Abstract We show three basic properties of the image Milnor number µI(f) of a germ $f\colon(\mathbb{C}^{n},S)\rightarrow(\mathbb{C}^{n+1},0)$ with isolated instability. First, we show the conservation of the image Milnor number, from which one can deduce the upper semi-continuity and the topological invariance for families. Second, we prove the weak Mond’s conjecture, which states that µI(f) = 0 if and only if f is stable. Finally, we show a conjecture by Houston that any family $f_t\colon(\mathbb{C}^{n},S)\rightarrow(\mathbb{C}^{n+1},0)$ with $\mu_I(\,f_t)$ constant is excellent in Gaffney’s sense. For technical reasons, in the last two properties, we consider only the corank 1 case.