Jim Sharpe is a Senior Lecturer in the Entrepreneurial Management unit. He teaches second year electives on turnarounds(EMTE) and on running small businesses(RSME) and has taught The Entrepreneurial Manager(TEM), a first year required course. His interests are in the areas of business acquisitions, manufacturing, B2B niche marketing, turnarounds, pricing, leadership, family balance, large/small company differences, ethics, exit strategies and employee empowerment. Prior to joining the faculty, Jim was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence during the 2009-2010 academic year counseling students and alumni and contributing to the Harbus. Jim sold Extrusion Technology, an aluminum extrusion fabricator, in December 2008 to a private equity firm. The company, purchased in 1987, after an 11 month search, grew from $4MM to $32MM developing a value added products niche in the Datacomm/Telecom electronics markets and a supplemental factory in Xiamen, China to support their 50% export sales. The process and early years are the subject of a HBS First Year case in TEM.
After taking on substantial debt, Jim transformed the second generation, family owned business. A focus on quality led to early qualification for ISO-9000 in 1992 and emphasis on lead time reduction and lean manufacturing techniques resulted in a Bronze Shingo award in 2008. After a first failed attempt to sell the business in 2000, Jim recruited a CEO and developed a management team that allowed for a successful exit strategy 8 years later.
Family focus was a high priority for Jim who hired his wife, Debby Stein Sharpe MBA81, as CFO in 1988, contrary to advice from his Advisory Board. After their two sons were born, he made time to walk the kids to school, make lunches and be available for school activities, soccer and juggling. Debby and Jim adopted their daughter at age 5 while the boys were in elementary school.
Jim has a BSBA degree from Babson College and after graduating from HBS in 1976, joined General Electric and moved on to Product General Manager positions within the GE materials businesses where he met Debby. After 5 years, he left GE to run 3 turn-around situations which prepared him to strike off on his own in 1987.
He is engaged in biking, juggling, public speaking, mentoring, various board positions, website development, philanthropic activities, investments and involvement the YPO/WPO organizations.
Publications
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Course Overview Note
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2013
(Revised from original 2013 version)
Running Small and Medium Size Enterprises (RSME) Winter Term 2013: Course Overview and Syllabus
Jim Sharpe
Course Overview and Syllabus for RSME
Keywords: entrepreneurial management;
entrepreneurial organizations;
entrepreneurs;
entrepreneurship;
Small ＆ medium-sized enterprises;
small and medium-sized enterprises;
small business;
small and medium enterprises;
small company management;
Small Companies;
operations management;
growth management;
growth strategy;
Growth Planning and Management;
pricing;
hiring;
firm growth;
firm organization;
leadership and managing people;
Entrepreneurship;
Operations;
Management;
Leadership;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
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2013
Elasto Therm: The Next Step
Jim Sharpe and James Weber
Julia and Nate Burstein were living their dream running their own business and balancing the demands between their work and family obligations while creating a company that was responsive to their employees’ and their customers’ needs. The Bursteins had joined a large multinational manufacturing company after receiving their MBAs from HBS, but soon left to join Julia's family plastics business. After the business was sold, they struck out on their own to search for a similar business. They purchased Elasto Therm, with $8 million in revenue from manufactured rubber and urethane components, with their own cash, bank financing, and the seller, partly in the form of an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Initially, Nate ran the business and after a few years changed roles with Julia to stay at home with their young children for three years. The two were in charge as co-CEOs before Julia relinquished her responsibilities to be at home again. The couple significantly strengthened the organization's talent, focused on innovation, growth, and provided a learning environment for their employees. Through cost efficiencies and pricing strategies, Elasto Therm was able to achieve higher margins than their competitors and focused on low-volume, short-run orders as they continued to expand the business. The 2008 recession forced them to reexamine all aspects of the business, and it retained profitability after painful cutbacks in the organization. To continue their growth into the next decade, they are faced with the choice of acquiring other businesses or growing more organically by adding to their sales organization to achieve geographic expansion.
Keywords: entrepreneurial management;
entrepreneurs;
entrepreneurship;
pricing;
Pricing policies;
Pricing strategy;
pricing structure;
sales force management;
Acquisitions;
work/family balance;
work-life balance;
Family-owned business;
Entrepreneurship;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Expansion;
Work-Life Balance;
Manufacturing Industry;
Rubber Industry;
United States;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
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2013
Wayne Ferrari: iAutomation at a Crossroads
Jim Sharpe and Michael Norris
Wayne Ferrari has bridged the gap between being an independent entrepreneur and a "professional manager." After selling his business to a Private Equity (PE) firm, Ferrari takes on the role of CEO and with their support implements a roll-up strategy to attain growth through acquisition in the mechanical controls distribution industry. Ferrari received support from the PE firm in negotiating and financing acquisitions but faced the challenging task of integrating them into the core business. Getting all the operations on a common IT platform proves more challenging than he expected. Developing an organization that supports a new strategy of application support for their customer base requires a change in culture and an evolving leadership challenge for the business. The most immediate challenge is to implement a "pricing" model to be used with all customers that takes into consideration a variety of customer specific characteristics to set optimal pricing for quotations. On "go live" day, the sales force "is up in arms" requesting that their "special customer deals" be sheltered from this new system. The case outlines a brief history of the business, the changes over the last six years and details on the challenges Ferrari faces as iAutomation continues to expand.
Keywords: entrepreneurial management;
entrepreneurial organizations;
entrepreneurship;
leveraged buyouts;
roll-up;
career planning;
Acquisitions;
pricing;
Pricing policies;
Pricing strategy;
pricing structure;
Acquisition;
Entrepreneurship;
Private Equity;
Distribution;
Integration;
System;
Electronics Industry;
Distribution Industry;
United States;
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Course Overview Note
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2012
Entrepreneurial Management in a Turnaround Environment (EMTE) Fall 2012: Course Overview and Syllabus
Jim Sharpe
Course Overview and Syllabus in the Fall Term 2012 for the Entrepreneurial Management in a Turnaround Environment (EMTE) course.
Keywords: entrepreneurial management;
entrepreneurs;
entrepreneurship;
turnarounds;
bankruptcy reorganization;
bankruptcy;
Small ＆ medium-sized enterprises;
careers;
entrepreneurial finance;
distressed debt;
Insolvency and Bankruptcy;
Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques;
Management;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Organizational Culture;
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Technical Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
Early Career LBOs Using the Search Fund Model
Howard Stevenson, Michael Roberts and Jim Sharpe
The funded search model is one alternative for individuals who, at some point in their career, want to run their own companies. This note looks at the funded search, as a means to entrepreneurship through acquision and describes the path to buy and run a business using debt and equity as a means of financing the purchase. While applicable to an early career choice, many of the process steps are applicable to unfunded searches at later stages of a career.
Keywords: Search Funds;
search;
leveraged buyouts;
entrepreneurial finance;
investor behavior;
career planning;
entrepreneurial management;
fundraising;
negotiation;
Entrepreneurship;
Capital Structure;
Borrowing and Debt;
Personal Development and Career;
Private Ownership;
Acquisition;
Finance;
Leveraged Buyouts;
Citation: Stevenson, Howard, Michael Roberts, and Jim Sharpe. "Early Career LBOs Using the Search Fund Model." Harvard Business School Technical Note 813-119, December 2012.
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
Paul Thomson: Walker Insurance (TN)
Jim Sharpe
After a year of searching, Paul Thomson has attained his goal of owning his own business. Walker, the prior owner, has facilitated transition but remains involved in the company, and employees are looking to Thomson for leadership. He takes immediate steps to build morale, replace poor performers in the "producer" sales force, and cut wages and expenses. During a post-closing audit, Thomson discovers a $600k problem that wipes out his contingency funds. He is concerned about having to go back to his investors to fund a buildup of reserves this early in his tenure. If he plans to live off cash flow, his growth goals will be delayed and he may lose some recently hired revenue "producers." He has also been approached about selling the company for $4 million, which could yield a good return for investors and for him personally.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Eric Weston
Michael J. Roberts and Jim Sharpe
Facing bankruptcy or keeping the doors open, Eric Weston assesses his continued survival in the retail garden supply business he has owned for seven years.
Keywords: Acquisitions;
bankruptcy;
entrepreneurship;
financing;
turnarounds;
liquidation;
negotiation;
entrepreneurial management;
crisis management;
entrepreneurs;
bank loan;
career planning;
financial analysis;
Insolvency and Bankruptcy;
Entrepreneurship;
Acquisition;
Retail Industry;
United States;
Citation: Roberts, Michael J., and Jim Sharpe. " Eric Weston." Harvard Business School Case 813-045, October 2012. (Revised from original July 2012 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
Lyric Dinner Theater (A)
Richard G. Hamermesh and Jim Sharpe
Looking back at five years of losses, Rivka Belzer, a newly minted MBA, steps into her family owned business with their mandate to turn it around or close it. In her first six months, she has made a number of changes, with mixed results, but is beginning to show a profit. Many strategic, organizational, marketing, control, and operational decisions lie ahead as she plans for the next year and tries to manage a difficult board of directors in the challenging entertainment industry.
Keywords: entrepreneurship;
entrepreneurs;
entrepreneurial management;
crisis management;
family business;
turnarounds;
financial crisis;
boards of directors;
operations management;
strategy implementation;
career planning;
Entrepreneurship;
Entertainment and Recreation Industry;
United States;
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
Lyric Dinner Theater (B)
Richard G. Hamermesh and Jim Sharpe
Supplements the (A) Case. Rivka Belzer reflects on the results and actions taken during the 12 months following her first 6 months on the job.
Keywords: entrepreneurship;
entrepreneurs;
entrepreneurial management;
crisis;
turn;
family business;
financial crisis;
boards of directors;
operations management;
strategy implementation;
career planning;
Entrepreneurship;
Entertainment and Recreation Industry;
United States;
Citation: Hamermesh, Richard G., and Jim Sharpe. " Lyric Dinner Theater (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 813-044, July 2012.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Dragonfly Corporation
Howard H. Stevenson and Jim Sharpe
After 3 years of losses and under legal threats from their landlord, a husband and wife team are faced with shutting the company down, buying time with the landlord or turning to their parents for additional funds. Despite opening a new location and seeing that sales were up from last year, their financial statements were still reporting losses forcing them to consider what steps to take to turn children's retail clothing business around.
Keywords: entrepreneurship;
entrepreneurs;
entrepreneurial management;
turnarounds;
bankruptcy;
bank loan;
crisis management;
family business;
retail trade;
financial crisis;
financial analysis;
Entrepreneurship;
Insolvency and Bankruptcy;
Retail Industry;
United States;
Citation: Stevenson, Howard H., and Jim Sharpe. " Dragonfly Corporation." Harvard Business School Case 813-042, November 2012. (Revised from original July 2012 version.)
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Background Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
(Revised from original 2012 version)
A Glossary of Technical Terms Related to Bankruptcy in the U.S.
Carliss Y. Baldwin, Jim Sharpe and Ravi Mehta
Quick reference guide of various terms related to the United States Bankruptcy Code.
Keywords: bankruptcy;
financial crisis;
financial distress;
turnarounds;
legal aspects of business;
crisis management;
Insolvency and Bankruptcy;
Finance;
Law;
United States;
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Technical Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
A Note on Trust
Jim Sharpe and Charles H. Green
The effective manager and leader understands and appreciates trust at both the personal and the organizational levels. Most managers focus more on being trusted than on trusting. The best way to be trusted is to be worthy of trust – to be trustworthy.
Keywords: turnarounds;
trust;
leadership skills;
financial crisis;
entrepreneurs;
entrepreneurship;
Trust;
Management Style;
Leadership Style;
Citation: Sharpe, Jim, and Charles H. Green. " A Note on Trust." Harvard Business School Technical Note 813-058, August 2012.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Bonne Chance
Jim Sharpe and John O. Whitney
With a competitor nipping at his heels, his bank reluctantly covering his recent overdraft, Jacob Zimmerman is considering expanding his Midwestern retail jewelry business by bringing on the new Swatch watch line to augment his high end Rolex offerings. Only 14 weeks before year end, he is reviewing the timing of his cash flows and the impact that various promotion options will have on his ability to place the initial order for Swatch inventory and deal with this crisis.
Keywords: entrepreneurial management;
entrepreneurship;
entrepreneurs;
financial crisis;
crisis management;
bank loan;
entrepreneurial finance;
turnarounds;
negotiation;
liquidation;
Entrepreneurship;
Retail Industry;
Fashion Industry;
United States;
Citation: Sharpe, Jim, and John O. Whitney. " Bonne Chance." Harvard Business School Case 813-049, November 2012. (Revised from original August 2012 version.)
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Background Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
(Revised from original 2006 version)
A Strategic Perspective on Bankruptcy
Bill George, Jim Sharpe and Andrew N. McLean
An overview of bankruptcy procedures in U.S. courts, recent filing data and a framework for evaluating a reorganization with creditors or considering opening a court-supervised reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.
Keywords: bankruptcy;
financial crisis;
financial distress;
turnarounds;
crisis management;
legal aspects of business;
negotiation;
liquidation;
boards of directors;
hedge funds;
Strategy;
Perspective;
Insolvency and Bankruptcy;
Law;
United States;
Citation: George, Bill, Jim Sharpe, and Andrew N. McLean. " A Strategic Perspective on Bankruptcy." Harvard Business School Background Note 407-035, August 2012. (Revised from original November 2006 version.)
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
Irving Tanning (TN)
Paul W. Marshall and Jim Sharpe
Citation: Marshall, Paul W., and Jim Sharpe. " Irving Tanning (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 812-053, April 2012.
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
Cable Data Systems (TN)
Paul W. Marshall and Jim Sharpe
Citation: Marshall, Paul W., and Jim Sharpe. " Cable Data Systems (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 812-060, April 2012.
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
Parmalat Uruguay (TN) (A) & (B)
Paul W. Marshall and Jim Sharpe
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
IBM Corporation Turnaround (TN)
Paul W. Marshall and Jim Sharpe
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
International Steel Group (TN)
Paul W. Marshall and Jim Sharpe
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
Newport Creamery (TN) (A) & (B)
Paul W. Marshall and Jim Sharpe
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
Jody Leleck at Broad Acres (TN) (A) & (B)
Paul W. Marshall and Jim Sharpe
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Chuck's Wagon Inc. (TN)
Paul W. Marshall and Jim Sharpe
Citation: Marshall, Paul W., and Jim Sharpe. " Chuck's Wagon Inc. (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 812-059, November 2012. (Revised from original April 2012 version.)
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2012
PRG-Shultz International (TN)
Paul W. Marshall and Jim Sharpe
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