Phil Knight discovered he was an entrepreneur while sitting in a small business class at Stanford School of Business. “That class was an ‘aha!’ moment,” he said. “[the professor] defined the type of person who was an entrepreneur—and I realized…
Is it possible to start a small business today that competes with an established, successful company—and win? The answer, of course, is yes. Big companies get beaten in the marketplace all the time. Want proof? Of the top 100 companies…
Steve Case is well known as the man who grew America Online from an online services company, linking gamers using Commodore 64 computers into one of the foremost Internet media companies in the world, culminating with its acquisition of TimeWarner. The…
“No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.” —Author Unknown With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, we’ve been thinking a bit about gratitude and its place…
The votes are counted and the people have spoken. Thank goodness that’s over. So what does it all mean for small business owners? We have a few thoughts: #1. If you wanted change or big new initiatives, you’re going to be…
A few weeks ago, in his Monday Morning Memo, Roy Williams asked the question: How much do your name, logo, and color scheme really matter? His answer: A little. Mr. Williams points out that a company can succeed more than 50…
The U.S. Presidential election is right around the corner. So this week, we thought we’d turn to a former presidential candidate who is perhaps better known for his entrepreneurial success than for his politics—Ross Perot. Mr. Perot was an over…
Okay, technically he wasn’t talking about business success, per se. But “Fearless” Felix Baumgartner knows how to take on a complex challenge, face down unexpected problems, and succeed. Something that small business owners and entrepreneurs do every day. On the…
Today just about everyone knows Colonel Sanders. Or has tried his secret recipe of seven herbs and spices. We recognize his image in red and white on restaurant signs around the world. His is one of the most successful food…
Last week we posted several quotes by Warren Buffett on running a business and finding success. Like just about everyone else, we’re impressed by Mr. Buffett’s ability to start several businesses, then grow one of them—Berkshire Hathaway into an amazingly…