Tag archive for ‘Karel Sovak’
Innovation Watch: Family businesses look to peers
APG opens focuses on similar issues among business owners By KAREL SOVAK For the Tribune When you think of a family-owned business, you may think of small mom and pop operations. The dissolution of many family-owned businesses, as they progress to the second, third and even fourth generations, is substantial. According to statistics, about 30 [...]
Innovative Watch: Social entrepreneurship on the rise
Startups may like the L3C path to find their way. By KAREL SOVAK Social entrepreneurship has picked up steam over the past few years based on the number of conferences, workshops and the rise of L3Cs, or low profit limited liability corporations. Social entrepreneurship finds its place in our capitalistic society at a crucial time. [...]
Innovation Watch: Organizational design and cultural fit
Start-up companies tend to focus more on the product or service they are creating over the design and culture of their organization. Bad mistake.
Innovation Watch: Economy down? Scale up
By Karel Sovak During recessionary times, start-up companies that have made the crucial advancement to what appears to be a viable company may be paralyzed with a reflective, “What next?” Jeffrey Weber, author of “I.D.E.A. to Exit: An Entrepreneurial Journey” writes that even anticipated growth can become problematic and leave entrepreneurs wondering what directions their [...]
Innovative Ways to be Kind to the Earth
By Karel Sovak In a new business, there are comparative advantages and competitive advantages. A competitive advantage is what firms do in terms of operations or strategy – doing any of those activities better than their competitors. Kari Warberg, founder and CEO of Earth-Kind, said being innovative is what gives her a competitive advantage on [...]
Partnerships pave the way with personality – EYE on IDEAS
Personality! Rarely is the term used in an early start-up to describe an idea turned into a business. Yet, for two young entrepreneurs returning to the Bismarck area, personality is the tone they have set to differentiate their business from others. That comes from entering into a formal partnership arrangement, so neither of them has [...]
Entrepreneurial spirit of N.D. is similar to Israeli model
Collaboration is a big buzz word in the entrepreneurial field. Collaboration is an ancient concept. It took collaboration to bring about the advancements in our region, including the use of the cooperative (co-ops) model, which helped develop quality businesses. North Dakota’s history is one that ushered in an era of cooperatives for rural outreach in [...]
Entrepreneurship in the Nation of Israel
BY KAREL SOVAK While the word itself may have its origins in France, the Israelis are taking “entrepreneurship” to a new level. A recent visit to the nation of Israel revealed just how alive and well start-ups are doing in that country. In Dan Senor and Saul Singer’s book “Startup Nation,” much information is given [...]
Strategy is everything in business
By Karel Sovak A strategic plan is really nothing without strategic execution. While it is wise for a company to begin their operations based around a solid business plan, that business plan is but a snapshot in a moment of time for the company. Many business owners use the business plan as a way to [...]
Communities profit from not-for-profits
By Karel Sovak Most people are aware of the “bottom-line” when it comes to business. Few may be as aware of the “triple bottom line,” a phrase that is attributed to author John Elkington and adopted by many organizations, including the United Nations. The triple bottom line relates to profit, of course, but also includes [...]
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