Entrepreneurship & Small Business

The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) are creating an early-stage venture capital fund focused on information technology.

I facilitated a TEC mediation recently between my TEC CEO member "Frank" and his controller "Jim" (names changed to protect me!). They were very frustrated with each other.

Sure, we'd all love to win the lotto, possess prodigy-level talent, or be born into royalty. The luck of the draw can seem painfully unfair as some are stricken with disease while others grab an oversized helping of fame and fortune, and then come back for seconds.

Many families dream of the possibility of building a business enterprise that can support and be enjoyed by many generations of the family. But making important and sometimes necessary transitions along the way can be difficult. Many advisers know the best techniques to make those transitions in a tax-efficient and legally beneficial matter, yet it is still notoriously difficult to maintain a family business through succeeding generations.

Tiffany Weber @tiffanyannweber I JUST QUIT MY JOB! A lot of it because of @stevejagler. ow.ly/hKJxu.

Strong leadership is more than a competitive advantage. It separates world-class companies from the rest.

Question:

“I’m part of a team that’s been challenged by management to pick up the pace. No one disputes the need for us to do a better job. We aren’t very cohesive. There are strained relationships and grudges that aren’t left behind. Our meetings don’t settle anything. A few people do all the talking. Being told to, ‘fix it,’ hasn’t really helped matters. We seem to be spinning our wheels, especially in the communication area. Can you offer some suggestions for getting us pointed in the right direction?”

"Dear Joan:

Seth Godin believes that playing it safe is actually unsafe…even in the job world. By putting a spin on the Icarus fable, Godin shows how we can thrive by adopting an “artist” attitude.