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Artisans Must Balance the Books

Harvard Business Review

As more people depended on him, he spent his working capital, and the business failed. When I founded the nonprofit African Institution of Technology , I initially focused on helping African entrepreneurs or artisans, especially those with only primary education, develop new skills and market opportunities.

Books 14
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A Tool to Map Your Next Digital Initiative

Harvard Business Review

In fact, the relentless drive to embrace digital technologies has been ongoing for many decades. What also seems to have been forgotten are the lessons from these earlier attempts to leverage IT (remember that IT is a digital technology). The technologies and processes that are transforming companies. Insight Center.

Tools 8
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article thumbnail

Artisans Must Balance the Books

Harvard Business Review

As more people depended on him, he spent his working capital, and the business failed. When I founded the nonprofit African Institution of Technology , I initially focused on helping African entrepreneurs or artisans, especially those with only primary education, develop new skills and market opportunities.

Books 14
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Why Multinationals Are Doubling Down on Russia

Harvard Business Review

While the middle class has been eroded by currency depreciation and recession, the Russian consumer remains technologically savvy, interested in quality Western brands, and able to spend. This provided some financial stability to its staff and kept up motivation given the abrupt drop in purchasing power their employees are facing.

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Your Whole Company Needs to Be Distinctive, Not Just Your Product

Harvard Business Review

But starting in the early 2000s, the advantages of scale were mostly eliminated, in large part because of globalization, deregulation, and the rise of digital technology. It became easier and easier for small enterprises to gain customer reach and awareness (along with working capital).

IAM 11
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We Can’t Study Short-Termism Without the Right Metrics

Harvard Business Review

However, higher accruals can reflect either innocuous aspects of certain business models, such as in the construction industry, where the time lag between earning income and realizing cash is long, or that growing firms retain higher working capital to meet greater current and future customer demand. Are all share repurchases myopic?

EPS 8
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A Playbook for Making America More Entrepreneurial

Harvard Business Review

In an economy where traditional manufacturing jobs have gone offshore, and globalization and technology have put pressure on U.S. The type of capital required and its source depends on the type of business, its stage of life, and its strategy for the future. A supplier might need a working capital loan to finance a big order.