Monthly Archives: February 2010

New idea or product? Don’t rest until you test!

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Dave Berkus

     So you have a great new product or service that you and your associates love.  Early adopters should climb all over each other for a look.  But what have you done to test the concept against the realities of … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding your ideal niche, Positioning | 1 Comment

What I learned from losing a million…Market knowledge comes FIRST.

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Dave Berkus

Know your market and competition, or don’t spend a dime on anything else.                 I have stated previously that I love absolutes – statements with no wiggle room for gray-area responses.  Well, here is one of those, and it deals … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding your ideal niche, Growth!, Positioning | 3 Comments

Money comes smart or dumb. Find smart.

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Dave Berkus

This statement could be considered controversial.  We have previously made the case that professional investors demand more in the form of restrictive covenants and lower valuations.  Now we explore the other side of that coin.  Professional investors usually bring “smart … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Raising money, Surrounding yourself with talent | Leave a comment

Raise cash from trusted, close resources first.

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Dave Berkus

This insight follows closely the conclusions from the previous declaration, that professional investors negotiate tough terms, from provisions of control over asset acquisition, eventual sale of the company, future investments, forced co-sale when others attempt to sell their shares and … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignition! Starting up, Raising money | 9 Comments