Credit Suisse Private Banking Presents "From David to Goliath: How Entrepreneurs Overcome the Challenges of Company Growth"

Report Uncovers Distinct Strategies Leveraged by High-Growth Entrepreneurs

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Feb 28, 2012, 10:47 ET

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- "From David to Goliath: How Entrepreneurs Overcome the Challenges of Company Growth," a report released today by Credit Suisse and Dr. Helena Yli-Renko, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Southern California, provides an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs of 13 successful entrepreneurs across the US and Latin America. The report highlights these high-growth entrepreneurs and traces the trajectories of their respective companies—which have created jobs, introduced innovations and transformed entire industries. It also examines entrepreneurs' responses to common business issues.

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"At Credit Suisse, we are privileged to serve the wealth management needs of many of the world's leading entrepreneurs and their families," said Bill Woodson, Managing Director and Head of Credit Suisse Private Banking USA's Family Wealth Planning Group. "In 'From David to Goliath: How Entrepreneurs Overcome the Challenges of Company Growth,' we are pleased to shed light on the war stories entrepreneurs share with each other. It is always heartening to hear how they have all overcome so many challenges to create the high-growth, high-impact firms that are the subjects of this white paper."

Findings:
The report categorizes enterprises into two camps: David and Goliaths, depending on their size.
Entrepreneurs, the authors found, have common challenges that they must address: people, financial resources, business networks and environment jolts.

High-growth entrepreneurs have shared approaches to meeting these challenges:

People: The popular conception of entrepreneurs is that they are lone wolves — fiercely independent individuals seeking to forge their own paths. In reality, successful entrepreneurs tend to be collaborative and humble, skilled in communicating their vision and in getting other people to help them. High-growth entrepreneurs are persistent, but not bull-headed. They are highly responsive and adaptive ("There is No 'I' in Team" Principle).
Financial Resources: High-growth entrepreneurs are extremely resourceful when it comes to capitalizing their growth-- often through unconventional means ("Bird in Hand" Principle).
Business Networks: Entrepreneurs' networks are multidimensional—they include friends, family advisors, customers, suppliers and even competitors. These diverse networks provide checks and balances for entrepreneurs to adjust their personal approach, their business model or both ("It Takes a Village" Principle).
Environmental Jolts: High-growth entrepreneurs have a "little engine that could" mindset. They have little fear of failure. Persistence is their most defining trait. Experienced entrepreneurs excel in turning the unexpected into the profitable ("The Lemonade" Principle).

However, the most surprising finding of this research, according to the authors, is that smaller companies failed to perceive larger, more established companies as threats—but rather as motivating forces.

According to co-author Yli-Renko, "The key lies in viewing entrepreneurship and company growth as a learning process where entrepreneurs continually hone their ability to make decisions in rapidly changing, uncertain environments. Entrepreneurs should be viewed as problem-solvers and improvisers, making use of whatever resources they have."

The case studies show how founders of fast-growth companies must continually balance and adjust as their companies grow and change. The report features:

Juan Blum, Efficacitas Consulting – Carving out a new market for environmental consulting in Ecuador
Andrew Burgert, Nextive –Scaling up an international software company
Daniel Davison, OneNews –Creating a model for real-time news reporting
Alejandro Diego, Ollin Studios –Scaling and building a reputation as a Latin American visual effects producer
Marco Giannini, Dogswell – Managing inventory and continuous innovation: Growing and selling a pet food company
Rhonda Kallman, Boston Beer Company and New Century Brewing – Fighting unexpected battles to bring a new beer to the masses
Joe Kaplan, Innovative Merchant Solutions –Leading a payments business to acquisition
Jim Marggraff, LiveScribe – Launching a ground-breaking consumer technology product
Liz McKinley, Pinnacle Petroleum – Learning to delegate while keeping that personal touch
Adam Miller, Cornerstone OnDemand – Business model innovation to drive change in the emerging SaaS market
Rafael Soares, Yoguland – Creating an overnight sensation: Building a successful frozen yogurt franchise in Brazil
Harry Tsao, MeziMedia – Spurring growth with an offshore development initiative
Rob Ukropina, Overnite Express – Growing and selling an overnight delivery company

Please click here for a copy of "From David to Goliath: How Entrepreneurs Overcome the Challenges of Company Growth."

Third Annual Entrepreneurs Summit – Sundance, Utah – March 1-2
Private Banking USA will host its third annual Entrepreneurs Summit in Sundance, Utah on March 1-2. This year's Summit will focus on a theme of the new white paper: "Overcoming the Challenges of Growth." It will feature various keynote speakers and experts who have experienced these challenges first-hand.

The Entrepreneurs Summit is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to learn from one another, to network with like-minded individuals, and to share best practices in an exclusive and intimate environment.

Credit Suisse AG
Credit Suisse AG is one of the world's leading financial services providers and is part of the Credit Suisse group of companies (referred to here as 'Credit Suisse'). As an integrated bank, Credit Suisse offers clients its combined expertise in the areas of private banking, investment banking and asset management. Credit Suisse provides advisory services, comprehensive solutions and innovative products to companies, institutional clients and high-net-worth private clients globally, as well as to retail clients in Switzerland. Credit Suisse is headquartered in Zurich and operates in over 50 countries worldwide. The group employs approximately 49,700 people. The registered shares (CSGN) of Credit Suisse's parent company, Credit Suisse Group AG, are listed in Switzerland and, in the form of American Depositary Shares (CS), in New York. Further information about Credit Suisse can be found at www.credit-suisse.com. View our Corporate Responsibility policy and our full Corporate Citizenship Report at www.credit-suisse.com/responsibility.

Private Banking
In Private Banking, Credit Suisse provides comprehensive advice and a broad range of wealth management solutions, including pension planning, life insurance products and wealth and inheritance advice, which are tailored to the needs of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals worldwide. In Switzerland Credit Suisse supplies banking products and services to individual clients, corporates and institutions.

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC is an indirect subsidiary of Credit Suisse. The Private Banking USA business in Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC is a U.S. regulated broker dealer. It is not a chartered bank, trust company or depository institution. It is not authorized to accept deposits or provide corporate trust services and it is not licensed or regulated by any federal banking authority.

SOURCE Credit Suisse AG