May 2012
Shark Tank
Just When you Thought it was Safe to Startup ABC TV’s Shark Tank returned to the airwaves. When this show debuted, I had misgivings about the concept because it seemed as if billionaires were profiting from the work of cash-strapped entrepreneurs, cornered into giving up large portions of their companies for operating capital or face […]
Money Matters & Business Start-Up
Avoiding Financial Pitfalls Traveling salesman Ray Albert Kroc started the McDonald’s empire after buying the name and concept from the McDonald brothers in the 1950s, but turning a profit proved to be a challenge, despite the popularity of the hamburgers. Although Kroc sold 200 franchises within five years and the unit’s were grossing $37 million […]
Growing Power
Will Allen Many ventures are largely inspired by a single idea, but the founder of the nonprofit Growing Power used several diverse sources of inspiration in order to develop his international organization. After leaving the corporate world, Will Allen began growing, selling, and teaching others how to grow produce in an urban setting. These activities […]
Adele
Marketing Research She doesn’t have runway model looks, doesn’t dress provocatively, and has no gimmicks added to her music, says 60 Minutes reporter Anderson Cooper. However, what Adele does have, besides talent, is a grasp of business principles. Consider: after her Grammy win several years ago, the singing sensation took a part-time job in a […]
Critical Thinking for the Budding Entrepreneur
What Would You Do? You open a pizza parlor in a small college town, and business is great. However, the following summer, 20,000 students, your customers, leave town for several months. It’s vacation time. *You overlooked this detail when you bought the restaurant. What will you do for income? The scenario points out two common […]
The Business of Books
The Pitfalls of Statistics Editor Sarah Weinman of Publishers Marketplace discusses the industry’s hits and misses for the year. It’s an important overview for aspiring entrepreneurs who are considering entering the industry in one form or another. Weinman also explains why sales figures for traditional versus electronic books may be biased and inaccurate. Lesson: Regardless […]
John Brown: Entrepreneur and Abolitionist
John Brown struggled throughout his life as a businessman, living near the poverty level. Few influential historical figures have failed so miserably at so many different pursuits, says American studies professor and historian David S. Reynolds. Brown was a tanner, lumber dealer, wool distributor, horse breeder, cattle trader, and real estate speculator. Actually, astute in […]
Critical Thinking for Potential Entrepreneurs
Class Notes Using Sound Judgement The ability to reason well, to question and confirm the validity of information or data is a key skill at lacking in many entrepreneurs and business school graduates. Some experts believe that there is a tendency to relay too heavily on online search engines and peer-generated information from social […]
The Cutthroat World of Management Consulting
Don Cheadle The Oscar-nominated actor explains how he’s broadened his skill set and philanthropic efforts. Cheadle dishes background info on his new comedy for Showtime TV’s House of Lies. It’s about the underbelly of the consulting industry. Just a guess, but given some of his remarks about consultants, I’ll bet Cheadle won’t be a keynote […]