Discussion 1

Financing Alternatives" Please respond to the following:

• Imagine your attempt to receive venture capital has failed and you must look elsewhere. Ignoring some specific experience requirements, assess which alternative financing best fits your business venture from Assignment 1. Provide a rationale with your response.

• From the alternative financing, you chose from the discussion above, indicate how this financier might likely approach evaluating your business venture from Assignment 1.

Discussion 2

"Funding Small Businesses" Please respond to the following:

• From the first e-Activity, assess the potential pitfalls of potentially passing the Small Business Lending Enactment Act as discussed in the article. Suggest how these pitfalls can be minimized.

• From the second and third e-Activities, take a position on the long-term affect these alternative financing options may have on small businesses and the economy in the U.S.

Week 8 e-Activities

• Go to Entrepreneur.com Website to read the article titled "On Capitol Hill, battle over small-business loans grows fierce," dated March 15, 2012. Be prepared to discuss.

• Go to the CNN Money Website to read the news transcript titled " Firms turn to riskier financing," dated February 21, 2012,. Be prepared to discuss.

• Go to the CNN Money Website to read the news transcript titled " Got a Picasso? Get a small business loan," dated June 1, 2012. Be prepared to discuss.

Discussion 3

"The Nature of Organizational Control." Please respond to the following:

• Discuss two (2) important aspects of organizational control. Which aspect is most important for organizational success?

• Describe the seven (7) key components of a performance management system. Are any of the components more important than the others? Why?

Discussion 4

"The Nature of Management and Leadership Development." Please respond to the following:

• Describe three (3) major functions of management and leadership development in organizations making transitions from one stage of growth to the next. Which of the three (3) functions is most important? Why?

• Discuss the different needs for management and leadership development that companies have in the first four (4) stages of organizational growth.