Can You Guess the Happy Customer/Angry Customer Equation?
By Tim Berry
Time flies. It’s a couple of decades ago now that while I was consulting with Apple Computer I absorbed that culture’s belief that an angry customer tells 20 people while a happy customer tells three. I’m certain those numbers are no longer valid. Technology changed them. Today, it’s like this: happy customers tell a few... Read More »
Business Plan Yes, Comprehensive and Detailed, Not So Much
By Tim Berry
Funny how sometimes what sounds like good advice isn’t. I was browsing online when I caught the alleged business plan tip shown here (although I added the red circle over it). It says you should write a “comprehensive, detailed business plan.” And I say probably not; only in special circumstances. Instead, develop a streamlined, flexible,... Read More »
Quiz: Can a Business Fail While Profitable?
By Tim Berry
I’ve posted here before on the problem of survivor bias and how hard it is to identify causes of business failure. Where do you find the people who failed? Do they tell you the truth? Do they even know. In Are These Three Critical Threats Weeks Away From Sinking Your Business? on tweakyourbiz.com, post author Janine Gilmour... Read More »
I Can Find Research to Prove Anything
By Tim Berry
One of these days I’m going to start a new consulting company based on the sad truth that in today’s world a good search turns up nice-looking data to prove anything. For example, you want eggs to be bad for you? We’ll find research to prove it. No? You want eggs to be good for... Read More »
5 Signs of Patent Sharks Preying on Your Dream Invention
By Tim Berry
I’m really sorry to be the one to throw a bucket of cold reality splashing over inventors’ dreams. But darn, patents don’t mean what they once did, and businesses preying on patent hopefuls are not ethical businesses. These are shark-filled waters. Be careful. What brings this up is this email I received last week through... Read More »
Go Ahead: Disagree. I dare you.
By Tim Berry
This one had me from the moment I saw the title: Dare to Disagree. I clicked, watched, and I love it. Good disagreement is central to progress. She illustrates (sometimes counterintuitively) how the best partners aren’t echo chambers — and how great research teams, relationships and businesses allow people to deeply disagree. I’ve seen this... Read More »
3 Incredibly Common Credibility Killers in Business Plan Numbers
By Tim Berry
Business plans are about business decisions. When I read them — and I read hundreds of them every Spring — I’m looking for the concrete specifics, like dates and deadlines and tasks and milestones, that point towards execution. But part of that is reasonable, credible projections. And I am way too familiar, way more than... Read More »
Big Mistake: Meaning Mismatch in Marketing
By Tim Berry
Yesterday I discovered, to my surprise, that a good friend who does licensed massage therapy said she doesn’t think of herself as an entrepreneur. In her mind, entrepreneurs want to get outside investment, hire employees, and grow their businesses fast. People like her think of themselves as self employed, sole proprietor maybe, small business owners... Read More »
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