Introduction
The opportunities of both small trading firms specializing in the sale of computer equipment and big corporations that produce large amounts of software are usually limited to consumption. A particular company can actively work to achieve the goals set in advance and strive to increase the number of selling points, increase the percentage of profits, etc. However, if the purchasing power is low enough, no innovations will help to gain world recognition and success. In the case of Flash that was introduced in the world market in the late 1990s, the situation is almost classical. The creators of this brand started their business from the very beginning, developing their product and gradually increasing the volumes of production and sales. Despite the fact that Flash did not become bankrupt and did not suffer a complete collapse, it failed to break out into the leaders in the field of sales and supply of computer equipment, namely, storage systems. Therefore, the work of experienced professionals who desire to achieve great success is not always enough to develop a company into a large market facility that is capable of operating huge amounts of money, producing goods in large volumes, and selling shares for very large sums of money.
History of Flash Formation and Development
As has already been mentioned, for the first time, the company appeared in the market in the late 1990s. Flash was founded by four computer engineers, which were later joined by two more. It was these six people who began to work hard to turn a small and unknown company selling computer components into a pro-market participant that can successfully compete. Their detachment was distinguished by persistence and purposefulness, which helped young people to develop their business and not to fail.
Gradually, Flash specialists managed to gain the recognition of many consumers and successfully become a part of the market. Nevertheless, the company has always experienced some difficulties, and most of them were related to finances. To open points of sale and business development, the founders of Flash used the services of a bank that was not always willing to meet young people and sometimes refused substantial assistance. Not having enough financial support, Flash was often on the verge of disappearing from the market. However, its managers always were able to find funds and help the company to continue its activities.
Certainly, for several years of active work, Flash became a company that was recognized. It could not be compared with such giant corporations as Samsung, Intel, etc., but its successes were also noticeable. The number of sales gradually increased, the company began to sell shares; however, the growth rate was rather insignificant. It cannot be claimed that once the Flash business went up sharply and the founders of the company achieved an incredible success of their product. The share of profit rose, but for several years of work in the computer technology market, this amount was rather low, and the company did not receive global recognition as a very successful and rapidly developing corporation. Perhaps, that is why its creators faced the problem of financing and mistrust on the part of the bank. As a result, a number of rather uncomfortable proposals were made to the founders of Flash, but the company’s members had to accept certain offers for the financing to continue and the firm not to become bankrupt. Perhaps, otherwise, the company could not continue to exist even at the local level.
Exit from the Crisis
The members of Flash had the opportunity to continue their activities and sell shares. At the same time, the bank demanded almost complete control over all their operations, obviously, in order to be convinced of the actual volume of profits and expenses. Based on the initial plans of the company, the leaders of Flash predicted that in 2012, the value of all sold goods would be about 81.10% of the total sales. Nevertheless, the board of directors of the company was concerned about the amount of increasing debt and was not sure that the specialists of the company would be able to implement the most effective working strategies for overcoming the crisis. Flash had to sell its shares at the cost offered by the bank, sales growth gradually slowed, and the company lost the opportunity for rapid development and successful entry into the international arena. Such a plan of formation proves once again that sufficient funding and relevant innovations play a virtually key role in the development of business and are fundamental components of success.
Evaluation of the Flash Activities
Despite quite a significant advancement in the market of computer equipment, it is evident that Flash did not achieve the success that they had planned from the very beginning. Perhaps, one of the primary reasons is too high competition in the conditions of limited scope and highly specialized products. The beginning of the 20th century was the time of mass popularization of computers and component materials. Thus, in the context of a rather wide variety of materials, Flash became one of the companies that, despite numerous efforts, failed to quickly break out into the leaders in its field.
Also, the strategic management of the firm can raise some questions. For example, advertising campaigns that have always been considered a successful mechanism for impact on the consumer could have been carried out in much larger quantities. Perhaps, if the company had spent more money on popularizing its products, in particular, recognizing the brand of Flash, it is possible that sales volumes could have grown, and the bank’s employees would have appreciated the marketing activities of the company’s specialists.
Attention could also have been drawn to the issues of innovation. If the Flash leadership had taken care of the timely introduction of modern and relevant methods for assembling and updating new equipment, it is possible that new products would have aroused greater interest among consumers and would have taken flagship positions in the world market. The emergence of new products would certainly have been of interest to not only consumers but also sponsors who could have evaluated the potential of Flash and invest in the development of the company. However, judging by the sales volume, the Flash’s specialists did not have sufficient equipment; therefore, the sales volume and consumer interest were not above average.
Possible Solution to the Company’s Problems
As a possible solution to some of the difficulties encountered by Flash specialists, it is possible to resort to finding potential sponsors. For achieving this aim, the firm should prove that its current success is intermediate, and further development is quite possible. One of the ways to achieve this goal is to produce goods taking into account the interests of modern consumers with an emphasis on a younger audience. Certainly, today, almost everyone uses electronic devices and other information carriers. Nevertheless, young people are more familiar with technology and different innovations than the older generation. Therefore, the study of the interests of this population group will help develop new samples that can attract buyers and, consequently, new sponsors who will be ready to help with production. Such a measure, in its turn, will make a significant contribution to the development of the company’s activities and maybe the beginning of its new path.
Another potentially successful way out of a temporary crisis is to unite with another brand. As experience shows, some companies work in cooperation and produce goods under a common brand. Perhaps, such a step would allow Flash to get more financing for the production of its goods and gain the possibility of growth even though working in tandem with another firm. If such an association is successful, the management of Flash will surely be able to further direct the company’s work in accordance with the current market needs and achieve significant results.
Conclusion
Thus, the activities of experienced professionals who desire to achieve great success are not always the only possible way to gain the world’s recognition and produce goods in large volumes. On the example of Flash, it is possible to see that certain factors determine the level of sales and the interest of potential sponsors. In order to find possible solutions to the problems that have arisen, it is essential to analyze the company’s activities and draw certain conclusions about possible changes. The search for sponsors and the popularization of goods can help to solve current difficulties and promote further sales growth.