Helping Businesses Grow & Succeed
By Dileep Rao – Guest Contributor There will never be enough early-stage venture capital (VC) to satisfy the world’s venture hopes. But these hopes may be misguided by the myths—and the hype—of VC. VC has many holes that need to be plugged: VCs finance very few and succeed on fewer. […]
By Dileep Rao – Guest Contributor Note: This is an excerpt from a series on unicorn-entrepreneurs. Jeff Bezos has left as the CEO of Amazon.com, a company he built from an idea to one of the world’s greatest companies (and I am not commenting on his HR policies). As he […]
To find a new customer, it takes time, effort and money – all in short supply for most small businesses. Yet in the hunt for new leads, many businesses miss a sounder strategy: growing engagement, and business volume, with the customers they already have. From social media strategies and maximizing […]
By Dileep Rao – Guest Contributor Robert Johnson was on CNBC and like many others, wanted someone to offer more venture capital for minority venture development. With all due respect, he needs to be clearer on exactly what he means, who should be funding this, and what risks are they […]
By Gerri Detweiler – Guest Contributor You’ve gotten your PPP loan, spent it properly, and hopefully qualify for full forgiveness. Congratulations! What’s next? Here are six steps you can take now, after your PPP loan, to help ensure your business continues on the road to recovery. Get a Grip On […]
By Gerri Detweiler – Guest Contributor The American Rescue Plan Act has passed the House and Senate, and President Biden is expected to sign it this week. It includes a number of provisions that will help small business owners— including those who are self-employed or are independent contractors— in the form […]
By Susan Guillory – Guest Contributor If your business had to close because of, for example, a fire or a hurricane, how long could you afford to cover ongoing expenses without incoming revenue? As a business owner, you want to protect your company against potential loss, so you invest in […]
By Dileep Rao – Guest Contributor Shark Tank has taken the entrepreneurial world by storm. Many of my students are eagerly devouring every episode. I tell them that they are wasting their time or worse, headed in the wrong direction. Based on an analysis of 122 billion-dollar entrepreneurs and hundred-million-dollar […]
By Dileep Rao – Guest Contributor What is common among the following billion-dollar entrepreneurs? What is their gift that separates them from the rest of us? Sam Walton, who came out of nowhere (actually rural Arkansas) – to grab the pole position in American retail. Bill Gates, who dropped out […]
By Dileep Rao – Guest Contributor Has Airbnb succeeded because of its terrific idea? Or is it because of the entrepreneur’s ability to encapsulate his idea in a fantastic pitch and attract VCs? Or is it because of the entrepreneur’s skills in finding the right strategy and executing it to […]