Author Archives: Dave Berkus

Contribute to A-M-D, or support someone who does.

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Dave Berkus

A.  Accumulate or acquire (product line, breadth of services) M. Marketing or merchandising (expert and diligent use of resources) D. Distribution  (adding channels and reinforcing relationships) Let me credit CEO Erik Hovanec (www.leisurelink.com) for this one, whether he originated it … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Surrounding yourself with talent | 2 Comments

Celebrate each victory.

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Dave Berkus

Growing companies give rise to many events that great managers will take advantage of to create and shape the culture of the company itself.  Each new plateau in revenue growth, each time a month’s orders hit a record, each large … Continue reading →

Posted in Depending upon others, Growth!, Surrounding yourself with talent | 3 Comments

Forecast your cash position and sleep more soundly.

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Dave Berkus

In the past insight, we created an example to demonstrate that it truly takes money to make money; that growth calls for increases in working capital. The example we crafted proved that companies can easily find themselves strapped for cash … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Protecting the business | 1 Comment

Growth calls for more cash, not less.

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Dave Berkus

Here we must do a little math calculation together to make a point.  Assume that your gross margin from sales is 50% for ease in calculation.  Assume 30 days to collect receivables from completed work, and 30 days to complete … Continue reading →

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

Find your rock in Ensenada.

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Dave Berkus

Every entrepreneur has that moment of truth – the one that marks the decision to take the path to entrepreneurship or the path to job security with a larger employer.  And down the road a bit, most of us face … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignition! Starting up | 10 Comments

Never use short term borrowing to cover long term debt.

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Dave Berkus

This insight is one that is so important to the continued health of a growing company that it cannot be overstated.  First, let’s be sure we know what is short in term and what is long in term.  Long term … Continue reading →

Posted in Hedging against downturns, Protecting the business | 3 Comments

Manage your mantra.

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Dave Berkus

I am constantly surprised when speaking with entrepreneurs and CEO’s who act puzzled and a bit flustered when I ask, “So what is your mantra?  Tell me about your company in ten words or less.”  Almost every one begins a … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Positioning | Leave a comment

Hire ahead of need only when growth is stable.

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Dave Berkus

Many companies have made the mistake of using the forecast to plan and executive hiring of new employees so that they could be trained and up to speed when the demand arrives.  Although such a practice does add to overhead … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Hedging against downturns | 2 Comments

Demand pull – cost push.

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Dave Berkus

Place your cash bets behind proven demand. The term, “demand pull – cost push” was created by the great economist, John Maynard Keynes, to describe the two primary drivers of economic inflation.  Demand pull: too much demand for a product … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Positioning | 2 Comments

Cast your net where the big fish swim.

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Dave Berkus

This is one of those “My dad used to say” homilies.  You’ve probably heard the accompanying “It takes just as much effort to sell a small deal as a big one” over the years. The truth of this is more … Continue reading →

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