Category: Starting Up

New Webcomics series brought to you by #entrepreneurfail and GetEntrepreneurial.com. Enjoy!

Oh yes, I’m a self-declared, bona fide non-technical founder.

Despite the fact many years ago, my credentials looked like that of a coder, more recently, I insist on outsourcing or delegating the responsibility of anything that smells remotely technical.  This allows me to focus on marketing, product innovation and other aspects of business I truly enjoy.  Technical onlookers may be laughing from afar, but I wanted to spend my time and add value only where I enjoyed it the most.

But I soon realized that attitude was an #entrepreneurfail.   As I slowly picked up really basic (I mean super-simple) HTML, and hints of CSS, WordPress/Blogger functions, UI and UX concepts and tools, and digital advertising techniques, I realized how empowering they can be – and I could do it all without the help of technical friends/cofounders/vendors. Even the most non-technical cofounders can pick up the basic skills – and the best part is that there are tons of free and low-cost online resources to help get you up to speed. Here are some links you can bookmark to learn the basics:

• HTML
• CSS
• UI/UX
• WordPress
• Blogger

A friend of mine with an MBA recently taught himself how to code and he considers himself as quite a novelty in the startup world. Very rarely do you find a “business person” that also has the inclination, motivation and tenacity to learn Ruby on Rails on the side. As he scopes out investors, he said each one he meets is pleasantly surprised to find an entrepreneur that can “wipe his own !@#”

The startup world often foolishly scoffs at non-technical founders, but coupled with some basic technical skills, even the most non-technical of them all can add even greater value and efficiency to their businesses.

Are you a non-technical founder? Do you agree with our post? Let us know in the comments below.

This post was created by Kriti Vichare for #entrepreneurfail: Startup Success.

If you are starting up a new business then often your to do list can just keep on growing. This can mount up to a whole heap of pressure leading to decision making that is forced rather than thought through. But making bad decisions now could potentially affect things for a long time into the future so it is a wise entrepreneur who recognises this, seeks support and slows down on the hasty decisions. But if you’re not sure what you need to make decisions about at this early stage then how can you get started?

Simply read on for five things to sort out to get your budding business up and running.

Business Bank Account

It is vitally important to pick a business account that suits your businesses needs. Some companies only trade online others only in cheques and as such they have totally different banking needs. To be sure that you are getting what your business needs, meet with a few business managers in different branches and compare the packages before making a final decision.

Branding

Creating a clear and easily recognisable brand is key to getting repeat business from existing customers and attracting new ones through your professional and industry appropriate imagery. Consider how your brand will be presented and what any branding or logos will be used for before making final decisions.

Marketing Tools

Bad marketing decisions are the number one reason a business fails, so plan some time in your schedule to consider both digital and traditional methods of marketing before making any crucial decisions. Perhaps even consider seeking professional advice from a marketing strategist if you deem it necessary.

Client Communication

Do you want traditional letterheads designing and printing or is this an additional cost that you simply won’t need as all communication will be done through email and/or social media? It is important to be clear about how you are going to communicate with clients to ensure they aren’t confused by multiple, mis-matched communication channels.

Shipping/Postage Supplier

If you are going to be sending a lot of traditional postal mail it is a good move to hook up with a particular supplier such as TNT Express who can provide all of your business needs. This will mean you develop a relationship with one company and may be in line for future discounts, loyalty cards or special promotions.

This used to mean, show me a prototype; something that runs, works, or I can touch. I can remember being shown plans of an innovative hovercraft many years ago, and sending the inventor away with, “show me a working model”

Today, this means “show me a business model that works”.

The key to having a business model that works is paying customers, who pay to buy or use your product or service. And these customers need to pay enough so you can make a profit. I’ve been called in to help companies with lots of customers who are losing money! So it’s important to discover up front what your customers are willing to pay for your product or service.

Also, there are business models today where it’s not obvious who the paying customers are, as different from those that actually use the product; think about those who pay for data, based on those that use the product for free!

I can hear you saying…. this is so obvious…… yet proofing your business model before launching your business (or even writing a business plan) is still the number one thing I see “not” being done when I am called into to help a small biz or early stage company.

Before we build that first hovercraft, let’s find out if anyone will even use it; and of those who are interested, how much will they pay to use it? Are we solving a problem, like ‘how do we get to the other side of the river’? Is there a need to cross the river in the first place, and would a hovercraft be good for that, especially in winter? Will this be repeatable….in other words will people want to cross the river often; are we dealing with regular commuters or seasonal tourists? Will we be the entity that owns the craft and runs the business (with multiple users who are the paying customers), or will we just build it and sell or lease the craft to someone who has a transportation business model? You see where this is going already….

The best resource I have found which clearly illustrates “searching for your business model”, is the free Udacity online course “How To Build A Startup” by Steve Blank.

If you only have limited time, I recommend Lesson 1.A. and 1.B. Disclosure: everyone I have suggested watch these lessons has taken the entire course! It’s that good, and it shows the difference between the old way we did things, and how we do them today; searching for the business model before we even create the business plan, and most assuredly before we open for business (put our money or yours on the line).

Investors want to know you have gone through the process of customer development, and created a working business model (admittedly one that might change to meet customers needs). But way before you call in an investor you should consider doing this for yourself, your own small business or startup, or any company you are helping to increase business and become profitable!

Even though the inventor might actually have come back with a working hovercraft as I asked years ago, that still would not have answered the question whether it solved a pain or need, or that customers would actually have paid good money to use it!

This post appeared first on The LinkedIn Publisher

New Webcomics series brought to you by #entrepreneurfail and GetEntrepreneurial.com. Enjoy!

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

I have timely news for you. Your launch may take you twice as long and cost double what was expected, and that’s the best-case scenario. The bottom line is that it’s tough to deliver when and what you intend to. Schedules are shifted, budgets are rebalanced and the original scope is tweaked, prodded and pivoted. However, you are in good company – even our favorite fruit company had delayed their phone shipments in the past.

When I first decided to pursue one of my business ideas – I couldn’t wait to tell every person I met about the upcoming launch date and plans for growth in order to generate some future buzz.  I naively believed that 2-3 months sounded like a fair benchmark – even though I never actually sat down to calculate the possible timelines, nor assess all the tasks required.  As I started working, minutes swirled into weeks. As I approached nearly 4 months after my initial rants, I sheepishly shared a defunct prototype with just a few people.  Everything took longer than I expected, and the output looked much more different than what was in my head.

To keep assess actual timelines and things on track, I recommend BaseCamp and DeskAway. Both have a free trial period, and are cloud-based solutions that you can use either immediately. Allocate tasks to your whole team, check on the status in real time and keep track of a lot more in order to avoid an #entrepreneurfail. These are all baby steps to delivering on your launch date.

Have you met all your deadlines? Tell us about it in the comments below. 

This comic was created by Kriti Vichare for #entrepreneurfail: Startup Success.

New Webcomics series brought to you by #entrepreneurfail and GetEntrepreneurial.com. Enjoy!

Take that exit now!

There are many similarities between learning to driving a car and becoming and entrepreneur.  Getting behind the wheel vs. Learning how to start a new company: both options can provide a ticket to ultimate freedom!

Here is our list of why entrepreneurship is like driving a car:

1. It takes a while to learn, but once you get the hang of it, you can apply your skills to other cars (ventures).
2. You have to learn all the signs and signals really well, and know how to act upon them in real-time.
3. Keep refueling as necessary.
4. You’re responsible for those coming along on the ride.
5. Distractions are lethal. ‘Nuff said.

The good news is you don’t need a license to drive on startup street. So rev up your engines, check your mirrors, and GO! Don’t forget to stick your head out of the window to feel the cool breeze once in a while.

Let us know if you agree – is learning to start a company like learning to drive a car? Did we miss any analogies? Let us know in the comments below.