a man

Tim Berry

Tim Berry is co-founder of Have Presence, founder and Chairman of Palo Alto Software, founder of bplans.com, and a co-founder of Borland International. He is author of books and software including LivePlan and Business Plan Pro, The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan, and Lean Business Planning, published by Motivational Press in 2015. He has a Stanford MBA degree and degrees with honors from the University of Oregon and the University of Notre Dame. He taught starting a business at the University of Oregon for 11 years.

Latest

Dear Young Entrepreneurs: They’re Lying to You

| Tim Berry

All over the web, on Q&A sites, blog posts, and so on, in panels and conferences, and in the occasional book, know-it-all alleged experts are lying to young entrepreneurs about the value of education. They sprout…

What’s Wrong with Business Networking

| Tim Berry

I’m starting to realize I hate the word “networking” used as a verb, meaning—apparently—some variation on connections with people for self-serving business use. Business networking my [whatever]. I’m pretty sure people are actual living breathing human…

7 Financial Facts Every Entrepreneur Should Know

| Tim Berry

You don’t have to be CPA or MBA to start or run a business. You don’t have to understand debits and credits, or be able to balance your books. But there are some financial facts…

Contrarian Advice on Investment Pitch from a Pitch Veteran

| Tim Berry

“We coach entrepreneurs ‘think big.’ ‘Think change the world.’ That doesn’t mean use adjectives that are not credible. Everybody’s revolutionary and everybody’s disruptive now.” That’s Bill Reichert, managing director Garage Technology Ventures, veteran investor, a…

10 Qualities I’d Look for in a Business Partner

| Tim Berry

Here are 10 qualities I’d look for in a future business partner: Integrity. The whole truth, not just the good news. Actually I want to know the bad news instantly; and the good news can…

Is Timing the Key to Business Success?

| Tim Berry
Here’s food for thought. Idealabs founder Bill Gross analyzed several hundred startups, from big successes to big failures, looking for the most important startup keys to success.

Lean Business Plan to Get What You Want from Your Business

| Tim Berry
Are you running your own business or looking to start a new business? The lean business plan is an easy way to set down your strategy, tactics, milestones, and essential business numbers.

All Ideas Are Brilliant Before They Are Executed

| Tim Berry
Everybody has ideas, Millions of them are floating around everywhere. Every problem anybody encounters is a solution waiting to be unwrapped.

Where Startups Get Their Money

| Tim Berry
Angel investors generally focus on seed money—early investment for startups at early stages of growth—for amounts less than $1 million.

What Do I Include in a 1-Page Business Plan?

| Tim Berry
I am entering a competition that is asking for a one page business plan and I am having a hard time trying to determine what to put on it and what not to include. What information is absolutely required?