992 Posts Found

Early-stage companies play a vital role in developing the world’s latest innovations, as shown in a study presented at the 2011 World Economic Forum. Based on interviews with executives from such top companies as eBay and Microsoft, the study reveals that the similarities in early-stage companies around the globe are far greater than their differences.

Content: Article | Authors: Antonio Dávila, George Foster | Source: IESE Insight | Subject: Entrepreneurship

People often live by the saying: if you want to get something done right, you need to do it yourself. While I have heard people toss this phrase around like a badge of honor, there is no philosophy more toxic for an organization, especially small businesses. Businesses of any size are complex and it is unrealistic to think that a small number of individuals will … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Stephen Shapiro | Source: OPEN Forum (American Express) | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Productivity / Work Tips, Small Business

I’ve found that it is helpful to break the planning process down into separate topics, and then look at how they fit together in the overall business plan. It’s also a good idea to think of yourself as an investor in your business and review what you come up with from that point of view. Here are the business planning topics that I believe are … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: JoAnne Berg | Source: OPEN Forum (American Express) | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Small Business

Run by Stanford University, Ecorner offers more than 2,000 free videos and podcasts, many with a Silicon Valley vibe. The videos range from practical topics such as “What to Avoid in Term Sheets,” by Altirah Capital’s David Frankel to more esoteric ones, like “The Five Whys,” in which lean startup guru Eric Ries offers tips on discerning the reasons for technology glitches.

Content: Multimedia Content | Source: Stanford University | Subject: Entrepreneurship

It’s a good idea for small business owners to put agreements in writing. Here are three agreements that you should definitely consider getting in writing.

Content: Article | Author: Barbara Weltman | Source: OPEN Forum (American Express) | Subjects: Legal, Small Business

Startups. We know the mantra: Team matters. Is this philosophy exaggerated? Overrated? Cliché? No. Team is the only thing that matters. So how exactly do you assemble such a team?

Content: Article | Author: Mark Suster | Source: TechCrunch | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Human Resources

An entrepreneur with a term sheet for investment has a range of decisions to make. Among the most important is which points to negotiate and which points to leave alone. You cannot negotiate every point or you will (a) drive away the investor and (b) fail to concentrate your firepower on terms that do matter.

Content: Article | Author: Guy Kawasaki | Source: OPEN Forum (American Express) | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Legal

Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.

Content: Quotation | Author: Niccoló Machiavelli | Source: ChangeThis | Subject: Entrepreneurship

Business planning advocates will tell you that every business needs a full-fledged business plan, which is certainly true if you’re going to seek outside investors or a small business loan. While it’s beneficial to have one even if you don’t seek outside funding, the reality is that many successful businesses launch and grow without a full, formal business plan. However, few businesses succeed without any … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Scott Allen | Source: OPEN Forum (American Express) | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Small Business

There are a lot of numbers in a small business. Most entrepreneurs do a lousy job of reviewing their financial statements while simultaneously trying to manage with the production, sales and delivery of their product. However, numbers are a very powerful tool in business. Without knowing how a business has performed financially, it is impossible to predict where it should go. If as a small … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Barry Moltz | Source: OPEN Forum (American Express) | Subject: Small Business

Although receiving a venture term sheet to fund your company is a cause for celebration, please consider the various booby traps that it may contain before you break out the party hats. This is a top 10 list of things an entrepreneur should understand about term sheets.

Content: Article | Authors: Guy Kawasaki, Nitin Gupta | Source: OPEN Forum (American Express) | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Finance

If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re probably going to screw up at some point. That’s ok. Entrepreneurship is a constant process of quickly testing hypotheses, failing, refining and testing again. If you’re not failing, you’re not learning, right?

Well, not all fails are created equal. Some are wholly unnecessary, and I’d like to list my top 15 here.

Content: Article | Author: Alex Taussig | Source: FORTUNE | Subject: Entrepreneurship

Jeffrey Bussgang, author of Mastering the VC Game and a principal at Flybridge Capital Partners, on how to get funded.

Content: Article | Authors: Bobbie Gossage, Jeffrey Bussgang | Source: Inc. Magazine | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

Looking for venture capital? Don’t be so quick to sign on the dotted line. Here’s what you need to know about liquidation preferences and preferred stock.

Content: Article | Author: Darren Dahl | Source: Inc. Magazine | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Legal

For those contemplating pursuing a search fund, or investing in one, the CES has created a practical guide to answer the most frequently asked questions. The Primer aims to provide an unbiased view of the benefits and challenges, explains the model from the entrepreneurs’ and investors’ perspective, and gives many operational and execution tips from previous search fund entrepreneurs.

Content: Article | Source: Stanford University | Subject: Entrepreneurship

A decade ago, a company would need to raise a couple of million of dollars to create a new product and effectively bring it to market. Today that amount is dramatically smaller. The advent of cloud computing, open source software, platforms with APIs, and numerous other changes have lowered the cost of launching a new enterprise. For this reason, startup companies are … [ Read more ]

Content: Online Resource | Author: Ted Wang | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Legal

Your financial statements may not make the bestseller list, but they do tell an intriguing story—at least to a banker. Unfortunately, the tale they tell may be misleading. Since finance is no place for fiction, you need to make sure your statements tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

To do that, the first thing you need to know is that … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Kate Lister | Source: OPEN Forum (American Express) | Subjects: Accounting, Small Business

Stanford Technology Ventures Program’s Executive Director Tina Seelig shares rich insights in creative thinking and the entrepreneurial mindset. Her talk, based on her 2009 book, What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20, cites numerous classroom successes of applied problem-solving and the lessons of failure.

Content: Multimedia Content | Author: Tina Seelig | Source: Stanford University | Subject: Entrepreneurship

Paul Graham says that good startup founders can be described in two words: relentlessly resourceful. I agree, but I would add two words of my own: arrogant and naïve. Arrogant enough to get in the ring, and naïve enough that you still think you will win after you feel the first punch.

Content: Quotation | Author: Richard Aberman | Source: Inc. Magazine | Subject: Entrepreneurship

The pioneer is convinced that it knows what market a new thing is designed for. But this rarely is the market that subsequently picks up the product.

Content: Quotation | Author: Peter F. Drucker | Source: Context Magazine | Subject: Entrepreneurship