Archive Posts
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Outside Consultant: How Do I Test a Technological Idea if I Don't Have a Research Lab?
Outside ConsultantIdeas are rarely in short supply for entrepreneurs; however, determining if ideas are practical or possible often requires hands-on research. If your company is in an early stage of development or resources are scarce, traditional avenues to test technological concepts might be out of reach. Independent laboratories can be quite costly and typically focus on…
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Outside Consultant: How Do Subject Matter Experts Contribute to Ed Tech Success?
Outside ConsultantEd tech companies experienced a boom with the general shift to remote teaching during the pandemic. For some, this shift was the push they needed to become established brands. For many, however, the boost faded with the return to the classrooms, as product usage declined. Why do ed tech start-ups, with seemingly great ideas that… -
Outside Consultant: How Do Commercial Leases Vary From Residential Leases?
Outside ConsultantCommercial leases start from different assumptions then residential leases. The law ensures safe conditions for people who rent living space for themselves and their families. Residential landlords must follow detailed rules to lawfully evict a tenant. These laws protect consumers from unethical landlords. Commercial leases presume that both parties are businesses. The law does not… -
Outside Consultant: What Are Some Tips to Be Successful at Sales?
Outside ConsultantPrior to the start of the semester, I send a questionnaire to the students asking why they’ve registered for the Selling class, what they hope to get out of it, what kind of class “structure” they prefer, what are they worried about, etc. Some wonder what selling is all about, some are curious if they… -
Outside Consultant: What Can Be Done to Keep Meetings From Taking Over My Employees' Workdays?
Outside ConsultantWhether virtual or in person, we continue to spend too much time in meetings, and they take a big part of the workday. A recent study by Microsoft found that by the end of 2020, the number of meetings had doubled since the beginning of the pandemic and by 2022, they had hit an all-time… -
Outside Consultant: What Are Some of the Most Important Characteristics of an Entrepreneur?
Outside ConsultantThis "Outside Consultant" column by Alec Johnson, an associate professor of entrepreneurship, ran in the Star Tribune on May 16, 2022. There is troubling belief that entrepreneurs have some sort of special vision of the future of opportunities, and it just not so. In fact, it’s this type of myth that serves to dissuade potential entrepreneurs. Over my… -
Outside Consultant: As I Start Working for My Family Business How Can I Help the Company Find New Opportunities to Grow? Where Do I Look?
Outside ConsultantThis "Outside Consultant" column by David Deeds, a professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship, the Schulze Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship and research director of the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, ran in the Star Tribune on May 9, 2022. Searching for, finding and successfully exploiting opportunities for growth is critical to sustain a business. Markets evolve as new… -
Outside Consultant: What Are Some Best Practices for Intellectual Property Law Firms to Use Artificial Intelligence?
Outside ConsultantThis "Outside Consultant" column by Manjeet Rege, PhD, director of the Center for Applied AI, ran in the Star Tribune on May 2, 2022. Artificial intelligence has led to numerous breakthroughs that have disrupted the usual way we do many things and have improved our lives in several ways that we could only have imagined in the… -
Outside Consultant: What Are the Best Practices for Fostering Creativity in a Hybrid Work Environment?
Outside ConsultantThis "Outside Consultant" column by Glenn Karwoski, adjunct faculty member at the Opus College of Business, ran in the Star Tribune on April 25, 2022. All the rules about working have changed and most of us are in some form of hybrid work environment. What does that mean for creativity? Many leaders believe that people physically being… -
Outside Consultant: How Do I Create a Healthy Business Ecosystem?
Outside ConsultantThis "Outside Consultant" column by Dan McLaughlin, senior executive fellow at the Opus College of Business, ran in the Star Tribune on April 18, 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced most industries to reimagine their business models. For Minnesota’s health care systems, the necessity of implementing new models of care has accelerated change; these changes are now…