Research affecting entrepreneurs and the governmental policies that promote (or hinder) their activity are vital to improving the economic climate. This section will highlight new research and best practices advancing entrepreneurship around the world.
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The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) federal research grant programs are the most important federal programs that spur innovation and entrepreneurship. Suman Saripalli, entrepreneur and SBIR applicant winner, talked with Kauffman eVenturing for a brief eVenturing Audiocast interview (3:03) on how to win one of the federal grants.
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Identifying the start-up costs for a venture helps you know the amount of money needed prior to opening your doors for business.
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Facing facts and forgetting fantasies are vital to accurate forecasting for startups seeking outside investment. This highly practical blog entry provides eleven helpful tips for doing forecasts realistically and presenting them in ways that investors understand and appreciate.
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What is "generating value from intellectual and knowledge-based assets?" It's "knowledge management," but, as this to-the-point article explains, KM is not a flavor-of-the-month philosophy. Instead, as Baby Boomers retire and take their organizational insights and information with them, effective KM will increasingly become a requirement for staying in business.
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The Six Sigma manufacturing process drives production to near-perfect levels, seeking less than 3.4 defects per million output units. Here, the basic purpose and process of the Six Sigma methodology, and its connection to "lean" manufacturing, are clearly explained for entrepreneurs. The article also provides tips on getting started and guidelines to successful implementation.
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Your workflow--processes, procedures, and policies--need to be communicated verbally and written. Written communication should include job descriptions, performance standards, performance reviews, and controls.
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Only 31 percent of employees are engaged at work, and 17 percent are actively disengaged.
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Verne C. Harnish and Michael A. Mahoney
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In research conducted by the Gallup organization with more than eight million subjects, employees are more likely to stay with the organization, have more engaged customers, and will be more productive if they have ties of friendship to others in the organization--especially their bosses. An exemplary boss is one who gets to know employees on an individual basis, tailoring their management to the individual.
- Author:
Verne C. Harnish and Michael A. Mahoney
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Research shows that nearly 50 percent of workers don't have performance goals that can be objectively measured. A lack of clear objectives can lead to workplace dissatisfaction and an increase in turnover rates. This article suggests a number of communication strategies to address the problem.