Alan GleesonAlan Gleeson

Alan Gleeson

Alan Gleeson was the general manager of Palo Alto Software UK, makers of Business Plan Pro and LivePlan. Alan has an MBA from Oxford and an MSc from University College, Cork, Ireland.

Recent Articles Published by Alan Gleeson

managing

4 Marketing Aces for your Tech Start-up

Marketing a Tech Start-up is challenging and costly. While using social media offers one route to generate some demand it represents but one piece of the jigsaw.  Instead, the following 4 strategies represent some of the more powerful demand-generation activities (aka Aces) that should be considered by new businesses: 1. Concentrate on Building a Really... Read more »

managing

Are business exhibitions a waste of time?

Most businesses will be approached at some point to exhibit at an event. The initial appeal is considerable – getting out of the office, meeting real customers, selling your wares and handing out leaflets to lots of prospects. However, the reality is usually somewhat different. The recipe for running an exhibition has largely stayed the... Read more »

managing

Focus on awareness and metrics are keys to success

In this guest post, Alan Gleeson, General Manager of Palo Alto Software, Ltd., gives a U.K. perspective on entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship in Britain continues to remain very much in vogue, ably assisted by heavy backing from most quarters (not least the media and government). Prime Minister David Cameron has put entrepreneurship to the forefront of his... Read more »

funding

How to Negotiate with Prospective Investors

Raising finance is a time consuming process and can also be quite stressful (particularly as time progresses). There may be some date in the future where your current trading position is no longer sustainable (which has brought you to the table in the first place). It is worth remembering that you need to recognise that... Read more »

managing

What is a business model?

A business model is a description of how your business intends to operate and make money. Sounds simple, right? For most companies, the business model used to look like this: I buy X, add some value to it, and sell it as Y. If I sell it for more money than the cost of buying... Read more »

managing

Black Swans and Strategic Business Planning

What are black swans and what have they got to do with planning? The term ‘back swan’ is a metaphor for a highly improbable event, and is derived from the previously held assumption that ‘all swans were white‘ until the discovery of black swans in Australia. The term ‘black swan’ then came to connote an... Read more »

planning

Helping to Cut Costs for UK Based Businesses

cmypitch.com, a UK based business website which provides online services for UK entrepreneurs and SMEs, has just relaunched with a more diversified offering. While their original focus was predominantly on providing a video based platform for entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas, the new site has a much broader range of offerings. In part, I assume,... Read more »

funding

The Business Pitch

Business pitches are growing in popularity here in the UK as well as in the US. However, as this article, The Business Pitch by Alan Gleeson illustrates, business pitches are no substitute for the real thing – a thorough business plan! This short article describes the concept of pitching in detail, and argues why pitches... Read more »

funding

Using Video to Pitch Your Business Plan

I met with Emmett Kilduff, Founder & CEO of London based cmypitch.com [see my pitch]last week. Cmypitch.com is an online community for entrepreneurs and business owners. It has a focus on using video as a means for entrepreneurs to engage with prospective investors, and relevant service providers. This trend towards the use of video was... Read more »

planning

How recession-proof is your business plan?

There is a lot of business uncertainty at the moment (May 9, 2008) with much talk in the media of an ‘impending economic downturn’. While the phrase ‘recession’ seems to be close to many people’s lips, it is being muttered in hushed tones rather than being shouted from the rafters. In the U.S. they are... Read more »

managing

How to Write an Effective Marketing Plan

A marketing plan is a core component of a business plan. It relates specifically to the marketing of a particular product or service and it describes: An overall marketing objective A broad marketing strategy The tactical detail related to specific marketing activities The various costs associated with these activities Those tasked with delivering these activities... Read more »