Distribution Archives - Page 5 of 7

Top 10 reasons your start up will fail

Posted on May 4, 2007 by Steve Sammartino

Top 10

You don’t really believe in what your doing, making or selling
You’re only motivated by money
You took funding from people who are only motivated by money
Your start up defies the laws of sustainability / health and wellness
You believe that your ‘remarkable’ product will gain automatic distribution
You have a long & complicated supply chain
You think viral marketing is easy
You don’t really understand the importance of cash flow
You lose interest because you took too long to bootstrap it
You believe that having the ‘best’ product will make you successful
Bonus reason: You give up when things get hard.

Your thoughts?

Top 10 reasons your start up will succeed

Posted on May 3, 2007 by Steve Sammartino

Top 10

You had the courage to leave paid employment
You need it to succeed as it’s your only source of income
Your idea is at least as good as the worst successful business you can find
You don’t care what your mum, dad, ex colleagues, brother et al think
You’ve always been a good story teller at school, work and home
You can tolerate long periods of loneliness
You’re not motivated but money alone
You’re not scared of financial risks
You understand that marketing doesn’t mean advertising
You know that nothing sells itself, not even ipods

Your thoughts? Other reasons?

Advertising in 2007

Posted on May 1, 2007 by Steve Sammartino

When we don’t have to think about how to promote a new start up that’s when we have it – a model that can work. If it seems so simple it will promote and spread itself, that’s when we could have a remarkable product.

All too often start ups think advertising will drive them into the audiences’ consciousness. If you have to convince me with paid for advertising, chances are you’re not very remarkable. Distribution and digital word of mouth are far more important.

Once upon a time we had to rely on advertising. It was a trusted source because our means of gaining information, on things, products, services, and politics was limited. The advertisement really could inform.

In a world of low trust and digitally connected people, do we really need advertising anymore?

Stressed?

Posted on April 27, 2007 by Steve Sammartino

Here’s a new product which demands eyeball time.

A stress remedy in an everyday format.

It’s everything an energy drink isn’t. It’s the opposite in fact.

Further inspection will reveal:

A single minded proposition (100mls – not about hydration just the remedy), first to market, wildcard ingredient (jujube), targeted yet limited distribution (only available on the net & they deliver right to your cubicle) and many other startup strategies espoused on this blog.

www.1-bil.com

With no lack of stress in the world there seems to be a lot of potential in this launch.

Maybe there are overseas distribution opportunities for entrepreneurs?

Trial

Posted on April 24, 2007 by Steve Sammartino

We should use these words selling our start up to a first time customer:

‘Let’s do a trial’

It might be a small order, even one box.

It’s a great fear remover. In their mind they’re not really buying it. In reality, nothing is different, except their risk perception is lowered. We’re just confirming that nothing is fixed and it’s Ok to try something new.

Limiting distribution

Posted on April 17, 2007 by Steve Sammartino

I’ve just done this without writing an entry for two weeks (it wasn’t intentional). An interesting thing happened. Loyalty remained and traffic increased.

When someone values something having less of it can increase anticipation and desire.

It won’t last forever. In the long run people will get annoyed and disappear…..

But sometimes limiting exposure can ensure our worth is enhanced and not diminished. We’ll remain exclusive.

Start ups with premium goods take note.

Not from here

Posted on March 21, 2007 by Steve Sammartino

One of the best brand strategies is… not from here. It can be from anywhere. So long as it’s not here. You see, we know everything and everyone from where we are. So it must be better if it’s from elsewhere. They know what they’re doing. They’ve been doing it for years. There’s all this history, or maybe it’s their technology. Whatever, they really know what they’re doing. So we’ll pay a lot more for it.

It feels semi romantic to pay $14.50 for a bar of soap hand made in Tuscany from capsicum and Amalfi red oranges. We unlock the power of our imagination.

Language on packaging

Localised flavours

Hand made

Old world packaging

There are plenty of niche brands overseas who’d love an international distributor. The bonus is, the strategy is already written…

Start up strategy – Not from here.