Growing a business takes cash. That cash either comes from operations, loans, or investors. I’ve used all three vehicles to grow companies and I can tell you that the path is always clear- but never clear-cut. There are all sorts of obstacles- ones you may recognize and negotiate, one you may miss completely, and some that just seem insurmountable. The trick is always to find the best way to reach the goal.
Continue reading Grow, Grow, Grow
Do you ever get tired hearing businesses claim that, “People are our more important assets”? I sure have. But, the key point is – it’s true! Unless you’ve seen a company that spits out widgets from a robotic factory, it’s the people that make things happen. (There are no totally robotic factories- yet. There are robot-assisted entities, but those factories still need people.) And, if the company is a service business, then it’s all people, all the time.
Continue reading A Club for Growth?
OK. Here I go again. I’m going to tick off a few of you with my discussion of small business.. The facts are that our government has no clue that not all “small” business are the same, nor do they understand that lifestyle businesses are not really small businesses. Yet, they produce economic policies assuming the contrary. And, because of that our national economy suffers.
Continue reading Our Economy Needs Entrepreneurs
We all want our companies to grow. OK, some of us just want our companies to insure we have more money. (These are generally the lifestyle business folks- like plumbers, handyman, and the home workers.) Others of us are looking to really grow our businesses- gross revenue, bottom line (profit after taxes), employees, and notoriety.
Continue reading Grow, grow, grow?
Today, I’m going to revisit an important issue I discussed some 30 months ago. I discussed the empirical research that showed if we walked 6 miles a week, our brains and our bodies would thank us. Our bodies- because that is about the minimum exercise to keep it in tone. And, our brains- because the data indicated that cognitive impairment was associated with those who walked fewer than 6 miles a week.
Continue reading 6 miles…please!
I was listening to NPR today. (OK, I listen to NPR every day, but that’s not what this is about.) The panelists were discussing that, other than typos, there are few factual errors in the newspapers. This is because news reporters are very diligent, trying to analyze what is really happening and reporting those findings to us. And, it’s hard to keep that focus, with all the noise that’s out there. With folks wanting to know why this or that is not reported. That’s because so many bogus outlets exist out there, giving wrong information all the time.
Continue reading We interrupt this message…
There is a growing realization that high growth for many nations is no longer in the cards. Oh, if you live in one of the developing nations of Africa- you can say this is wrong. But, even in China, which is slowly entering that state of economy that includes Israel… While neither which is officially a “First World” nation, they are, for all intents and purposes, there- and their growth rates are so demonstrating. Robust growth- growth over 3-4% over 5 years or more- is something that will only occur in those states that are becoming industrialized, not for those with existing corporate/services infrastructure.
Continue reading Knock, knock….Is anyone listening out there?
I have been very lucky in that I had great associates and mentors to help me on my entrepreneurial journey. One of the best groups with which I was associated was the Association of Venture Founders (AVF), the brainchild of Arthur Lipper, III- a mentor and friend who taught me much.
So, there I sat. In this cavernous room. Recently painted, an exquisitely curtained ark, with the rest of the room unadorned. And, I notice each congregant. Their clothes, their demeanor. Who’s dressed to the nines, who’s not. Crystal clear.
Continue reading How’s YOUR vision?
We keep hearing from our government that America has be innovative; we need to create new things. Innovation is, indeed, a vital component of economic progress. It is the driver for growth, for more competitive offerings among companies and countries, and a means for the creator (more typically, the creator’s company) to prosper. The problem is you really can’t engineer innovation. The most you can do is to increase the odds of it occurring.
Continue reading Innovation needs Innovators