How Much Should you Risk for Growth?
At one of many Alliance of Chief Executives meetings I participated in recently, I watched one member present his thinking on some significant but risky growth strategies. His $300M+ revenue company is a cash-machine with strong and accelerating profitability, mid-teens... ...Read More
Forum Categories: Entrepreneurship | Finance | Leadership | Sales | Strategy & Planning
One of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point, Blink, etc.), wrote a great article in the New Yorker called "The Sure Thing." It dispels the myth that successful entrepreneurs are daredevils or crazy risk-takers. He tells several stories of Ted Turner, Ingvar Kamprad of IDEA and others that show that successful entrepreneurs are more like predators that study their prey and seek the least risky time and place to strike. ...Read More
Forum Categories: Entrepreneurship
Choosing Relationships over Meteoric Growth
Summary: Two female business partners are offered a huge piece of business by a key client. Although initially excited, they think long and hard about the pros and cons of saying yes. Read how the decision went and what they ultimately decided. ...Read More
Forum Categories: Entrepreneurship | Strategy & Planning
Creating and Owning a Category
Summary: This CEO has a system for finding new market categories and taking commanding market share leadership. He's done it over and over again, and he tells us how in this essay. ...Read More
Forum Categories: Entrepreneurship | Leadership | Strategy & Planning
Summary: Thriving business gets customer requests to jump into a new business. After resisting, they go for it with excellent success. When is it wise to start another business? ...Read More
Forum Categories: Entrepreneurship | Leadership | Strategy & Planning
The Overly Optimistic Entrepreneur
Summary: Optimism is a natural part of entrepreneurship, but it can go too far. A bad string of luck nearly sinks the CEO’s dreams before persistence starts to pay off. ...Read More
Forum Categories: Entrepreneurship | Leadership
Summary: Great business ideas are often borne by finding the mainstream’s interest in little-known products and services and making them more popular. Serial entrepreneur Rob Wrubel has a track record of doing just that, although it didn’t happen overnight. ...Read More
Forum Categories: Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Strategy & Planning
Sailing Beyond the Small Business Mindset
Summary: A small business struggles along staying small for many years. Its owners grow tired of the struggle and recommit to building a bigger and healthier business. Key signs of being stuck in the small business mindset are identified, and steps that can be taken to get your business to the next level. ...Read More
Forum Categories: Entrepreneurship | Strategy & Planning
Summary: Tom Engdahl is the pain doctor of business. He looks for pain in an industry then develops the cure. He’s done it over and over again, each time with a business success and a liquidation event. ...Read More
Forum Categories: Entrepreneurship | Strategy & Planning
"I can't imagine being a CEO without having the Alliance as part of my CEO tool kit."
John Rule, CEOApplied Aerospace StructuresAlliance Member since 2000
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