September 15, 2005

Tim Berry: The Man Behind Business Plan Pro from Palo Alto Software

Palo Alto Software is not a software publisher, Tim Berry explained to me earlier this week. While Palo Alto's competition buys software from programmers and resells it, Palo Alto's desire is to create software that reaches out of the computer screen to really help you.

Palo Alto, nestled in Eugene, Oregon, is not out to shove a box of software that just lets customers spew out crappy business plans that they think no one will really read. Tim has created software that helps a business owner create THEIR business plan (not the plan that Palo Alto wants) that will really focus on the sustained growth of the business.

Business Plans are NOT just a one time event, as many businesses think. A business plan is not a document you write just to get financing or to start your business. A business plan, Tim passionately explained, is a document that should evolve and grow with the business, to continue to guide the business to success.

The new Business Plan Pro 2006 standard and premier editions are packed with new features that current and new Palo Alto customers will enjoy. Business Plan Pro does more than just create a business plan but will guide you into insight from your industry, help you review your business plan and so much more.

Bplans.com has a lot of FREE information to help you create a business plan. While PlanConsultants.com has a directory of consultants that can help you create a business plan. And remember your local SCORE office.

What Palo Alto Software can give you, that others can't, is software designed by a business plan professional. It would be as if Microsoft Word was designed by a professional writer and not a programmer.

Tim Berry was a journalist and he says that news journalism taught him that the reader is always right. If a piece isn't understood then the writer blew it! Tim was a business plan consultant for years, doing on paper what computers now do. This consulting experience, combined with the ability to write clearly (for the reader not for the writer) is what has propelled Business Plan Pro to a 60% (and I see now reason why this market share won't grow) market share.

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