to page content
to site navigation
The Foundation's primary site.
Global news, events, and resources.
The national learning program for entrepreneurs.
A new approach to developing the next generation of high-growth firms.
Access to university research and innovation.
The Kauffman Foundation's charter school serving Kansas City.
Encouraging the aspirations of young people.
The platform for business plan competitions.
College preparation and access for urban youth in Kansas City.
A guide to Kauffman Foundation and partner resources, for aspiring entrepreneurs.
News and announcements from the Foundation.
From our vice president of Entrepreneurship.
From our vice president of Advancing Innovation.
News from Global Entrepreneurship Week
News about this education program for entrepreneurs.
Tweets for the eMed Community at Entrepreneurship.org
News from the Kauffman Labs program.
From our business plan competition service.
Contribute to the community seeking to improve entrepreneurship and innovation measurement.
A look at entrepreneurship from the Kauffman Foundation's Thom Ruhe.
Tracks research and policies that are accelerating economic growth and changing the world.
Brings to light various policies and initiatives to advance innovation and drive economic growth.
A selection of our videos
Take our video and audio with you.
Explore many of our publications.
Join the discussion on our LinkedIn site.
Join us on Google's social service.
The Resource Center has all the info you'll need From content to user feedback, the resource center has the information you need for every level of the entrepreneurial process.
What does "Lean" mean? This article provides the basic background, terminology, and insight entrepreneurs need to understand how specific, proven processes lead to reduced costs, improved quality, and delighted customers. It also briefly considers the next logical extension of Lean Manufacturing (Lean Thinking), which allows service companies to benefit from the hard-won lessons of manufacturers.
Passionate about her business and experienced in number-crunching, entrepreneur Carol Frank nonetheless neglected to patent her product and to insist on a signed contract from her supplier. Next thing she knew, a competitor was copying her design. In the litigation that followed, the U.S. Customs and Frank's insurance company turned out to be surprisingly helpful.
Michael Gallegos has always believed in giving back, but he only recently discovered the importance of giving back to entrepreneurship.
As the cost of new technologies plummets, even small manufacturers can turn.
A leading African-American entrepreneur exposes that things have changed for entrepreneurship in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11th. The tragedy is hurting large companies (on whose boards he sits), which in turn is having a ripple effect on the smallest entrepreneurial shop, he writes.
Even with trained and certified internal quality-improvement leaders, or "belts," Six Sigma efforts can fail because management does not understand the support they need. Such ignorance can mean that Six Sigma quality projects don't match company strategy, receive the right resources or financial support, or benefit from regular reviews by managers who can resolve such issues. Entrepreneurs thinking about implementing a Lean Manufacturing-oriented process need to have a full appreciation not only for the returns but also for the investments required, especially their own time and energy and that of their top team".
Global growth is essential for entrepreneurial companies but must be managed to overcome challenges such as language barriers and tax-related paperwork, says the founder of a Harley-Davidson licensee.
Hiring the disabled allows entrepreneurs greater productivity, lower labor costs, and lucrative tax benefits, in addition to engendering goodwill, says a company founder who employs brain-injured workers.
This article outlines the purpose of the Six DisciplinesT approach, explains in brief the value of some of the tools used in this methodology, and provides useful links, especially to the Six Disciplines Web site. The site provides entrepreneurs with a way to see what implementation might be like and offers examples of companies that have put Six Disciplines to work in their companies. The process is designed specifically for small and mid-sized companies with more than twenty employees.
With the nation's ethics deteriorating in the wake of widespread corporate scandal, entrepreneurs need to examine questionable practices in their own milieu, such as inflating expectations to attract funding, writes the author. Included is a look at the unlikely course this former high-tech company founder has taken in order to adhere to principles.
Want to get connected? Sign up to receive regular news, polls and updates from The Kauffman Foundation.
