Author Archives: Dave Berkus

Fail fast!

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Dave Berkus

Professional investors want to live by this rule. With the first round of funding, there should be milestones to be achieved.  If they are not achieved within the expected time, the reasons must be analyzed and acted upon to avoid … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding your ideal niche, Ignition! Starting up | 1 Comment

Entrepreneurs: Do it your way.

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Dave Berkus

Yes, this is a takeoff from Frank Sinatra’s song, where he did it his way and got away with it.  You’re building a company from your vision and a passion, and lots of people are going to tell you that … Continue reading →

Posted in Depending upon others, Finding your ideal niche, Growth!, Ignition! Starting up | Leave a comment

The Eighty Percent Acquisition Rule

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Dave Berkus

Eighty percent of all businesses purchased by another company or by a new investor-operator fail to meet the stated expectations of the buyer after one year. As with the fifty percent rule, this rule is hard to find an author … Continue reading →

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

The Fifty Percent Startup Rule

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Dave Berkus

 Fifty percent of all businesses formed fail within the first two years.  There are many variations of this number since there are a number of ways to measure failure.  But the number is a startling reminder that creating a business … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignition! Starting up | 1 Comment

Is success a goal or a byproduct?

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Dave Berkus

               Look this up sometime in your browser: “Success is a byproduct, not a goal.”  You will find it attributed to tens of originators.  I first heard this in an episode of Friday Night Lights, when sage Coach Taylor began … Continue reading →

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

The trend is your friend.

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Dave Berkus

Too many startup businesses, especially in the technology world, are built upon brand new concepts that have not yet been proven in the field with products from other companies that have revenues flowing.  As a rule, creating a product that … Continue reading →

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

Good hearts finish first.

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Dave Berkus

People argue over whether an entrepreneur with a sense of fairness, a desire for collegiality, a want to share the profits can succeed in the long run within a business world full of lions and tigers that eat timid entrepreneurs … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignition! Starting up | 9 Comments

The thrill of the adventure!

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Dave Berkus

There is nothing quite as thrilling in business as igniting a startup and watching it blossom.  Especially when starting a company with personal savings or money from relatives and friends, early signs of success are intoxicating.  Each new customer, each … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignition! Starting up | 5 Comments

Find your rock in Ensenada. An encore.

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Dave Berkus

This week, for the first time, we republish an earlier post.  With readership up three-fold since that posting in April, 2011, and with many great reader comments then, it is only natural to send you to the original post with … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding your ideal niche, Ignition! Starting up | Leave a comment

The most satisfying life journey is never about the money.

Posted on November 12, 2011 by Dave Berkus

                     As I look back over more than fifty years as an entrepreneur, I can think of the financial focus of my three entrepreneurial businesses as a prime driver in my life during the early stage of each.  And yet, as … Continue reading →

Posted in The liquidity event and beyond | 5 Comments