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101 Things I Learned in Business School

Leading Blog

B USINESS is not a discipline, but an endeavor made up of disciplines such as accounting, communications, economics, finance, leadership, management, marketing, operations, psychology, sociology, and strategy. perpetually exceed the cash receipts from the previous, smaller sales volume.

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A Refresher on Internal Rate of Return

Harvard Business Review

There are a variety of methods you can use to calculate ROI — net present value , payback, breakeven — and internal rate of return , or IRR. What is internal rate of return? The IRR is the rate at which the project breaks even. Finance & Accounting Article. How is it calculated?

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Why Are Companies Sitting on Cash Right Now?

Harvard Business Review

Many companies sit on piles of cash, even when rates of return suggest they shouldn’t. Researchers have pointed to multiple reasons, including flexibility for M&A and tax advantages. But new research suggests it’s also a form of insurance, especially for smaller firms.

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7 Tips How Investing Can Help You Secure a Better Future

Strategy Driven

While they may not offer double-digit returns, they certainly come with a higher rate of return than a basic savings account. That’s page 1 of Finance 101—higher the risk, higher the return. Retirement savings are an essential part of any portfolio. They aren’t as boring as some investors assume them to be.

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What Private Equity Investors Think They Do for the Companies They Buy

Harvard Business Review

What have been less explored are the specific actions taken by private equity (PE) fund managers. In a survey of 79 PE firms managing more than $750 billion in capital, we provide granular information on PE managers’ practices and how firms’ strategies relate to the characteristics of their founders.

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The Most Common Mistake People Make In Calculating ROI

Harvard Business Review

But before anyone writes a check, you need to calculate the return on investment (ROI) by comparing the expected benefits with the costs. Analyzing ROI isn’t always as simple as it sounds and there’s one mistake that many managers make: confusing cash and profit. HBR TOOLS: Return on Investment. Excerpted from.

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Venture Capitalists Get Paid Well to Lose Money

Harvard Business Review

There are, of course, individual firms that succeed in generating venture rates of return. But they are too small in size and too few in number to make up for the vast majority of funds that fail to generate attractive returns (or any returns) for investors. LPs pay VCs like asset managers, not investors.