Global Entrepreneurship Institute

Discussions of Global Entrepreneurship 

A true global entrepreneur, Howard Schultz, who led the purchase of Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee in 1987 for $250,000, later boasted, “Starbucks is going to be a global brand, in the same genre as Coke and Disney.” Continue reading ‘What is a global entrepreneur?’ »

Entrepreneur is a word borrowed from the French words entreprendre, “one who undertakes”—that is, a “manager.” In fact, the word entrepreneur was shaped probably from celui qui entreprend, which is loosely translated as “those who get things done.” In the early eighteenth century, a group of thinkers called the Physiocrats surfaced in France around a school of new economic theory. They were the first proponents of laissez-faire and opposed all government intervention in industry, especially taxation. Their doctrine was that the economic affairs of society are best guided by the decisions of individuals. Continue reading ‘What is an entrepreneur?’ »

Lesson Plans To Entrepreneurship

Our Lesson Plans To Entrepreneurship are practical, and the information comes directly from the “front-lines” of business battles. Our approach is aimed at creating knowledge, skills, and awareness in the critical aspects of funding, launching, and growing a new business venture and then leading it to a successful harvest. Continue reading ‘What are the key lessons to entrepreneurship?’ »

Discussions of Marketing Strategies and Working With Nonprofits 

Social cause marketing is the planning and implementation of sound marketing concepts and tools in commercial marketing programs in existing companies that are designed to influence individuals, modify behaviors that improve their well being, and bring about change in society. Learn how you can incorporate social cause marketing into your next business plan. Continue reading ‘What is social cause marketing?’ »

Discussions About Combining Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Strategy 

Doing well has always been the priority of business. Corporate citizenship is evolving into a long-term commitment that aligns philanthropic strategies with business goals to boost profitability. So where does doing well fit into your business strategy? How do you measure your results? Here’s how you can make your company’s social contributions pay off. Continue reading ‘How does corporate social responsibility create value?’ »

Discussions About Performing a Corporate Social Responsibility Audit 

Is your company a good global citizen? Does your company “walk-the-talk?” How do you know? Do you want to “unleash” the social entrepreneurs at your work? This audit will help you measure your company’s actual social performance against the social objectives it has set for itself. Continue reading ‘What is a corporate social responsibility audit?’ »

Defining Corporate Social Responsibilities 

Conducting business globally, and making it work humanely, is quickly becoming the dominant issue of today. Trade, investment, and information technology are exploding across borders and overwhelming governments’ ability to provide social safety nets and public services to cushion the impact of globalization on people. The result is shaping up as a new era of corporate social responsibility. Being a “good global citizen” means conducting business responsibly and being committed to conducting business with the highest level of integrity and in an ethical and responsible manner. Continue reading ‘What is corporate social responsibility?’ »

Discussions of Social Entrepreneurs and Their Work with Nonprofits 

Social entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs pursuing a social mission and substitute profits for social causes. A social entrepreneur uses formal strategic management practices primarily in the public and nonprofit sectors to solve a range of social problems in the areas of health, safety, environmental protection, and community involvement. Continue reading ‘What is a social entrepreneur?’ »

Famous Quotes About Entrepreneurship

Creating Your Start-Up Strategy

The beginning is the most important part of the work.
—Plato

The time to prepare isn’t after you have been given the opportunity. It’s long before that opportunity arises. Once the opportunity arrives, it’s too late to prepare.
—John Wooden, basketball coach of ten championships teams at UCLA Continue reading ‘What are some famous quotes about entrepreneurship?’ »

Considering that the average income for the some 1,800 VCs in the USA is about $1.5 million, I am probably asked this at every one of my workshops, seminars, speaking engagements etc. Continue reading ‘What is the best way to start a career in venture capital?’ »

Recently there was a posting at the Wall Street Journal by their editor for the small business section. She opened up the posting by asking, “Are Business Plans a Waste of Time?”

There were a number of interesting comments, of which I invite you to review. Yes, I did contribute a posting. Continue reading ‘Are business plans a waste of time?’ »

Setting Exit Goals and Triggering Events for Harvesting

A number of events may trigger a decision to sell your venture—since selling at the right time can provide substantial liquidity for you and your investors. And how important is the timing of the exit? Just like the window of opportunity for getting a venture launched, the window of opportunity for exiting and harvesting a venture opens and closes quickly as well. Continue reading ‘What are triggering events for an exit? (harvest)’ »

Briefing on Getting Acquired

In Solving the Merger Mystery, Deloitte Consulting suggests that you should plan and structure for integration early on and focus on speed only when the opportunity to be acquired comes along. This is true because all things being equal, the faster you can get acquired, the better. Being prepared increases not only the probability of your deal going through, but also the probability of success. Continue reading ‘How do we get acquired?’ »

Discussing Mergers and Acquisitions

The M&A market has changed considerably since the Perfect Storm. Around 1995, the new economy prompted a reallocation of capital previously unseen in the corporate world and drove M&A activity to record levels from 1995 on to 2000. In 2003, considered the worst economic downturn in a decade, M&A activity had not ground to a halt, however. For many ventures that are unable to arrange for an IPO, or for whom conventional bank financing during these uncertain times becomes a stretch, M&A deals still remain one of the few viable options for raising capital. They also allow venture capitalists and others to cash out their investments. Continue reading ‘What’s an M&A? (merger and aquisition)’ »

Discussing Initial Public Offerings

Looking at the 9,796 start-ups that were venture-backed between 1992 and 2001, there were 1,331, or about 14 percent, failed outright; 1,902, or 20 percent, were acquired or merged; and 5,706, or 60 percent, are still privately held. Of the latter, some may not be good enough to sell, some are too young, and some are classified as “walking dead,” which means there have not been any returns to the investors and none are really expected any time soon. The balance, 857, or 9 percent, went to initial public offerings (IPOs). Continue reading ‘Why should a company go public? (IPO)’ »

Discussions About Alternative Sources of Financing

We realize that not all companies are venture-fundable. As we first discussed in a previous Articles, venture capital is a unique form of financing and needs these three elements in a deal: It must have rapid growth, get really big sooner rather than later, and remain profitable for a long time. Our Web site is not intended to explore and discuss other sources in great detail. But we do intend to give a broad view of this topic and refer you to additional resources. Continue reading ‘What are some alternative sources of financing?’ »

What Makes a Great Venture Capitalist?

Now that you know and understand the specifics of your business—you know your numbers cold, you have the financials prepared, you understand how much you need, and grasp the fundamentals of valuation—it is about finding and evaluating the right investors for your specific deal. But navigating through the universe of investors can be confusing, even for the most experienced entrepreneurs. Continue reading ‘How do you know you have the right investor?’ »

How to Value Your Deal Like an Investor

One of the entrepreneur’s most difficult challenges is assessing and determining a value for the emerging growth venture. Simply put, value is determined by the interaction of three major ingredients: cash, risk, and time. Valuation depends mainly on understanding the venture, its industry, and the general economic environment, combined with a very prudent job of forecasting. Investors know that careful thought and hard work leads to foresight. Continue reading ‘How to value your deal like an investor?’ »

Developing and Managing Your Network

The development and management of an enterprise’s IT infrastructure has long been a challenge for businesses of all sizes. IT systems and network management are critical functions because poorly performing and nonfunctioning systems can be very costly. Continue reading ‘How will you develop and manage your Web site?’ »

Managing Customer-Specific Relationships

Customer relationship management (CRM) combines a strategic business approach with technology. Managing customer relationships begins with a strategic awareness based on customer-focused themes. Continue reading ‘How will you manage your customers via the Internet?’ »