Do you remember the special week you spent in Hanover at the Building a High Performing Minority Business?
You learned the secrets of creating a successful business from Ivy League professors, recognized as some of the best business experts in the world. Would you like to come back to attend Part 2 of Tuck Minority Business Programs; “Growing the Minority Business to Scale?”
“Scale is important to a small business. It opens up larger markets, spreads fixed costs over a larger sales volume, and makes the business more robust and better able to weather downturns. MBEs have three options for growth: organically adding capacity, buying another business, and partnering. This one-week strategic retreat prepares your business for the long term, while helping you make wise short term decisions that will position you for your exit strategy—whether you’re planning to eventually sell your business, turn it over to your kids or a professional manager, or close it down and sell off the assets. The case study is your own business, and the deliverables are a long-term business plan and a To-Do List that specifies your next steps.” Dr. Len Greenhalgh, Faculty Director Tuck Minority Business Programs
We are asking you to consider coming back to Tuck for the July 22-27, 2018 recently revised and updated Growing session. In this session you will learn how to significantly increase your sales and profits through innovative strategies. If you want to accomplish more and become an even better business leader, we encourage you to attend the Growing session. Some of our most successful alumni have participated in both the Building and Growing sessions. Here is what a few of them have to say about their Growing experience:
“Participating in the Building class was an eye-opening experience that showed me that I had to make some critical changes in my business in order to get it on the right track. I came back to Tuck to attend the Growing class and I learned the tools and skills that allowed me to implement changes that have accelerated my growth.” Pepe Figueroa, President and CEO Priority One Services
“It is hard to express how impactful the Growing class was on my businesses development. I also wanted to return to Tuck in order to try to capture the magic that I experienced in the Building program. The camaraderie I experienced in Building was even better in the Growing class because most of us had shared the common experience of Building. It was like an entrepreneurial family reunion. I was so glad I came back. Now I come back to Hanover every chance I get.” Lane Coleman, President and CEO, The Strike Group
“I started my business in 1983 in my basement in New Haven, CT. I came to Growing and learned what I needed to do in order to take my business to the next level. In 2009 after many years of double digit growth, I sold my business to a private equity company, and now I pursue my full-time passion of being a social entrepreneur and philanthropist.”
Carl Highsmith, Founder of Specialized Packaging Group and Chairman of the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology (
www.conncat.org).
“One of the reasons GM supports diverse businesses to attend the Growing class at Tuck is that we need companies that exhibit sustainable growth plans that account for the rapid changes within the automotive industry. Today’s entrepreneurs must show their strategic agility, offer innovative products/services, and have the scale and capabilities to compete in this global market. The opportunities for diverse suppliers to do business with companies like GM are there for entrepreneurs who think big, are aligned with our supply chain requirements, and possess the right infrastructure to support this ever-evolving industry.”
Reggie Humphrey, Sr. Manager, Supplier Diversity, General Motors (Pictured Above)
“I attended the Growing class while I was running one of the smallest regional NMSDC councils. I had 4 employees and a budget of less than $500,000. After learning how to acquire other companies, I came back to the CMSDC and acquired two other non-profits, won two federal contracts and left the council with 15 employees and a budget of greater than $2,000,000 in the span of four years.” Fred McKinney, former President and CEO of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, currently, Managing Director of Tuck Minority Business Programs
I strongly encourage you to come back to Tuck. If a corporation who believed in you, supported you so that you could attend Building, I encourage you to speak with your sponsor and let them know how impactful Building was, and that you want to come back to Growing. I must advise you, when you ask your sponsor for support, it will be much more effective if you inform your sponsor that you are willing to make an investment in yourself. Having “skin in the game” goes a long way to convince others that you are serious about your professional development.
July in Hanover is beautiful. We hope to see you at Growing the Minority Business to Scale from July 22-27, 2018. If you are interested in attending Growing, please contact me at
Frederick.W.McKinney@Tuck.Dartmouth.edu.
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