Author Archives: Dave Berkus

How will you ride the next wave?

“Re-imagining” our lives The world is experiencing a new era of re-imagination, in which virtually all our old ways of doing things are being uprooted by new, more efficient and more widely available methods of accomplishing old tasks. We collaborate … Continue reading

Posted in Finding your ideal niche, Growth!, Positioning | Leave a comment

Are you still flexible enough to be coached?

Why should we ask this question? As an early-stage investor, the first test for me is whether “my” entrepreneur is flexible in both the plan and execution of their vision (since from experience almost everything about a business plan changes … Continue reading

Posted in Surrounding yourself with talent | Leave a comment

Where is your personal finish line?  

Here is one very personal question.   “Have you figured out what you want to have, or to be, when you reach the end of your personal run in this business life?” It is a fair question to ask. Most of … Continue reading

Posted in The liquidity event and beyond | 1 Comment

Things going right? Control your euphoria!

One thing a senior manager can count on is that someday, something will go right, very right.  Well, after all the disappointments, pressure and outright failures, this is NEWS. So, we tend to go overboard a bit.  As a member … Continue reading

Posted in Depending upon others, Protecting the business | 1 Comment

Sell at the top? Avoid the race to zero!

When do you sell your company?  Obviously, we all want to sell at the top.  And there is the problem.  How do you know when you are at or near that right point to sell for maximum value?  Those of … Continue reading

Posted in Finding your ideal niche, Growth!, Hedging against downturns, The liquidity event and beyond | Leave a comment

About personal use of corporate assets

Here’s the IRS take on the issue: It is no secret that the IRS carefully looks below the surface for personal use of company assets (including cash) in its corporate income tax audits.  This insight addresses more the impact of … Continue reading

Posted in General, Hedging against downturns, Protecting the business, Surrounding yourself with talent | 1 Comment

You name the price; I’ll name the terms.

I admit that my dad taught me this when I was just a fifteen–year old kid starting a business and negotiating with suppliers for the first time.  But I learned it again and again in my various business lives. Here’s … Continue reading

Posted in General, Positioning | 1 Comment

Is your strategic partnership just a glorified press release?

Celebrating that strategic partnership Many of us make it a priority to find and partner with companies that can add to our offering or extend our reach.  And we rightly celebrate each such pairing, often with a mutual press release. … Continue reading

Posted in Depending upon others, Surrounding yourself with talent | 1 Comment

Can you get to the right person when you need to?

Can your contact solve real-world issues? I recently experienced an amazing effort of outreach by a vice president of a large national customer asking for a meeting with the product development team of a critical supplier, one of “my” companies.  … Continue reading

Posted in Depending upon others, Surrounding yourself with talent | Leave a comment

What can we learn from the non-profit world?

In the non–profit world, the term, “time, talent and treasure” has been used so often it is almost at the edge of being trite.  It’s used in that arena to describe a volunteer’s sacrifice in support of the non–profit enterprise. … Continue reading

Posted in Depending upon others, Protecting the business | 1 Comment