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Articles from Geoff Ficke | Selfgrowth.com
- Drop the Dreams and Establish Solid Goals and Plans In Order to Succeed in Start-up Business - by Submitted on Oct 16, 2012 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Drop the Dreams and Establish Solid Goals and Plans In Order to Succeed in Start-up Business Recently I watched a television show which featured Inventions, Small Business Start-ups and Entrepreneurship as central program topics. A panel of experts reviewed product ...
Views: 1256(3 votes) - The Flight Delay That Resulted in Launching a $100 Million Gift Business - by Submitted on Aug 18, 2009 from Geoff FickeAnyone that flies regularly knows the blank feeling that sweeps over us as we hear that our flight has been delayed, or worse, canceled. Minds race while reviewing how to kill time, are there alternative travel options, can I reset the meeting I had scheduled on the other end of the flight? As ...
Views: 1255(1 vote) - The Business Model Must Be Innovative and Flexible - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2009 from Geoff FickeWhat does the following list of companies have in common? A&P Hudson Motor Car Co. Montgomery Ward TWA Horn and Hardart Studebaker Indian Motorcycle Bonwit Teller Woolworth Bethlehem Steel Polaroid LTV These Companies were successful, recognizable brands in their respective ...
Views: 1251(1 vote) - Keep Business Operations and Logistics Simple, Streamlined and Agile - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2009 from Geoff FickeMost of the entrepreneurs we interview in our consulting business have a very unrealistic conception of what excites and disappoints investors. The dream of many inexperienced inventors seeking to fund their opportunity is to build a substantial infrastructure. Their business plan identifies the ...
Views: 1246(1 vote) - Business Should Offer More than Just a Product They Should Try to Offer a Buying Experience - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Business Should Offer More than Just a Product They Should Try to Offer a Buying Experience The hugely successful entrepreneur Debbi Fields was once asked what it felt like to be a winner in the cookie business; she replied, “I never felt like I was in the cookie business. ...
Views: 1238(1 vote) - A Great Example of Building a Successful Start-up Gift Marketing Business from a Nice Personal Habit - by Submitted on Sep 12, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke A Great Example of Building a Successful Start-up Gift Marketing Business from a Nice Personal Habit Recently my Consumer Product Development and Marketing Consulting firm was engaged by a client seeking to leverage a Small Business opportunity from a personal habit she ...
Views: 1234(1 vote) - Do Not Shortchange Funding Needs Too Little Is Worse Than Too Much - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2009 from Geoff FickeThere is an old adage in the funding community: “Investing $1,000,000 to fail is expensive, investing $5,000,000 to succeed is cheap. Investors will respond to funding needs based on real world assumptions. They will be very cautious when assessing a venture’s real funding requirements. ...
Views: 1234(1 vote) - Seek Out Honest Criticism of Your Business Plan And Learn to Accept and Act on It! - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Seek Out Honest Criticism of Your Business Plan And Learn to Accept and Act on It! Four decades ago I studied a college course in English Literature. W. Somerset Maugham’s famous novel “Of Human Bondage” was required reading. It was a bit of a slow go, but one line has ...
Views: 1231(1 vote) - Using Trade Shows to Launch or License Your Novel Consumer Product Is Key - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Using Trade Shows to Launch or License Your Novel Consumer Product Is Key Each business day we are approached by entrepreneurs, small businesses, and inventors from all over the world seeking guidance and asking how best to launch and successfully commercialize their ...
Views: 1226(1 vote) - Why First World Entrepreneurs Are the Third Worlds Best Friend - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2009 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Many years ago I watched a television news interviewer allow Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, the de-facto dictator of Ghana at that time, to rant about the absolute rape of his tiny, poverty stricken west African nation, by multi-national companies like Nestle. Ghana’s major ...
Views: 1211(2 votes) - Having a “Better Mousetrap” Is Not Enough to Propel a New Consumer Product to Success - by Submitted on Sep 12, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Having a “Better Mousetrap” Is Not Enough to Propel a New Consumer Product to Success This past week I reviewed a new Skin Care concept. My Product Development and Consumer Product Marketing Consulting firm reviews hundreds of projects in numerous categories each year. Many ...
Views: 1208(1 vote) - Did a Fragrance Really Trigger the Events That Led to the Infamous Beheading of Marie Antoinette? - by Submitted on Jun 19, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Did a Fragrance Really Trigger the Events That Led to the Infamous Beheading of Marie Antoinette? Jean-Francois Houbigant launched his famous Perfume atelier and shop on the Fauborg St. Honore in Paris in 1775. This was during the gilded age of French royalty and of the ...
Views: 1207(1 vote) - The Prolific Inventor That the World Has Mostly Forgotten - by Submitted on Aug 15, 2009 from Geoff FickeThe Prolific Inventor That the World Has Mostly Forgotten We learn at an early age that Ben Franklin was America’s first great inventor; Henry Ford invented mass production, Thomas Edison the light bulb and the phonograph and the Wright Brothers invented the first airplane. These men, and a ...
Views: 1206(1 vote) - A Real Time Case Study On How to Fail - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2009 from Geoff FickeI am going to relate this true story out of a sense of frustration. Hopefully, my experience, and disappointment at seeing a wonderful opportunity torched by sloppiness, will enlighten others to maximize the chance to succeed in their chosen endeavor. Great ideas need to be properly fertilized, ...
Views: 1205(3 votes) - Have You Been Downsized? Consider the Options for a Better Life - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2009 from Geoff FickeA friend was effectively eliminated from the traditional corporate work force in the early 1990’s. It was traumatic. He was a college graduate. He had climbed the corporate ladder, rapidly, inexorably. He enjoyed a six-figure income, a second home, club memberships, prosperous investment ...
Views: 1204(3 votes) - Time Is Never on the Entrepreneur’s Side - by Submitted on Jul 10, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Time Is Never on the Entrepreneur’s Side In the early 1960’s, when the Rolling Stones were trying to become successful as a “blues band”, their first commercially successful recording was a ballad called “Time is on my side”. For the Rolling Stones time certainly has been ...
Views: 1202(1 vote) - We Miss the Eloquence and Logic Of Milton Friedman Now More Than Ever - by Submitted on Sep 09, 2009 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke One of the signal economic thinkers of the 20th century was the Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman. His many books and papers, interviews and television specials have left us a valuable trove of thoughts and observations that should serve as guideposts during our ...
Views: 1201 - The 4000 Year Old Egyptian Mystery That Teaches To This Day - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2009 from Geoff FickeOne of the great entertainment values available to almost anyone with a cable television service is the History Channel. The volume and quality of wonderfully instructive and entertaining programming on offer is amazing. I have never watched a reality show, or a celebrity dancing display, but I ...
Views: 1198(1 vote) - The Great American Whine - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2009 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Recently, Michelle Obama famously commented that for the first time in her life she was proud of her country. Her remarks were widely critiqued and rightly so, as she is potentially the next First Lady of the United States. Her delayed burst of enthusiasm for the land of her ...
Views: 1185 - College Campuses Are Amazing Resources for Entrepreneurs to Utilize When Launching a Business - by Submitted on Oct 16, 2012 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke College Campuses Are Amazing Resources for Entrepreneurs to Utilize When Launching a Business Recently I read about a new cosmetic product that was launched on a college campus. This bootstrapped product was taking advantage of a resource that can be available to all, but ...
Views: 1183(3 votes) - How an Ingenious Footwear Idea Snatched Defeat from the Jaws of Victory! - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2009 from Geoff FickeSeveral years ago my marketing consulting firm reviewed a most clever, novel, exceedingly commercial concept in casual footwear. We met with the designer who had created the collection and were excited by everything we saw in the initial presentation. The footwear possessed a universality of use ...
Views: 1183(1 vote) - Use Affinity Licensing to Jump Start New Product Sales - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2009 from Geoff FickeI recently met a bank executive who had been laid off in a corporate downsizing. The man was understandably concerned about his and his family’s future. He lived in an area that was experiencing exceptionally stark economic circumstances. This gentleman had received a modest severance package, ...
Views: 1182(1 vote) - A Novel Way to Get An Innovative Product to Market - by Submitted on Sep 03, 2009 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke This week I had the opportunity to launch a new product at the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association’s annual trade show in Orlando. This is an annual fair that brings together the manufacturers of all size to present and introduce new wares for the youth market. As in ...
Views: 1180(4 votes) - How Not to Choose a Professional Consultant - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2010 from Geoff FickeSeveral years ago I wrote an article entitled “How Do You Choose the Best Marketing Consultant”. The article was posted on my website - www.DuquesaMarketing.com - and on numerous print and internet links. The content was written to advise layman of the many options and obstacles that should be ...
Views: 1176(6 votes) - Want to Kill a New Business Opportunity? Avoid These 5 Often Repeated Mistakes - by Submitted on Sep 27, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Want to Kill a New Business Opportunity? Avoid These 5 Often Repeated Mistakes I review new Business Opportunities for a living. My Consumer Product Development and Marketing Consulting firm is besieged with presentations, Executive Summaries, product prototypes and ...
Views: 1175(1 vote) - Water Lessons Learned, Lost And Re-learned today? - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2009 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke I recently visited the exciting, ancient city of Rome, Italy with my family. Of course, we all know that this city by the Tiber River is basically an open-air museum, with stunning historic relics every where one looks. The Forum, the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Borghese ...
Views: 1172 - Is an Invention Service Company the Solution? Very Few Inventors Ever See Successful Results - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2009 from Geoff FickeEvery television viewer has seen the infomercial spot showing the forlorn, wanna-be inventor, crushed, their idea being successfully marketed by another party. He did not get a patent. The answer offered in the commercial, contact an Invention Submission Company, get a patent, market your ...
Views: 1165(1 vote) - Before Asking Others to Invest in Your Project Prepare to Answer the Question That Always Comes - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Before Asking Others to Invest in Your Project Prepare to Answer the Question That Always Comes Recently I reviewed a Business Plan that was submitted with a goal of raising a $2 million angel funding round. The product was a Hair Care Accessory that had real commercial ...
Views: 1163(3 votes) - The Challenge for Big Companies Is Not to Be Slow! That Is the Opportunity for Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke The Challenge for Big Companies Is Not to Be Slow! That Is the Opportunity for Entrepreneurs Louis B. Gerstner, the famous business executive who ran International Business Machines (IBM) once famously quipped, “I’ve never seen a small company that did not want to be a big ...
Views: 1156(1 vote) - Sales Talent Is Available And Affordable - Fear of Selling Should Not Impede Entrepreneurs and Inventors - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2009 from Geoff FickeDuring my many years of reviewing and analyzing inventions, new products and service offerings I have been amazed by the innate fear of selling expressed by so many otherwise capable entrepreneurs. There exists a palpable fear of selling that mimics vertigo, arachnophobia or a fear of snakes. ...
Views: 1151 - The Human Genome Project Is One Of The Worlds Great Scientific Achievements - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2009 from Geoff FickeIt Also Offers Entrepreneurs an Amazing Lesson About Competition Mapping the human genome had been a goal that modern bio-scientists yearned to conquer for decades. Human genome, basically a map of each humans cell make-up, if properly researched and documented, could provide the answer to ...
Views: 1151(1 vote) - This Great Warrior King Always Thought Outside of the Box - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2009 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Prospective entrepreneurs are always encouraged to think outside of the box when striving to commercialize their idea for a new business. The ability to see things differently and identify a niche for a product is so essential. Unfortunately, there is no book, course or advice ...
Views: 1142 - Consumer Product Marketing Success Depends Much More on Being First and Executing than Simply Being First - by Submitted on May 05, 2012 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Consumer Product Marketing Success Depends Much More on Being First and Executing than Simply Being First Recently I had the opportunity to review a new beverage concept submitted for consideration by an entrepreneur. This young chap had collected reams of information, ...
Views: 1141(2 votes) - The Anatomy of a Product From an Idea to Reality - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2009 from Geoff FickeWhat does it take to turn an idea into a product? How can I realize financial gain from my idea? Where do I start? These and many other questions swirl around would-be inventors and entrepreneurs as they seek to bring new products and services to market. The process can seem daunting for anyone ...
Views: 1141 - New Commercial Opportunities Require a Crisply Polished Elevator Pitch - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2009 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Each week we receive a number of unsolicited business proposals in our marketing consulting business. Some are submitted by mail, some by e-mail and a number are the result of phone contacts. We have developed a methodology of quickly weighing the commercial viability of each. ...
Views: 1136(2 votes) - Why Students Make Excellent Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2009 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke During my many years of lecturing university business school students on entrepreneurial topics I have been pleased, and surprised, at the relatively large numbers willing to take the plunge and pursue new business opportunities. The surprise is that modern students are ...
Views: 1136(5 votes) - Occam’s Razor Offers a 700 Year Old Rule of Great Import to Modern Inventors - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2009 from Geoff FickeKISS Is Just A New Turn On An Ancient Theorem Most of us are familiar with the colloquial term “keep it simple stupid” or KISS. The phrase, often used derisively to pan a complex over-analysis of a problem, is part of the current idiom. The assumption that simplicity is the preferred route to ...
Views: 1132(2 votes) - In a World of Mass Market Indifference There Is Still Room for Bespoke Quality - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2009 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke One of the most illuminating professional experiences of my life was my first visit to the elegant center of British Bespoke male haberdashery, Saville Row in London’s exclusive Mayfair district. I was a young man, just starting my career in the international cosmetic business ...
Views: 1127 - The Simple, Ubiquitous Modern Screw Created Fortunes and Enabled Mass Production to Flourish - by Submitted on May 03, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke The Simple, Ubiquitous Modern Screw Created Fortunes and Enabled Mass Production to Flourish Every human seems to have screws lying around our homes and offices. They tend to accumulate like dust particles. Open a drawer or a utility box and there will be a jumble of screws ...
Views: 1124 - How to Self-Analyze Your Consumer Product Idea To Facilitate Bringing It to Life - by Submitted on Jun 26, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke How to Self-Analyze Your Consumer Product Idea To Facilitate Bringing It to Life Today I was approached by a person with an interesting Consumer Product concept they hoped to bring to market. The idea potentially has considerable utility. I say “potentially” because it is ...
Views: 1122(1 vote) - A Baby’s Illness Was Responsible for One of the World’s Most Revered and Iconic Brands - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Geoff FickeA Baby’s Illness Was Responsible for One of the World’s Most Revered and Iconic Brands There is barely a household anywhere in the world that is home to a baby that does not have a supply of Gerber Baby Food in the cupboard. The product is ubiquitous. The label is one of the most ...
Views: 1117(1 vote) - It’s Time To “Just Say No More” To Intrusive Abusive Government - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2009 from Geoff FickeA fitting metaphor for the young 21st century, and the ever-increasing intrusiveness of government at all levels, is this weeks news stories detailing the total lack of progress in rebuilding the World Trade Center. This is the cherry on top of the proverbial bitter bureaucratic sundae. Is this ...
Views: 1113(1 vote) - The Entrepreneurial Spirit Burns Brighter Than Ever - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2009 from Geoff FickeDuring a recent quick business trip to New York City a normal, everyday travel occurrence ignited a recurring observation I enjoy more and more frequently. The Entrepreneurial Spirit is booming in America! While sitting in a dank Yellow Cab, crawling in the normal snail paced city traffic, I ...
Views: 1113 - Consider the Menu of Services a Project Will Require Before Interviewing Professional Consultants - by Submitted on May 06, 2012 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Consider the Menu of Services a Project Will Require Before Interviewing Professional Consultants Google the word “Consultant” and millions of links immediately pop on to your computer screen. Refine the search term and a smaller, but still massive army of sites will ...
Views: 1111(3 votes) - What Is a Business Plan? And Why Do I Need One? - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2009 from Geoff FickeFor many entrepreneurs the creation of a business plan is the biggest hurdle in the development process of their fledgling enterprise. There is a mystery, almost a dread in many people when discussion of a business plan requirement is first broached. They conceptualize a boring, dry, painful ...
Views: 1101(1 vote) - Successfully Approaching Marketing Professionals - How to Market a New Consumer Product or Idea - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Successfully Approaching Marketing Professionals - How to Market a New Consumer Product or Idea Many inventors and entrepreneurs are so excited about their concept that they neglect to learn, or practice proper business etiquette when soliciting marketing or investment ...
Views: 1100(1 vote) - What is a Business Model? - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2009 from Geoff FickeDuring the 1990’s a number of examples of new business terminology cane into vogue. Among these was the term Business Model. The usage of this term has become so capricious that the original definitions and intent of these two words has been diminished and confused. In essence, the Business ...
Views: 1092 - Why Trade Shows Are Crucial When Introducing A New Product or Service-Make Expo’s Work for You! - by Submitted on Apr 01, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke Our consumer product marketing and product development group just returned from launching two new products at a large trade show in Bologna, Italy. This was a cosmetic-beauty product show, the largest in the world. There were over 3000 vendors displaying their wares, from the ...
Views: 1091(3 votes) - London Offers the World’s Most Exciting And Historic Retail Shopping Scene - by Submitted on May 24, 2011 from Geoff Fickeby: Geoff Ficke London Offers the World’s Most Exciting And Historic Retail Shopping Scene Recently I had the opportunity to take a quick business trip to London. As always, I made sure to save some extra time to enjoy the street life and unique shopping opportunities that abound in this ...
Views: 1085 - Strategic Alliance - The Underused Option - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2009 from Geoff FickeYou are an entrepreneurial inventor with marvelous ideas in your area of expertise. The ability to create models, prototypes and concepts flows easily from your fertile brain. Nevertheless, all you have to show for your creative efforts is a garage full of dead end stuff, despite all of your ...
Views: 1083(2 votes)