Edward J. Strafaci ~ Academic Blog

As legend has it, 90% of startups fail. While the seven on this list collectively raised nearly $400 million in venture capital, these startups are only a few of the high-profile ones that ended up shuttering their doors in 2015. CB Insights has  a full list of 146 startup failure post-mortems from the past few years. Here's how they tried to change the world, and what other startup founders can learn from their demise: View As:  One Page   Slides Quirky Daniel Goodman / Business Insider What was it:  Launched in 2009, Quirky was an invention platform where people could vote on product ideas they loved, and the company would turn them into products, like the much-loved Pivot Power strip. It also created a subsidiary Internet of Things business called Wink, which made hubs for the smart home. Why it closed:  Many of Quirky's products had thin to non-existent margins,  Business Insider's Jillian D'Onf...

Takeaways: 1. Lack of liquidity 2. Negative outlook for growth stocks 3. Finally we are testing the bid side of the markets and it is not pretty  EJS By  MIKE CHERNEY ,  LESLIE JOSEPHS  and  SARAH KROUSE The U.S. junk-bond rout deepened Monday, with the bonds of dozens of low-rated companies falling anew and the shares of some large fund-management firms tumbling as well. The declines reflected gathering concerns about risky companies’ access to financing, traders’ capacity to sell bonds without causing prices to fall, and ripple effects from the closure of a junk-bond mutual fund. Together, the concerns are feeding investor fears that the U.S. mutual-fund industry could face outflows that will test funds’ capacity to meet investor redemption requests. The  iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF  was down about 1.3% Monday, after shedding 2% on Friday in its worst plunge since 2011, to trade at $78.47 per share. Many of the...

A firm founded by legendary vulture investor Martin Whitman is barring investor withdrawals while it liquidates its high-yield bond fund, an unusual move that highlights the severity of the monthslong junk-bond plunge that has swept Wall Street. The decision by Third Avenue Management LLC means investors in the $789 million Third Avenue Focused Credit Fund may not receive all their money back for months, if not more. Third Avenue said poor bond-market trading conditions made it almost impossible to raise sufficient cash to meet redemption demands from investors without resorting to fire sales of assets. Securities attorneys said  Third Avenue’s decision to wind down the mutual fund  without giving investors all their cash back could have significant repercussions for both the company and the mutual-fund industry, which for decades has thrived by promising to allow investors to take a long-term view of the markets while retaining the right to cash out shares at any ...

Business leaders measure productivity by the quality and quantity of output over input. Management seems to have a big part in a business. They decide, implement actions, and take the control. The professional skills and roles of managers are important to be adapted and put into practice not only by business people but all people who want to do and be more everyday. 1. Prioritize tasks Lining up your daily tasks can be one of the effective ways to be productive. Focus on what is important  by asking what are the things needed to be done first or by measuring the value of each task needed to be accomplished. It is essential to assess the things needed first to finish the right job at the right time. 2. Manage time properly Get an early start. Doing things now instead of later is the ultimate secret that business people use to get more done, providing a schedule and record to help them track their activities and progress during the day. They ...

If you don’t work from home, you probably imagine it to be a pretty cushy gig: you can do everything you need to get done while lounging on the couch in your pajamas, casually going about your business with not a care in the world. If you do work from home, you know that’s simply not the case. For the most part, working from home requires you to set up your living space as if it were an actual office. While you don’t necessarily need to hole yourself up in your room, it certainly helps put you in the frame of mind to get some work done. If you’ve been designated for home assignment, make sure you have the following to ensure you maintain your productive nature. Wi-Fi with a high speed connection If you work from home, chances are you’ll be spending a majority of your time utilizing the Internet in some capacity. A slow Internet means halted productivity. Make sure you have a reliable router, and are connected to a server that promises minimal dips in service. Laptop Whi...