Since Richard and Maurice McDonald founded in 1948, McDonald's has grown from a small restaurant in California to one of the world's most recognized brands with a chain of outlets spanning the globe . For more than 50 years, McDonald's has defined the fast food industry, indelibly imprinting its golden arches logo on the face of American and global culture through icons like the Ronald McDonald character and the Big Mac sandwich. Millions of people have started their first job at McDonalds, while even more began having the chain redefine their eating habits. Concepts such as the drive-thru window were introduced alongside the Happy Meal for kids to provide a quick, convenient and fun meal. Ray Kroc, salesman who brought his marketing skills, giving new meaning to the fastfood business. He successfully exploited McDonald's and invented a mix that spread throughout the United States. McDonald's has more than 30,000 restaurants in over 119 countries. By 2002 they had served over 16 billion customers and counting. McDonald's marks fourth consecutive year of strong comparable global sales. (www.mcdonalds.com) Global comparable sales increased 7.2 percent in December, on top of the 5.0 percent increase achieved in December 2005. Global comparable sales for the fourth quarter were 6.3 respectively. % and 5.7%. While in the United States, comparable sales increased 6.9% for the month, 5.9% for the fourth quarter and 5.2% for the year. Franchising, it was until Ray Kroc realized that the key was in starting the company's rapid expansion. Today there are over 70 SWOT ANALYSES... half the paper... I think perhaps the biggest lesson from this study is to avoid the "eye for an eye" principle. Palm didn't seize every opportunity that came its way. They analyzed each one thoroughly and didn't spread themselves too thin. Overall, I think this case study was very helpful. I think I understand judo strategy much better now. I also believe that, if employed successfully, it can definitely be a strength for any small business. References Dess, G., Lumpkin, G., & Eisner, A. (2007) Strategic Management (3rd ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Yoffie, D., & Kwak, M. (2001). Master strategic movement at the Palm. MIT Sloan Management Review, 43-1, 55-63. Yahoo Finance, Edgar Online, Palm Inc. (PALM) (n.d.). Retrieved December 30, 2006, from>.