The think tank for global entrepreneurs
Archive for the ‘Strategy’ Category.
Discussions About Blueprinting Your Strategic Architecture
Research has shown that successful entrepreneurs create visions of the future, which inspires others to get involved in the venture. Howard Schultz, founder and CEO of Starbucks Coffee, says, “Vision is what they call it when others can’t see what you see.” Continue reading ‘What’s your strategic vision?’ »
Discussions About Establishing Your Barriers to Entry
As you prepare your value map, consider how you can create an antibiotic against harmful organisms. Antibiotics have long existed in the biological world before Alexander Fleming’s work on penicillin in 1928. They are chemicals produced by one microorganism in order to prevent another organism from competing against it.
Managing During Tough Times
During the easy times, everybody can make things happen. But tough times, especially economic downturns, require a different approach to managing. In fact, the ability to re-assemble the team and manage the interpersonal conflicts that arise during tough times is seen as very key to potential investors. But what can you do to maintain morale when tough times strike? Continue reading ‘How do we manage during the tough times?’ »
Are you ready to “go global?”
Strategic motives must drive the decisions to conduct business globally.
- Are you a global entrepreneur?
- Are you ready to go global?
- But what is your action plan?
- Where do you begin?
- How do you begin?
- Which markets should be entered first?
- What would be the optimal mode of entry?
- How rapidly should you expand globally?
We are living in a world where all the major business functions in the value chain are highly globalized and deeply integrated. According to McKinsey and Company, 80 percent of the world’s GDP will be sold across international borders by 2027, compared to about 20 percent in 2001. Multinational business activity will grow from approximately $5 trillion to $70 trillion by 2027.
Posted by: Robert W. Price
New Report by McKinsey & Company
Globalization has taken a wallop in the downturn, but don’t count it out. For companies managing global supply chains, the job just got harder but the advantages of outsourcing will continue to outweigh the costs, according to a new article on What Matters, Global sourcing in a world less flat, by McKinsey authors Dan Braga, Drew Erdmann, Yogesh Malik, and Aurobind Satpathy. Executives surveyed by McKinsey agree. They see trade and commitment to free markets slowing, but only temporarily.
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Booz Allen Hamilton’s annual study of the world’s largest corporate R&D spenders finds two primary success factors: aligning the innovation model to corporate strategy and listening to customers every step of the way.
NOTE: This is an Adobe PDF file. Download the Report in PDF
Managing in High-Growth Environments
When a venture reaches Stage Five on the entrepreneurial life cycle, Full Launch and Growth, the venture team needs to be sensitive to certain high-growth management issues. Usually, rapid growth is seen as a positive sign of success. However, uncharted rapid growth can quickly change the status of an emerging growth venture from profitable to bankruptcy. Continue reading ‘How will you manage in the high-growth environment?’ »
Building Organizational Change Capabilities
It takes little time to destroy a high growth-potential venture. One turn-around expert says, “Ninety-five percent of the failures are due to internal problems. I can’t tell you how many companies I’ve been to that have the fast-growing-company plaque on the wall and are about to go under. They don’t have the systems and the people in place. Accounting is lagging. Purchasing is not done in the most efficient manner. Inventory gets out of control. All of a sudden, all these mistakes compound, and the least little burp kills them.” Continue reading ‘Is your company ready for your growth strategy?’ »
Corporate R&D labs used to be the key for companies to create competitive advantage. But in the 21st century, innovation is moving out of the lab and across the globe. That’s why Harvard Business School professor Alan MacCormack and his research collaborators believe that a real source of competitive advantage is skill in managing innovation partnerships.
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Defining Your Core Competencies and Strategic Intent
In a June 1990 Harvard Business Review article, “The Core Competence of the Corporation,” Prahalad and Hamel outline the concepts of core competencies that still hold true today. A core competence is an intangible, not an asset that can be found on an accounting balance sheet, and not a patent (intellectual property.) Continue reading ‘What are your core competencies?’ »
Case In Point: Michael Dell & Direct-From-Dell Business Model
In 1984, as a 19-year-old freshman, and going against one of the largest companies in the world, IBM, Michael Dell launched his company in his dorm room with $1,000. He had a vision that he could build computers made-to-order and sell them directly to consumers. His idea for a direct-sales business model came from observing the discontinuity in the way PCs were being sold at that time. Continue reading ‘Crafting a Winning Business Strategy and Sustainable Competitive Advantage’ »
Discussions about Strategic Leadership for Entrepreneurs: Inspiring, Motivating and Guiding the Venture Team.
Entrepreneurial success depends on the ability to think strategically, have a clear strategic vision, and achieve results quickly. Richard Siegelman, general partner at Kleiner Perkins, probes to find out how people got together and what motivates them as a group. He asks, “Is there a shared vision and culture?” Continue reading ‘What is strategic leadership for entrepreneurs?’ »