My parents 50th anniversary is coming up, and to mark the event they're throwing a party for about 20 family members and close friends. The date's been on everyone's calendar for months, but my mom decided to send out more formal invitations. Now formal, in this case,...
Insightful interview with LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman in which he talks about his background and what it means to be an entrepreneur. Here's a sampling: "This is one of the things I love about entrepreneurship. You're encountering new challenges, and you have to...
My new column is out. The Small Business Edge: Why Solopreneurs and Small Businesses Will Weather the Downturn, looks at why I believe that small business has a big edge in this economy. Five quick reasons: Innovation Networks Competition Nimbleness Flexibility You...
Let me put my bias on the table: I'm an education snob. Not about what school(s) you went to, or even what you studied. I just think learning is important. I'm proud of the fact that I had two full years of science and a year of calculus in college. And I'm still...
What can big companies learn from entrepreneurs? And what can entrepreneurs learn from big business? "Small businesses have important, competitive advantages. When founders are leading the company, they do so with an authentic passion to deliver on a vision. They know...
I once gave a talk to a group of independent consultants about how losing a big client can be a good thing. I've been thinking about the topic a lot lately as I see more and more people lose jobs or clients, or feel the pinch of shrinking marcomm budgets. As many of...
"Many companies are held captive by their capabilities. That is, start the search for growth with what they do well. Instead of letting new strategies lead to innovative business models, their current business model dictates their strategic options." --Scott Anthony...
Flipping channels last night, I saw that rapper 50 Cent has a new Apprentice-lite show about entrepreneurship. Watched for a couple of minutes, and his first lesson to his acolytes was to "choose your crew wisely." Barrack Obama did this, and his team...
Thinking of going independent or starting a business? Before you quit your day job, here are a few "top of mind" things to consider: your risk tolerance your comfort level with doing business development your level of discipline your value proposition (why clients...
There are lots of people who know a lot more about business models, trends, and strategies than I do. That doesn't mean I don't want to learn. Here are four business blogs I really like: 1. Management IQ, which looks at management trends and what smart business...