Author Archives: Dave Berkus

Only those in the fight can win.

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Dave Berkus

By Dave Berkus Entrepreneurism is all about risk. Sometimes, you can reduce your personal risk by taking in other people’s money, starting with a contract from a customer, purchasing a going business, or spinning off an existing revenue-generating portion of … Continue reading →

Posted in Positioning | 2 Comments

Use video whenever possible.

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Dave Berkus

Ninety percent of all traffic on the Internet is in video form. Yes, most of that is from NetFlix and YouTube and others delivering entertainment content. But an increasing amount is now coming from web sites and YouTube videos created … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Positioning | 1 Comment

The “drop dead” question for a customer survey

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Dave Berkus

Sean Ellis, the marketing guru behind DropBox and other successes, advises clients that “The most important question on a survey is, ‘How would you feel if you could no longer use this product?’” He goes on to quantify the response. … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Positioning | 3 Comments

Do you really want to be the first to market?

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Dave Berkus

Over the years, as I managed my several computer companies as CEO or executive chairman, I made the decision to go to market with a brand new product that had never before been exposed to my customer’s marketplace. In each … Continue reading →

Posted in Positioning | 5 Comments

The LALA School of marketing

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Dave Berkus

Let’s focus not upon the process of marketing and positioning, but on you. How should you become the best marketer you can be, even if you are a first time entrepreneur or a seasoned CEO? There’s an answer for that. … Continue reading →

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The three legged stool of marketing excellence

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Dave Berkus

Marketing is a science devised to help drive customers to your door. There are lots of ways to define how to market well, including the four P’s of marketing (1): product, price, promotion and place. This is considered to be … Continue reading →

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Create a ten percent profit model.

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Dave Berkus

Most entrepreneurs, when starting to model their business operations using a spreadsheet, start with expected revenue by month. Then they calculate cost of sales, and then project their expenses, to find the bottom line profit or loss each projected month. … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Protecting the business | Leave a comment

Don’t be defensive, but defend.

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Dave Berkus

When meeting with investors, during the period devoted to feedback after your presentation, you will hear comments and recommendations that don’t resonate with you. Some will be from a misunderstanding of your explanation. Some listeners will challenge your assumptions. Some … Continue reading →

Posted in Raising money, Surrounding yourself with talent | 3 Comments

Don’t get hung up on valuation.

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Dave Berkus

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked away from deals where the entrepreneur insists on a start-up premoney valuation that is so high, no angel could expect to make a return upon the investment, even with a reasonable … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignition! Starting up, Raising money | 2 Comments

Don’t over-estimate the knowledge of your audience.

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Dave Berkus

When making a presentation to a new audience, the smart thing to do, if there is an opportunity, is to ask your audience by show of hands, if they have some knowledge of your industry or space. If you are … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding your ideal niche, Positioning | 2 Comments