Getting help from experienced mentors can be incredibly valuable to entrepreneurs. This section contains information on a variety of mentoring topics. Beyond this section, however, this site will evolve over time to help make connections between mentors and entrepreneurs around the world.
Summary:
Serial entrepreneur Will Herman shares 11 best practices for working effectively with a Board of Directors, including determining support, maintaining focus and direction, communication tactics, incorporating the management team, and presentations.
- Author:
James E. Stowers Jr.
Summary:
Entrepreneurs hoping to preserve wealth may want to avoid selling big stakes in their businesses to raise capital. The founder of a major mutual-funds company built his net worth by selling preferred, rather than common, stock.
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While confusing to investors, mixing financial investments with philanthropic giving is a concept that is gaining ground. Good Capital is one organization collecting a portfolio of social enterprises and provides funding for their "social good" along with cash returns to their investors.
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The founder and CEO of American Reading Company, Jane Hileman, has seen her company grow from a few teachers ten years ago to 111 employees today who provide books and reading goals for students to encourage a love of reading. Hileman's goals are revenue growth, profitability, and success.
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Bringing new board members into your company can be complicated. Brad Feld provides some best practices for managing this complex process, including: recruiting, analyzing current board composition, and establishing selection criteria.
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First-time CEOs may find it daunting to establish their first board of directors. This topic expert details a four-step process to building boards that can help growth companies thrive.
- Author:
Gina Galgano Hoagland
Summary:
This entrepreneur and strategic coach presents two case studies, from her entrepreneur client base, which approach compensating "A" players in very different ways. Both had the same goal though--keep them on the team.
- Author:
J. Robert Beyster
Summary:
Founder Bob Beyster describes his highly successful approach to recruiting, retaining, and rewarding top performers--a culture of employee ownership. This is a core strategy for growing SAIC, an entrepreneurial, employee-owned, high-technology corporation.
Summary:
While effectual boards of directors can strengthen a growing company, this author asserts ineffectual boards can just as easily cripple a company's growth. Entrepreneurs should follow proven and concrete procedures for developing and operating strong boards of directors.
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As an entrepreneurial company grows and adds layers of management, it can and should consider policies that address work and family issues or risk inconsistency across departments, writes the founder of a human-resources services firm.