Harvesting Investments in Private Companies

by J. William Petty II, John D. Martin

Documents the advice of successful entrepreneurs, investors, and advisers, summarizes contributions of academic research, and provides a set of 12 lessons learned which represent key factors every entrepreneur should understand about the harvest process. Delves into harvest options available to owners and investors in privately held companies, and describes methods for assessing value of a firm. Includes edited texts of interviews.

221 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1999

About the author

J. William Petty, PhD, University of Texas at Austin, is Professor of Finance and W. W. Caruth Chair of Entrepreneurship. Dr. Petty teaches entrepreneurial finance, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He is a University Master Teacher. In 2008, the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurship Excellence selected him as the National Entrepreneurship Teacher of the Year. His research interests include the financing of entrepreneurial firms and shareholder value-based management. He has served as the co-editor for the Journal of Financial Research and the editor of the Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance. He has published articles in various academic and professional journals including Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Financial Management, Journal of Portfolio Management, Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, and Accounting Review. Dr. Petty is co-author of a leading textbook in small business and entrepreneurship, Small Business Management: Launching and Growing Entrepreneurial Ventures. He also co-authored Value-Based Management: Corporate America’s Response to the Shareholder Revolution (2010). He serves on the Board of Directors of a publicly traded oil and gas firm. Finally, he has served as the Executive Director of the Baylor Angel Network, a network of private investors who provide capital to startups and early-stage companies.