Skip to content

Browse Topics Find an Expert Search About

Log InLog In Contribute

Browse Topics Find an Expert Search About

Home/
Articles

Browse SelfGrowth articles

Loading the searchable article library…

SelfGrowth.comThe Self Improvement Guide

Explore experts, guides, articles, videos, and events by topic.

Explore

All topics Experts Guides Articles Videos

Platform

About SelfGrowth Websites Newsletters Events Become an Official Guide Contact

Compliance

Legal

Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Cookie Policy

Your choices

Privacy Requests

Help improve SelfGrowth

Accounts

Personal account Create Professional Account Become a Contributor

SelfGrowth helps readers explore personal growth topics with clear paths into guides, experts, and related resources.

Home/
Experts/
Geoff Ficke/
Articles

Articles by Geoff Ficke

Browse published articles attributed to Geoff Ficke, with full-archive search.

articles: 216

Explore

TopicsBrowse every topic ExpertsFind people ArticlesRead guidance WebsitesOpen resources EventsSee sessions VideosWatch clips

⌕

SortRecommended Most viewed Most recent Highest rated Alphabetical

Showing 151–200

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Making Hobbies Profitable A Boating Enthusiast Invents a Fun Job

We have all heard some version of the old saying, “find something you enjoy doing and make your living in that field”. For most people that would seem to be easier said than done. Millions of these working Jane’s and Joe’s go to employment that is not physically, psychologically or financially particularly rewarding. They toil to earn a basic living and count the days until Friday, Holidays and vacations. Clients, students and entrepreneurs often ask me how to they can find a career that is fulfilling, exciting and lucrative.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,359 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

An Old Mustard Brand Teaches the Power of Marketing Exclusivity

by: Geoff Ficke An Old Mustard Brand Teaches the Power of Marketing Exclusivity

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,356 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Drop the Dreams and Establish Solid Goals and Plans In Order to Succeed in Start-up Business

by: Geoff Ficke Drop the Dreams and Establish Solid Goals and Plansr 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 submissions and interviewed the prospective entrepreneurs about various aspects of their projects. The interplay was interesting, and disappointing.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,348 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

The Business Model Must Be Innovative and Flexible

What does the following list of companies have in common? A&P Hudson Motor Car Co. Montgomery Ward TWA Horn and Hardart Studebakerr Indian Motorcycler Bonwit Teller Woolworthr Bethlehem Steelr Polaroid LTV These Companies were successful, recognizable brands in their respective categories. They were publicly traded and a number were in the Nifty Fifty in the 1970’s and/or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The element they all have in common (and with hundreds of other equally recognizable names) is that they did not innovate.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,333 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

The Flight Delay That Resulted in Launching a $100 Million Gift Business

Anyone 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 alte ative travel options, can I reset the meeting I had scheduled on the other end of the flight? As modern air travel has disintegrated into a cluster debacle of ever growing proportions, the many hours we waste on travel hassles leads to vexing choices and forced idleness.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,332 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Business Should Offer More tha Just a Product They Should Try to Offer a Buying Experience

by: Geoff Ficke Business Should Offer More tha 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. I’ve always been in the good feeling business. My job is to sell joy. My job is to sell happiness. My job is to sell an experience”. This is a mantra that all Entrepreneurs should emulate when creating their Business Model and Brand Marketing Strategies.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,327 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

A Great Example of Building a Successful Start-up Gift Marketing Business from a Nice Personal Habit

by: Geoff Ficke A Great Example of Building a Successful Start-up Gift Marketing Business from a Nice Personal Habit

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,326 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Keep Business Operations and Logistics Simple, Streamlined and Agile

Most 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 need for factory space, equipment, staff, and many other fixed costs. Investors want to see a plan that maximizes return on investment. High fixed costs are the enemy of a great profit margin.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,325 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Do Not Shortchange Funding Needs Too Little Is Worse Than Too Much

There 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. Think of investment capital as fertilizer. If a farmer applies too little he harvests a poor crop or worse. Too much fertilizer and the harvest will likewise be disappointing. Experienced, successful farmers know their fields, their climate, crop planting patterns and their equipment.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,309 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Using Trade Shows to Launch or License Your Novel Consumer Product Is Key

by: 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 consumer product or service innovation. In almost every case investment monies are very dear. There is no one universal answer as every situation is unique. However, we find that we almost always include a suggestion of industry specific trade show participation as a key piece of the answer.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,309 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Seek Out Honest Criticism of Your Business Plan And Learn to Accept and Act on It!

by: 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 stuck in my cranium and been of particular use in my business career; “People ask you for criticism, but they only want praise”.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,299 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Having a “Better Mousetrap” Is Not Enough to Propel a New Consumer Product to Success

by: 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 are presented in ways similar to this Anti-Aging range of topical creams and lotions: incomplete and poorly.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,295 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Time Is Never on the Entrepreneur’s Side

by: 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 on their side. For almost five decades this grizzled group has entertained audiences all over the world with their songs, videos and concerts. They are Rock and Roll's richest, most famous (or infamous) and successful group.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,294 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Have You Been Downsized? Consider the Options for a Better Life

A 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 accounts, wonderful benefit packages, a College investment plan for his three kids, sports cars and extensive travel. He was devastated!

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,291 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Why First World Entrepreneurs Are the Third Worlds Best Friend

by: 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 export product was the cocoa bean. Nestle, Hershey and other major chocolate purveyors were Ghana’s major customers for the cocoa bean.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,290 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Did a Fragrance Really Trigger the Events That Led to the Infamous Beheading of Marie Antoinette?

by: 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 elite that that parasitically clung to the Court. Luxury, hedonism and sensuality were the cornerstones of life for these denizens of hedonism.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,288 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

The 4000 Year Old Egyptian Mystery That Teaches To This Day

One 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 rarely miss the exciting offerings of the History Channel. Recently the channel has been immersed in the subject of Egyptian antiquities.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,288 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

The Prolific Inventor That the World Has Mostly Forgotten

The 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 few others, are well remembered and honored for their spectacular achievements. Their legacies are tribute to their genius and the possibilities available to any American willing to exploit our capitalist system that honors and rewards innovation.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,288 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

A Real Time Case Study On How to Fail

I 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, cultured and harvested. Taking shortcuts always results in failure. My consulting firm reviews hundreds of new product ideas, inventions and small business projects each and every year. We have been doing so for over two decades. Very few of the deals we review ever become commercial realities.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,285 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

We Miss the Eloquence and Logic Of Milton Friedman Now More Than Ever

by: 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 current difficult economic times. His death has left a void that no contemporary thinker has been able to fill. That is most unfortunate, especially now. Recently, I revisited my copy of Professor Friedman’s signature work, Free to Choose.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,282 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

College Campuses Are Amazing Resources for Entrepreneurs to Utilize When Launching a Business

by: 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 is rarely accessed by any. The entrepreneurs behind the novel lip balm Kisstixx offer an example of just one way to leverage the benefits that are present in abundance on university campuses everywhere.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,277 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Use Affinity Licensing to Jump Start New Product Sales

I recently met a bank executive who had been laid off in a corporate downsizing. The man was understandably conce ed 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, and this slim lifeline was of crucial importance to his immediate future. My marketing consulting firm had been asked by the former bank executive to review a business opportunity he was considering investing in.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,273 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Want to Kill a New Business Opportunity? Avoid These 5 Often Repeated Mistakes

by: 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 Business Plans. It is a tribute to the ingenuity and creativity of people that the urge to invent is so common. Unfortunately, very few of the projects we review will ever see a retail store shelf.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,271 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

The Great American Whine

by: 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 birth is no doubt enhanced by the fact that her husband, a black man with a limited resume, is unexpectedly the front runner for the Democratic Presidential nomination. As the years have past and I enter the winter of my life, I find myself enduring a first time attitude adjustment of my own.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,270 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Water Lessons Learned, Lost And Re-lea ed today?

by: 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 Gardens, Hadrians Arch, the catacombs, the Vatican and Sistine Chapel are only a few of the popular tourist destinations that all visitors feel compelled to visit. We did visit these and many more beautiful, famously important spots.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,267 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

A Novel Way to Get An Innovative Product to Market

by: 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 all industries, the competition is fierce, the innovations many and the marketing strategies are endlessly varied. During lulls in the actio I walked the floor and did a bit of networking.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,261 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

How an Ingenious Footwear Idea Snatched Defeat from the Jaws of Victory!

Several 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 and amazing styling cues that would make them a “must own” for every woman interested in shoes, meaning every woman everywhere.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,260 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Before Asking Others to Invest in Your Project Prepare to Answer the Question That Always Comes

by: 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 potential. If I were grading the plan in one of my classes I would have given it a solid B. I was smitten with most of the assumptions that the document detailed to support the projects viability, except one.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,256 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

The Challenge for Big Companies Is Not to Be Slow! That Is the Opportunity for Entrepreneurs

by: Geoff Ficke The Challenge for Big Companies Is Not to Be Slow! That Is the Opportunity for Entrepreneurs

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,238 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Is an Invention Service Company the Solution? Very Few Inventors Ever See Successful Results

Every 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 product or opportunity to thousands of corporate decision-makers, get rich. This is the American Dream, is it not? One of the saddest aspects of my work as a new product development and marketing consultant is the whole area of invention submission firms.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,234 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

The Anatomy of a Product From an Idea to Reality

What 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 making a first attempt and confronting the typical hurdles and roadblocks the marketplace utilizes to cull the field. I look at hundreds of products each year and have done so for almost 30 years.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,234 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

The Human Genome Project Is One Of The Worlds Great Scientific Achievements

It Also Offers Entrepreneurs an Amazingr 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 myriad mysteries, including: why we age, genetic markers, causes and cures for diseases and many more questions previously thought unobtainable. The drive to chart this monumentally complex scientific puzzle lead to an interesting competition.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,226 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Sales Talent Is Available And Affordable - Fear of Selling Should Not Impede Entrepreneurs and Inventors

During 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. This fear should never stop a project from successfully entering the marketplace. Ponder the daily aspects of life virtually all of us experience. We seek out, and interview, for jobs. We seek out, then court, and marry our mate.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,224 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Consumer Product Marketing Success Depends Much More on Being First and Executing tha Simply Being First

by: Geoff Ficke Consumer Product Marketing Success Depends Much More on Being First and Executing tha 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, concrete data on his drink’s wellness benefits, packaging renderings and marketing trend information on the mass market soft drink category. His due diligence was impressive and seemed indicative of a driven, passionate innovator.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,222 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

This Great Warrior King Always Thought Outside of the Box

by: 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 that enables a person to perfect this skill. Some of us stumble into an opportunity. Others are introduced inadvertently to an idea in their line work or at home. Many other successful entrepreneurs do develop an ability to see things a bit more weirdly than the rest of us.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,213 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Occam’s Razor Offers a 700 Year Old Rule of Great Import to Modern Inventors

KISS 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 successfully discovering the answer to a particularly complex problem is actually grounded on a 700-year old philosophical theorem: Occam’s Razor. William of Occam was a 14th century Franciscan friar from England.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,206 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

New Commercial Opportunities Require a Crisply Polished Elevator Pitch

by: 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. This is important as we strive to manage our time, and potential clients can receive proper initial guidance from us as they pursue their goals and dreams. The key initial indicator we evaluate when weighing a newly presented Business Plan is the Executive Summary.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,202 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

A Baby’s Illness Was Responsible for One of the World’s Most Revered and Iconic Brands

A 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 recognizable in the world. The story behind the germination of the brand is a testament to the old adage of opportunity arising from ones life’s experiences.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,198 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Consider the Menu of Services a Project Will Require Before Interviewing Professional Consultants

by: Geoff Ficke Consider the Menu of Services a Project Will Requirer 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 become available for search. Consultants are everywhere and offering every imaginable service.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,198 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

How to Self-Analyze Your Consumer Product Idea To Facilitate Bringing It to Life

by: 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 still only an idea. I am often asked how to gauge whether a new Consumer Product idea, service or concept has real viability to be successful in the contemporary volcanic Retail Marketplace. Here are three rules to use to self-screen your concept before attempting to build and market the idea.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,198 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

It’s Time To “Just Say No More” To Intrusive Abusive Government

A 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 the America of yore? What has happened to us? Utilizing the relatively primitive construction techniques of the Depression era, the Empire State Building was conceived and constructed in 410 days. Men were hungry and desperate at that time. Government, pre-New Deal, was much smaller at all levels.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,196 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

In a World of Mass Market Indifference There Is Still Room for Bespoke Quality

by: 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 and, while knowing of the worldwide reputation for excellence of English hand tailored gentleman’s clothing, I had never experienced this level of quality and artisan craftsmanship.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,194 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

The Entrepreneurial Spirit Burns Brighter Than Ever

During a recent quick business trip to New York City a normal, everyday travel occurrence ignited a recurring observatio 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 struck up a conversation with my driver. His name was Aquil and he was a native of Pakistan. After the normal chatter I asked Aquil how long he had been driving. “Three years,” he said, “but I am really not here to drive, I am setting up an import/export business”.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,193 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

The Simple, Ubiquitous Modern Screw Created Fortunes and Enabled Mass Production to Flourish

by: 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 of different types and sizes littered among other assorted pieces of flotsam and junk that we collect and never seem to lose. Occasionally we go looking for a screw for a unique application or task and usually, we will find just the unit to complete the chore.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,189 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

What Is a Business Plan? And Why Do I Need One?

For 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 experience and many would like to avoid this step if at all possible. What is a Business Plan? A business plan is a document that qualifies, quantifies and narrates a commercial opportunity.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,188 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

What is a Business Model?

During 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 Model is simply how an enterprise will organize processes to make money.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,178 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Strategic Alliance - The Underused Option

You 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 efforts. Many creative people have an area of knowledge in which they excel. They are in their comfort zone there and can appear to be a master of this precise universe. However, taken just a bit outside the protective lines of this tight little planet, they are lost souls.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,174 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Why Trade Shows Are Crucial When Introducing A New Product or Service-Make Expo’s Work for You!

by: 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 largest brands in the luxury cosmetic space to start-up ventures with virtually no sales history. The show was visited by over 100,000 buyers from 120 countries.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,166 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

Successfully Approaching Marketing Professionals - How to Market a New Consumer Product or Idea

by: 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 assistance. This can ruin their opportunity, or at the least set prospects back sharply. The following are some simple rules to follow when making initial contact or presentation of your exciting new product or marketing concept. Never Utilize Mindless Platitudesr

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,162 views

By Geoff FickeRecently published1 topic

London Offers the World’s Most Exciting And Historic Retail Shopping Scene

by: 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 historic city. I am a perpetually reticent shopper. In London, however, visiting shops is a form of entertainment that can’t be matched by any other city. Even I succumb when in this great old city.

Primary topic: Business Consulting

Business Consulting

1,156 views

Previous pagePage 4Next page

Back to top ↑