A Two-Day Startup Fest at Rice Business Plan Competition

By Tim Berry

A portable device to quickly diagnose strokes. An additive that doubles the strength of fiberglass and carbon fibre materials. A new way to use magnesium to heal broken bones. Those are just a few of the dozens of startups I saw earlier this month at the annual Rice Business Plan Competition. This was the tenth... Read More »

business plan projections

What ‘Accurate’ Means in a Business Plan

By Tim Berry

I just answered this question on Quora. I think it’s an interesting question, one that comes up often enough, and one whose answer is worth considering. How can I write a very accurate business plan. I’m hoping to win a grant in a business plan competition? The rest of this post is my answer on... Read More »

Q&A: What Do I Include in a 1-Page Business Plan

By Tim Berry

I received this question overnight from my ask-me-a-question page: 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? To answer this well I’d need to... Read More »

win the competition

Q&A: Winning Business Plan for a Competition

By Tim Berry

How do you win a business plan competition? I’m glad you asked. I’m a frequent judge of these competitions so it’s in my interest to help you improve your chances by developing a better business plan, pitch presentation, summary, and elevator speech. Read More »

Willamette Angel Conference Invests More than $450K

By Tim Berry

Yesterday’s Willamette Angel Conference (WAC) 2013 event invested more than $465,000 in four Oregon startups, highlighted by more than $250,000 in Portland-based Sonivate, which has developed a fingertip-mounted ultrasound probe that enables imaging while leaving both hands free to do work with simultaneous tactile feedback. Three other startups got WAC investment at the event: Amorphyx,... Read More »

True Story: A Great Presentation Wins Big

By Tim Berry

Do great presentations launch businesses? Not always, perhaps, but sometimes, yes. And in this case, yes. Or maybe it’s just a great business. I was in Austin TX at the event last Saturday when NuMat Technologies, a startup launched at Northwestern, won the University of Texas’ Venture Labs Investment Competition.   I was also at Rice... Read More »

Disrupt Education … Please!

By Tim Berry

I wonder if we as a society are ever going to figure out how technology can disrupt our antiquated systems for educating our children. Think about what’s happened to information, social interaction, research, and business over the web — not to mention mobile technology — and then think about education. Preschool, K-12, and higher education.... Read More »

Watch This Excellent 1 Minute Elevator Pitch

By Tim Berry

Although it doesn’t take an MBA to do it, one of the things business schools teach more often these days, as part of the entrepreneurship curriculum, is the elevator speech, also called elevator pitch. The one embedded here, from the Rice Business Plan Competition last week, won first prize in a contest that included 42... Read More »