About Tim Berry

Tim Berry

Founder and President of Palo Alto Software and a renowned planning expert. He is listed in the index of "Fire in the Valley", by Swaine and Freiberger, the history of the personal computer industry. Tim contributes regularly to the bplans blog, the Huffingtonpost.com as well as his own blogs, Planning, Startups, Stories, Up and Running, and others. His full biography is available at timberry.com.

Tim Berry

Home Based Business Idea

One of the most economical ways of starting up is a home based business idea. What business idea is right for you? The best business for you is one you love and to which you are prepared to make a major commitment. Many small-business owners describe starting a new business as more demanding than having [...]

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Internet Business Ideas

If you are thinking about an Internet business idea, you’re not alone. Internet or online businesses are some of the most frequently searched on Bplans.com. From strictly Internet stores to websites to complement physical stores and companies to eBay-like auction sales, business ideas on how to start an Internet business are one of our most [...]

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Not Everybody is Your Customer

This is hard to write about, and hard for business owners to accept. It seems so negative. Still, it seems like we all need a fresh reminder. Bill Cosby said it well: “I don’t know the secret to success, but I do know that the secret to failure is trying to please everybody.” This reminds [...]

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Small Business Ideas, Big Dreams

Some business ideas come from a long-held dream to turn a fun hobby into a profitable life’s work. However, most of these small businesses require significant time, energy, and initial investment to begin, so think carefully about your commitment and do your research before you start. If you are thinking about any of the following [...]

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Choosing your Business Name is a Fundamental

This business name stuff matters. You don’t get to do it twice, or at least not without a whole lot of pain and suffering. Most companies live forever with the first name they come up with. Factors that make your company name work include practical legal ownership, ease of use, ease of marketing and branding, [...]

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Elevator Pitch Part 5: Nail Your Delivery

In the real world, you know your so-called elevator speech and you use it when appropriate. Every time you do it, you and it get better. I’d recommend taking time out and working on it, but you probably won’t; you’re too busy. Think about it in the shower. Think about it when you’re stuck in [...]

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Elevator Pitch Part 4: Finish Strong

(Note: this is taken with permission from Planning Startups Stories) This fourth of five parts in this series depends on who you are, where you are, and what you want. If you’ve personalized in the first part, sold yourself and/or your organization in the second, and established the attractiveness or suitability of the business offering [...]

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Elevator Pitch Part 3: Sell Your Offering

(Note: this is taken with permission from Planning Startups Stories) Now explain what that person or organization you’re selling to gets. You’ve personalized the need or want, identified your unique qualities to solve the problem, and now you have to put the need or want in concrete terms that anybody can see. For example: For [...]

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Elevator Pitch Part 2: Sell Yourself

(Note: this is taken with permission from Planning Startups Stories) In the next part of your elevator pitch address ‘why you’? Why your business? What’s special about you that makes your offering or solution interesting to the target person or organization you just identified (Part 1 of this series). This is where you bring in [...]

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Personalize Your Pitch

(Reposted with permission from Planning Startups Stories) If you can’t say it in 60 seconds, you have a problem. Your strategy isn’t clear enough. Nowadays we call it “the elevator pitch,” meaning a quick description of the business that you could do in the time you share with a stranger in an elevator. It’s becoming [...]

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