Instructor Resource
Neck, Entrepreneurship, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Case Notes
Chapter 1: Entrepreneurship: A Global Social Movement
Dawn LaFreeda: Restaurant Franchise Owner
Summary
This case examines how Dawn LaFreeda went from being a waitress and hostess to an
entrepreneur and franchise owner of Denny’s restaurants. Today, she owns 75 Denny’s
most successful single-owner franchise entrepreneurs in the world.
Analysis
There are many “types” of entrepreneurs. One of the “types” discussed in this chapter is
becoming a franchise owner, like Dawn LaFreeda. Regardless of the “type” of entrepreneur you
decide to become, you will need to invest a lot of action and practice into your venture to be
successful—and even then, there are rarely any guarantees; that is both the adventure and the
Sample Answers to Case Questions
1. Dawn LaFreeda says, “when you’re 23, you’re not afraid to take risks.” What sorts of
risks do you think entrepreneurs face when they are first starting out? What risks do you
think you would take when trying to get your business off the ground?
2. Think of the last time you decided to “Go for it” only to fail or be rejected? How did you
respond to your temporary failure or rejection? After reading Dawn’s story, how might
you respond differently in the future?
3. Imagine you are a business owner similar to Dawn LaFreeda. What products and/or
services would your business provide?