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  In hindsight, most successful entrepreneurs look smart. A common view is that visionary entrepreneurs scan the world around them. Because they practice “entrepreneurial alertness,” they are able to identify opportunities in the market, which they seize and turn into successful businesses. While this is sometimes true, success often comes from luck. One of my […] The post Serendipity: Luck and Business Success first appeared on Dr Jeff Cornwall ..read more

I generally don’t trust the “official” word on the economy. I believe that the best indicator of how the economy is going can be found in the small businesses on Main Street. And the word I am hearing from small business owners I work with is concerning. They are telling me that demand is starting […] The post Signs of Main Street Economy Softening first appeared on Dr Jeff Cornwall ..read more

I retired from Belmont two years ago.  One of my retirement projects was to finally write a book my wife, Ann, and I have been talking about for decades.  It was inspired by Studs Turkel’s Working, in which he interviewed people from all walks of life about their work.  Most of his book contains direct […] The post Entrepreneurial Voices Now Available! first appeared on Dr Jeff Cornwall ..read more

Start-ups ain’t easy. They can be exhilarating, rewarding, exciting, and sometimes terrifying. But they ain’t easy. Semi-Controllable Challenges Entrepreneurs face a myriad of challenges with their business models during the start-up process. As they engage their customers, they work at finding a real problem and a solution that fits the customers’ needs. Early on, they […] The post Entrepreneurial Start-ups Ain’t Easy first appeared on Dr Jeff Cornwall ..read more

I have an update for the post “Fresh Eyes See Opportunities for Innovation.” The founders of Cour Design have announced the launch of their new product from their business, Syne. It is called NP-19, which is a 19-inch screen that shows you what’s “Now Playing” from your playlist. It connects with how you stream music, […] The post UPDATE: Fresh Eyes See Opportunities for Innovation first appeared on Dr Jeff Cornwall ..read more

Many people are driven into entrepreneurship based on a desire to share a deeply held passion they have with the rest of the world. Passion is often the fuel that propels people to take the entrepreneurial leap. Bootstrap! Starting with your passion rather than with a compelling market need inherently increases the risk of your […] The post Turning Passion into a Business Model first appeared on Dr Jeff Cornwall ..read more

I often hear first-time entrepreneurs fret about structuring their workdays and organizing their work. If they came from the corporate world, their employers had already structured their work. These entrepreneurs talk about being shocked by the chaos of starting a business. It is even more challenging for entrepreneurs who have never had a full-time job. […] The post Organizing the Chaos of an Entrepreneur’s Life first appeared on Dr Jeff Cornwall ..read more

“No man ever steps in the same river twice.” (Heraclitus) The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus may not have been an entrepreneur, but some of his teachings sure do capture the world of startups. One of my former business partners liked to say that being an entrepreneur reminded him of being a shark. If you don’t […] The post We Must Move Forward first appeared on Dr Jeff Cornwall ..read more

Sometimes, an outside perspective can shed light on new ways to run a business. Fresh eyes may even see opportunities for innovation in an industry. Outsider Changes Live Show Lighting Gordon Droitcour, CEO and co-founder of Cour Design, was trained as an audio engineer. Gordon tells about how he got into live show lighting in ..read more