Quotes
The Imprisonment of Fear
If you put fleas in a shallow container, they will rapidly jump out. But if you put a lid on the container for a short time, the fleas will hit the lid, learn to jump only so high, and give up the quest for freedom. After the lid is removed, the fleas will remain imprisoned by their own •••
- July 26, 2010
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Thomas Edison on Execution
Vision without execution is hallucination.- Thomas Edison, American inventor •••
- May 28, 2010
- Operations
Walking the Talk
When the reputation of a company is more positive than its underlying reality, this gap poses a substantial risk - Robert Eccles, reputational risk consultant •••
- May 5, 2010
- Sales and Marketing
No One is a Self-Made Man
There is no such thing as a self-made man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success. - George Matthew Adams, writer •••
- April 14, 2010
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship
The Positive Impact of Angel Investors
They are not called "angel" financiers for nothing. In a new study, scholars William Kerr, Josh Lerner, and Antoinette Schoar find that angel funding is positively correlated with "higher survival, additional fundraising outside the angel group, and faster growth measured through growth in Web site •••
- March 31, 2010
- Raising Capital
Jobless Ex-Managers Turn to Entrepreneurship
With the U.S. job market still stagnant, many out-of-work ex-managers and execs have quit the labor pool to start their own businesses, says outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The percentage of unemployed workers starting companies rose to 8.6% in 2009, a four-year high, with the •••
- February 4, 2010
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Brand Experience Matters to Consumers More Than Loyalty Clubs
Some 52% of people in a survey said their memberships in loyalty clubs (from credit cards, banks, and other companies) influence their buying decisions; but 54% said they'd give up their memberships if they had a negative product or service experience with a brand, according to the Chief Marketing •••
- February 3, 2010
- Sales and Marketing
Hundreds More U.S. Firms Likely to Default in Next Two Years
Despite signs that the recession is bottoming out, default rates in the U.S. are likely to worsen as some big companies run out of cash, according to Bain & Company. As many as 287 companies with more than $100 million in assets defaulted on their debt in 2008 and 2009, compared with 116 for •••
- January 29, 2010
- Finance and Accounting
Recovery Too Weak to Halt Rising Joblessness?
The economic recovery now spreading across developed countries is too weak to halt the continuing rise in unemployment, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development. The jobless rate is expected to peak in the first half of 2010 in the U.S., but it may not be until 2011 •••
- November 24, 2009
- Employees
Entrepreneurs' Gloom Contradicts Wall Street Optimism
In the past year, more than one-third of the entrepreneurs surveyed have shed jobs while only five percent of entrepreneurs have added employees. A majority of entrepreneurs believe that the stimulus package has hurt entrepreneurial activity, and entrepreneurs want government to pursue a •••
- November 17, 2009
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Broadband Connections Increase Rapidly
Despite the economic downturn, the number of household broadband connections continues to grow robustly, and one in five households worldwide will have a fixed broadband connection by the end of 2009, according to Gartner. At the end of 2008, approximately 21 countries had broadband connections in •••
- November 6, 2009
- Technology
YouTube: It's Not Just for Kids
62% of adult web users watch videos on online sharing sites like YouTube, compared to 33% in December 2006. 89% of 18- to 29-year-old web users watch videos on video-sharing sites; 36% are likely to watch on a typical day. Source: from the Harvard Business Daily Stat commenting on YouTube and •••
- August 4, 2009
- Technology
Research Dispels Myth About Entrepreneurs
The commonly held belief that entrepreneurs are young college students working out of their dorms is simply wrong. Rather, on average, they tend to be highly experienced, well-educated workers who have families. They have come to a stage in their lives when they are simply tired of working •••
- July 23, 2009
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship
What Types of Ads Actually Work vs. Those That Do Not
Over one-third of Americans (37%) say that television ads are most helpful in making their purchase decision while 17% say newspaper ads are most helpful and 14% say the same about Internet search engine ads. Radio ads (3%) and Internet banner ads (1%) are not considered helpful by many people. •••
- July 14, 2009
- Sales and Marketing
How US Consumer Spending is Changing
After two decades of unsustainably high spending, US consumers are suddenly behaving pretty much as they have in the past. US consumers have responded to the global economic crisis by curtailing their expenditures, paying down debt, and saving more—all logical responses to a recession. Yet most •••
- June 30, 2009
- Sales and Marketing
How People Make Purchase Decisions: An Update
Despite the ascendancy of social media, customers still prepare for purchase decisions using a combination of old media, new media, and old-fashioned conversations with friends and family. According to a March 2009 survey by Harris Interactive, the most common methods of gathering information prior •••
- June 24, 2009
- Sales and Marketing
Matthew Henry on Proverbs 11:15
Proverbs 11:15 - He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure. (KJV) Commentary: Here we are taught, 1. In general, that we may not use our estates as we will (he that gave them to us has reserved to himself a power to direct us how we shall use them, •••
- June 22, 2009
- Finance and Accounting
The End of the Landline?
20% of U.S. households have given up their landlines in favor of cell phones. Wireless-only households increased by 17% from the first six months of 2008 to the second half of the year — the largest jump since the National Center for Health Statistics started collecting data in 2003. For the •••
- May 18, 2009
- Business Planning
Forrester Lowers Outlook For U.S. IT Purchases In 2009
U.S. private and public sector purchases of IT products and services will fall 3.1% in 2009, after growing 1.6% the previous year, according to a new Forrester Research forecast. Investment in computer hardware will be particularly hard hit, falling an estimated 6.8% on top of a 4% drop in 2008. •••
- May 8, 2009
- Technology
Small is the New Big
Big companies used to win out over small ones because of their experience, impressive client lists, and seeming permanence. We trusted big business because it was big, but the economic crisis has changed that. Small companies are now winning the confidence and the business of recession customers. •••
- May 7, 2009
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship
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