital to the business, but he has no interest in participating in its operation or management.

Shania’s sister, Kelsey, is a new Christian who has told Shania that she’s been looking for an excuse to get out of the house and would love to be a part of the business. Kelsey’s husband, a non-Christian, opposes his wife’s involvement and has told her that he expects her to remain a stay-at-home mom to their two children, ages 13 and 15.

Shania’s neighbor, Carlos, is a non-Christian who has also expressed an interest in participating in the business as a way to earn extra income. Carlos thinks the “Christian thing” has potential with all the big churches in the area, including a Mormon temple and a large Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In researching the coffee business, Shania comes across a few franchise opportunities, some of which would require her to adopt the franchise name and trade dress, as well as others that would only require her to move into a turn-key facility and agree to purchase a certain volume of product every month for a period of at least 10 years. Both types of franchises offer training for her and any staff she might hire.

Shania has considered organizing her business as a sole proprietorship, a partnership of some sort, a corporation of some sort, an LLC, or even a joint venture. She is thinking of calling the business “The Gathering Place.”