You must answer the 6 stated questions as well as upload your spreadsheet that demonstrates the answers to those questions. Dog Eat Dog World: Challenges of an Entrepreneurial Start-up The Opportunity Dwayne Clarke and Fred Munk were sitting in their weekly sales meeting with their new manager (GM) Bruce Hunter. The local pet supply company, ACME Pets, for which they both had worked more than six years, had recently been acquired by a large national company, GC Pet Supplies (GCPS). This was their 4th such meeting with the entire sales team. Dwayne and Fred had caught eyes when their Machiavellian boss (Bruce) had just announced another day and route change for delivery to a particular area. Bruce defended the change with the comment, ‘who are the customers going to get their supplies from if they don’t like it?’ GCPS had not only purchased ACME but also their only significant competitor, attaining a virtual monopoly in the region. Independently, Dwayne and Fred both thought that perhaps ‘I should be the one that the customer can go to.’ After the sales meeting Dwayne and Fred privately shared their thoughts with each other. Background Dwayne had worked for ACME Pets for nine years, starting as a warehouse labourer while he finished college. Upon graduation, the owner approached him about taking over a sales route for a departing rep. The position was perfect for him. His warm genuine personality quickly won over his customers and eventually Dwayne grew his territory to over $2 million in annual sales, one third of that office’s total. Fred had started six years earlier as a buyer and had built a strong relationship with over one hundred vendors from whom they purchased products. Fred’s philosophy was that his city was a small, expensive stop for most vendor sales reps; therefore, he was keen to give them time and listen to their presentations when they visited. He wasn’t an easy mark but he gave everyone an honest shake. Fred worked hard and simultaneously pursued an advanced management degree. His efforts paid off and he moved up the company ladder rapidly and at the time that GCPS bought ACME, he was the General Manager. As such, Fred had ample opportunity to build relationships with many of the customers and vendors that worked with ACME. However, Fred rarely had contact with Dwayne’s customers as they were already being serviced beyond company expectations. Status Quo or New Venture? As Dwayne and Fred pondered the possibility of starting a new pet supply company, they grappled with the ethics of performing any due diligence while staying employed with their eventual competitor. They decided to ask some questions and do the underlying research over the coming months. Ultimately, they had to determine at what point to terminate their employment if they felt the opportunity was worth pursuing. After 7 months, the preliminary research looked promising. They determined that the potential enterprise had merit. .