Tuck Executive Education program endorsement

Let me open with an expression of thanks to the faculty and staff of Minority Programs at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth for an excellent program, the October 2008 session of Building the High-Performing Minority Business. The courteous treatment the participants received, the nurturing environment of the campus, and the willingness of my fellow participants to share was a refreshing change from the day-to-day. Running an effective and profitable business in this economy is important and ensuring owners have the proper tools to lead and grow their businesses has always been important, but especially now. 

I found that Building the High-Performing Minority Business excelled in providing development strategy—the curriculum was challenging and the practicum was effective.  The most beneficial offering, for me, was one-on-one mentoring with Len and Jason.  As a result of their suggestions, I am positioning my company to take advantage of some potentially upcoming trends, and changing the appeal—and consequently the marketing—of my business.  

I made revisions to several details of my business, some of which are:  the nature of my blog; the content of my website and linkedin profile; and the general focus of my company.  It will take me months to fully implement all of the changes and solutions that came out of the Building program, but I am already seeing some payoff.  Once these changes are complete, I will most likely pursue a moderate capital infusion, as well as strategic teaming agreements, to allow more breadth and scale. 

Since returning to the Carolinas and applying what I learned in the program, the virtual perception of my company has already improved.  Some clients whose value I had determined to be questionable evolved and solidified, and I was also able to secure business from some clients that I had not heard from in a few years. Additionally, I have begun laying the groundwork for strategic alliances with classmates; once my company’s internal realignment is complete, I will likely be able to capitalize on some of the synergy that came out of the program for several of us.  I have already referred some clients to classmates, and I have likewise received some great leads from classmates.  

As a result of what I have learned I have reorganized to pay off debt, removed dead weight and have new projects in the pipeline.    

I personally and actively advocate that all business leaders, business owners and associates should attend this program to help them with their businesses, as well as equip them with the tools they need to help others. Thank you so much for the opportunity to attend—it was, and remains, of great benefit.  I strongly recommend this program to any business owner. Having the proper tools to run your business is important in any economic environment. 

You can learn more about the program here http://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/exec/

Or you can contact Paula E. Graves at Paula.E.Graves@tuck.dartmouth.edu or Janet Elro at Janet.Elro@Dartmouth.edu

Tuck Recession Tips

Recession Tips: Survive, Prosper, Grow Len Greenhalgh, Faculty Director, Programs for Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises We're in a recession—a deep one. Believe it or not, that's good news as well as bad news. The bad news is obvious: there's less business to go around in a recession, because people spend less. The good news is that recessions always open up opportunities. The weak businesses—those that are poorly managed, those that aren't focused on creating real value for customers, and those with inadequate cash-flow management—will not be able to survive the "shakeout." You'll be able to take their place and take over their market share, or perhaps even buy them at a good price. The general point is that recessions don't tolerate weaknesses. You need to be as good as you possibly can be. You need to drive out wasteful inefficiencies, plan your cash flows carefully. You need to focus on retaining your best customers and take over those that are being under-served by other businesses. You need to partner with other businesses so that your combined strength allows you to seize opportunities. And you need to diversify your customer base so that you're not overly dependent on one particular customer, market sector, product line or service. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, especially during a recession! We can help you think through how your business should be poised to survive, prosper, and grow to scale during these hard times. There's no better time to attend Growing the Minority Business to Scale (April 19-24, 2009) or Building the High-Performing Minority Business (July 12-17, 2009). Call now and reserve your seat in the next program: (603) 646 3740. Best regards, Leonard Greenhalgh, PhD Professor of Management Director, Programs for Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses Director, Native American Business Programs Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth Paula E. Graves Senior Minority Programs Development Manager Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth Contact Us Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth 100 Tuck Hall Hanover, NH 03755-9050 USA Tel: 603-646-3740 Fax: 603-646-1773 paula.graves@dartmouth.edu Visit Tuck's Minority Executive Education website UPCOMING PROGRAMS April 19-24, 2009 Growing the Minority Business to Scale This advanced week-long program is for those who want to build on their current knowledge and experience to grow their businesses to the next level. July 12-17, 2009 Building a High-Performing Minority Business This intense five-day program teaches the business skills to maximize their firm's potential, increase profits, and position the company for growth.

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Tuck Executive Education
Tuck School of Business
100 Tuck Hall
Hanover NH 03755