The Acton MBA staff shares their expertise daily on business, technology, education, entrepreneurship and management.
Posted in Entrepreneurship & Business on Oct 4th, 2009
At a recent Acton MBA information session, one candidate expressed a deep need for a better understanding of cash. This led to a brief discussion of Bill Sahlman’s “Four Rules of Cash,” taught in our Cash and Valuation course.
Sahlman’s “Four Rules of Cash” are general guidelines for maximizing value.
The rules are:
More cash is better than less [...]
Posted in News, Starting a Business on Sep 30th, 2009
Never fear, help is here.
The U.S. Commerce Department is doing two things to aid aspiring entrepreneurs of today: the creation of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship within the Department of Commerce and the launch of a National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Posted in Business Operations, People Management on Sep 14th, 2009
Assessments are a powerful tool to use when having your own business. Whether you give criticism or affirmation, you want to do it right. Follow these tips by Master Teacher Ed Perry.
Entrepreneurs learn that managing people is usually the most difficult part of entrepreneurship. As your business grows, you hire more people. Then things get [...]
Posted in Acton E-Teachers, Business Operations on Jul 22nd, 2009
Your business is declining. You’re losing customers. What do you do?
Don’t make matters worse for yourself by falling into a “death spiral.” This is a re-post from best-selling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin’s blog. For businesspeople interested in fresh marketing ideas, this is a great blog to visit.
You’ve probably seen it. The fish monger sees [...]
Posted in Acton E-Teachers, Books on Jul 17th, 2009
See why Steven Pressfield’s book will help you stop procrastinating and follow your calling.
If you keep resolving to make some significant change in your life, like reinvent your career or develop a neglected talent, but can’t seem to stick with it, Steven Pressfield has written the book for you. In The War of Art, [...]
Posted in Acton School of Business, Job Search on Jul 14th, 2009
The next time you’re talking to a prospective employer, follow these tips from Master Teacher Steven Tomlinson.
Looking for a job, particularly in tough economic times, can easily fray your nerves. Cold calls, cover letters, interviews all put you on the spot. When you feel observed and judged, it’s not surprising that you get performance [...]
It’s great if you turn a recent layoff, cutback or downsizing into an opportunity. Just do a little research first.
With dour economic news pretty much anywhere you turn, it’s no surprise that news outlets are trying to find a silver lining — something positive to report. They have found that story in entrepreneurs. [...]
Posted in Life of Meaning, Notes on May 11th, 2009
As the new Acton class ventures into their first weeks of Pre-Matriculation, we are once again pulling the all-important Acton notes for them to read. My favorite: “Stars & Steppingstones: Some choices only come around once.” Consider this excerpt from the note:
Life is a journey, not a destination. But this does not mean that life [...]