Posts Tagged ‘entrepreneurship’
How to Grow your Successful Enterprise – Get Agile
by Editor on Thursday, May 20th, 2010I recently got sent a link to the report that Ernst & Young launched at Davos earlier this year and it has some important lessons and advice for successful entrepreneurs – you’ve got to become agile.
So, how do you do that? Let’s find out…
Successful Entrepreneurs Ditch the “Sell Your Business for Zillions Goal”
by Editor on Monday, April 19th, 2010Guys – it is time to ditch the old ‘build a business and sell it for zillions’ goal!
Just as easy credit has passed into history so too have the dreams of becoming instant dot.com millionaires as a result of a few lucky breaks and some unknown buyer waving cheque books.
As most successful entrepreneurs know, it doesn’t really happen like that – unless you are incredibly lucky.
But, it is a common battle cry from entrepreneurs that they want to sell their business for £5m in 3 years time – or some similar sort of goal.
7 Point Plan on How to Grow your Business in 2010
by Editor on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010The credit crunch is hardly over, but at least we can now focus on how to grow our way out of the problems we are in – rather than worrying if everything was going to collapse.
So, in this new credit chastened environment, how do you, the successful entrepreneur, grow your business in 2010?
To help, here at Rags to Wreckages, we’ve put together a 7 point plan on how to move ahead and start to grow again this year.
UK’s ‘Recovery budget’ offers modest boost to entrepreneurs
sarah on Friday, March 26th, 2010On the face of it, the UK Chancellor’s budget speech on Wednesday offered a reasonable boost to small businesses and entrepreneurs.
The budget, the last before the general election, has therefore been largely welcomed by the business community although some claim it still does not go far enough in its support for entrepreneurial and fast-growing businesses.
Fire Old Guard says successful entrepreneur
by Editor on Monday, March 22nd, 2010Luke Johnson, a successful entrepreneur, wrote in the FT last week that it is important to fire your existing management team if you want your business to discover reinvention. He says that gradual revolution is not enough and that when systems are broken small steps won’t work.
Whole swathes of businesses no longer work the way they used to. Book publishing and local newspapers are at the top of the list, but other business such as estate agencies, state education, financial services are all looking for new ways to do things.
We are not looking at a gradual revolution here – we are looking at business models that no longer work.
Why Successful Entrepreneurs Do Give Up…
by Editor on Friday, February 26th, 2010Do great entrepreneurs never give up?
Is a top entrepreneur like a dog with a bone, and just won’t let go?
True or false?
Well, true but only to a point. A smart entrepreneur will “try, try and try again – and then give up. No point in being a damn fool about it”. (WC Fields).
Are you a Business Man/ Woman or Entrepreneur?
by Editor on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010What makes an entrepreneur different from a small business man or woman?
Well, the best definition of what entrepreneurs do is provided by Peter Drucker. He said
Entrepreneurs innovate. Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. It is the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth.
Okay, so what does that mean?
The Economist Gets Behind Freelance Working
by Editor on Thursday, January 14th, 2010strong>Even The Economist´s Schumpeter column is reporting and marginally supporting the idea of freelancing, especially for interim CEOs who are normally very expensive to get rid of (and most of whom don’t work out).
The article points out that the hiring process for CEOs is ‘hopelessly inefficient’ yet ends with the old adage that
The most successful companies, [...]
Successful Entrepreneurs – Take no Debt – Follow the 3B Rule Instead
by Editor on Monday, December 14th, 2009I’ve been asked to advise Liverpool John Moores University entrepreneur students on getting finance for their new businesses.
Controversially, my view on finance for young entrepreneurs would be, don’t.
Here’s what I would recommend:
a) avoid finance if at all possible and always for as long as possible – learn to beg, borrow and barter
b) focus on the ability to [...]
Objection to Hiring Freelancers – “I Want to Hire the Best”
by Editor on Friday, November 20th, 2009
Okay, we’ve started the ball rolling on this website with the controversial claim that entrepreneurs should only hire freelancers…
…that you have to hire the best. … and hiring the best means you have to offer the full time employment – the best package – a full time employment contract and for CEO’s golden handshakes to welcome them and golden parachutes should they fail, share options if they don’t etc.
Entrepreneurs – Never Employ Anyone Ever Again
by Editor on Monday, November 16th, 2009Okay – here is a radical business strategy for entrepreneurs that some of you won’t like – and that is that you should not employ anyone. Please, if you disagree, please don’t switch off but take a moment to think about the argument… you can always respond below…
Work with people on a freelance and contractual basis – yes, absolutely, you simply must. You can even have an office or a factory if you must, but never sign a standard UK or European employment contract.
What makes a Serial Entrepreneur?
by Editor on Monday, November 16th, 2009“Serial entrepreneurship is not a matter of success and failure but rather boredom”
Great quote – but is it true or false?
85% of Businesses are Rubbish – Alan Sugar
by Editor on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009Alan Sugar, a UK entrepreneur with more than his fair share of grey hair, stoked controversy by stating that 85% of UK businesses that failed to receive bank finance had nothing to complain about.
Amid the controversy of whether he actually said this or not, we can still ask ourselves whether he has a point.
Essentially, he is [...]
How Can Parables Help us Understand Business?
by Editor on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009If a picture is worth a thousand words – how much is a story worth? Especially a story that paints pictures in the mind?
I am using parables – or stories – to express the ideas about business which will form the basis for this blog and the subsequent book Rags to Wreckages … to Riches.
Lots [...]
National Freelancers Day
by Editor on Friday, October 16th, 2009Business models are changing – and what people want from work is changing too.
The new way to work, for nearly all white collar work, is freelance.
In recent years, freelancers have established their own trade body – the Professional Contractors Group.
And now they are celebrating National Freelancers Day on 23rd November 2009. This day will bring [...]
Rags to Wreckages to Riches to Publication – due in 2010
by Editor on Thursday, October 1st, 2009Real Life Business Strategy and Parables for Entrepreneurs:
Why Many Great Sounding Businesses Ideas Don’t Make Money – and – The Rock that Wouldn’t Budge
Why Brittle Businesses Break – and – How Glass was Cursed with Brittleness
Goldilocks and the three Shareholders
They Know What Needs to Be Done But They Don’t Do it – and – The Bug [...]
