Selling Potatoes

As entrepreneurs the natural temptation is on inventing new markets. Creating dramatic change and going for the trophy ideas. This stuff is incredibly difficult, which is why when we do it well the financial rewards can be significant. The interesting thing is that by being optimists with big ideas we really develop some amazing skills just trying. Regardless of our success or lack of.

Creating markets is much harder than getting a share of an existing market. There’s so much more to do to make it work. Things like building an entirely new supply chain, accessing unique raw materials, developing distributions channels and educating consumers of the benefits of this alternative.

Imagine for a moment that we focused our skills on something simple. Something for which there is already existing demand. A market with which there has been very little innovation for a long period of time. Imagine for example…. selling potatoes.

Selling potatoes would not be as difficult as inventing entirely new markets. Sure there would be incumbents in the game, maybe some very powerful players. But the one thing we can be sure of, is that people do business with people they like. Every industry has room for new players. Every business has some suppliers which they are not happy with. Imagine bringing some new world thinking into the potato trade. Integrating some Cluetrain ideas into this business, and really winning over some customers by doing things just a little differently. There is a new business waiting to happen in boring old market.

potatohead

pic by Peter VanAllen

I often think that we ignore old areas because they are sexy enough, when all we need do is bring some new ideas in to sexy it up. And there is nothing more sexy than financial success in start up land. In addition our probability of success is certainly larger in an existing market than developing a new one, even if the financial gain is smaller. Maybe we can garner some success Selling potatoes first, before we try our trophy idea. It’s easy to be better than it is to be new.

Maybe your next business should be selling potatoes.

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11 thoughts on “Selling Potatoes

  1. Hi guys funny enough this week ive just bought 15 ton of Maris Piper potatoes the farmer sold them to me at £105.00 per ton, not sure how im going to approach the sale of them yet as im a mortgage adviser and with times being lean at the moment im looking else where to make an income. Ive sold some for £6.50 per 56lb bag mybe i will go as low as £5.00 to get them sold and buy some more.

  2. Yes Steve, sometimes “selling potatoes” is the best plan. I blogged about the phenomenon of the too-clever startup a few months ago at http://blog.criticalresults.com/2009/10/30/dumb-idea-i/ … long story short, I think there are people who fall in love with an overly complex idea because it’s less emotional risk than actually implementing something and taking a chance on its failure in the market.

    The grand startup idea that never quite gets done is always a “work in progress.” It is never (in their minds) a “failure.”

  3. Mark, great comment mate. You’ve really added the next part of the story to the selling potatoes entry. it’s a good thing to hide behind the big idea, I’ve even did it myself before.

    Thanks for the insightful comment,
    Steve.

  4. Hi,
    I live in Northern Maine. There is a lot of grower of potatoes. It has been a dream of mine to grow them and sell them my self. I have a green thumb but not the resources to 5do it. If you have any advise for me E mail me so I can get in on this great idea.

  5. i want to selling all types of potato lyk sugar free , s1 special , pukhraj ,37 97 , s2 or more . Sum who want to buy potato then contact me , ph. 08795696211

  6. Dear Steve

    Are you currently in the business of selling volumes of Potatoes,I currently do have a large volume if you would be interested in engaging further alternately assist in providing me with contact references that potential long term buyers in and around Europe and Asia.
    My contact email is [email protected]

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