Curves International, Which Was Founded in 1992 by Gary Heavin

question 23

Multiple Choice

Curves International, which was founded in 1992 by Gary Heavin, is a fitness center just for women. At the time Curves was founded, most fitness centers targeted fitness enthusiasts and included a number of amenities, ranging from showers and towel service to swimming pools. Rather than competing head-to-head against these centers, Heavin opened a fitness center targeted towards what he felt was an ignored part of the marketplace: women who wanted to lose weight. The best way to describe how Heavin's business idea was recognized is:

• A) brainstorming
• B) talking to consumers
• C) reading industry reports
• D) observing trends
• E) finding a gap in the marketplace

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Definitions:

Working Capital

The measure of a company's liquidity, efficiency, and its short-term financial health, calculated as current assets minus current liabilities.

Externalities

Costs or benefits that affect parties who did not choose to incur that cost or benefit, often related to environmental, public health, or economic activities.

Net Present Value (NPV)

A calculation used to assess the profitability of an investment, measuring the difference between the present value of its cash inflows and outflows.

Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

The rate of growth a project is expected to generate, calculated as the discount rate that makes the net present value (NPV) of all cash flows equal to zero.