Category: entrepreneurship

Spreading the ‘Green’ word

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

This is where I request the assistance of my loyal readers….

 

I’ve blogged about the recent launch of rentoid.

Rentoid is very green. The basic concept is to encourage people to rent items from each other, rather than buy them. Net result being same lifestyle with less consumption. The climate crisis is really a symptom, not the problem. Hence, I’d really appreciate a little help in spreading the green word on rentoid

The request is simply to help us get it on the eco radar / blogisphere / community. Sure there’s, something in it for rentoid – but there’s something in it for the community and the environement. Be sure to let us know or comment below on any ideas / actions taken.

Of course the acid test is how many start up blog readers believe it deserves the exposure. This will help us determine if we’ve got it right.

Top 10 movies for entrepreneurs

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

While goofing off watching cable, a great entrepreneurial movie came on – it reminded me of life in a cubicle. So here’s the startup blog top 10.   

  1. Startup.com (great documentary)
  2. Pirates of Silicon Valley (cheesy but insightful)
  3. Office Space (the motivation to escape)
  4. Fight Club (bootstrapping, viral marketing)
  5. The Corporation (don’t act like ‘em)
  6. 7 up Series (life’s journey, dreams & failure)
  7. Prison Break (strategy, contingency, alliances) only TV exception!
  8. Jerry McGuire (the courage needed)
  9. Wall Street (the game – politics of money)
  10.  readers choice…

Feel free to add what number 10 should be in comments.

(in case your wondering the movie was Office Space)

 

Unnecessary Costs

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Business advice often given to entrepreneurs is how to protect themselves and their business. Think company formations, insurances, trademarks, partnership deals, business names et al.

 

These are all very costly for a start up. It’s often better to leave these things to the last minute. It’s easy to get excited and just register everything possible so you own all the relevant IP. That way your best friend and business partner Joe can’t steal all your personal assets….

 

Do it later. Any money spent which isn’t directly going to generate revenue can wait. There is nothing worse than wasting valuable cash on protecting business that never got to revenue.

Once we’re up and running it’s a great investment. But not in the early days, or during the pre-revenue period.

Attitude

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

We are modern day entrepreneurs. We cut new ground and bring change. We need to act a little bit like rockstars – rockstars of a new genre. Like rockstars we need self belief which borders upon arrogance.

We need attitude. We can’t fake it.

We can’t act like employees

Employees are conformists

Conformists never change the world

We’re bringing change

We are not conformists

Secrets

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

I used to think that it’s better to keep your business idea a secret. Then I read that “secrets kill you” in the Bootstrappers Bible by Seth Godin. It’s very true. You can get a copy here.

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Firstly – no one is going to steal your idea. The idea is the easy bit. The execution is the hard part. Truth be told it is more likely that someone else will start doing what you are if they don’t know it’s already being done.

 

Proof – how many times have you had a great new business idea only to find out it has already been done. Then you simply move on.

 

By keeping it a secret – it not only chips away at your confidence, you remove the potential for your circle to help you nurture it and bring it to life.

Critics & creators

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

At some point in your career as an entrepreneur (and entrepreneurship is a career, it’s just there’s no jobs available!), you’ll be told how why it’s a bad idea, an average launch…or just not quite right.

 

A simple response is this: It’s easier to critique than create.

 

I do it on this blog. I critique poorly executed marketing activities. We do this to learn and converse – which is part of the whole process. It’s what this blog is about. It’s a conversation on marketing.

 

But in the journey as an entrepreneur you’ll meet many who provide advice, but have never had the courage to pursue the path. In this situation it’s better to remember those who encourage, and forget about those who critique

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And this is why, in any city in the world there are no monuments of critics.

Long term planning

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Political preferences aside Arnold Schwarzenegger is reasonable at long term planning.

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Arnold wanted to be an actor, more than he wanted to be a body builder. He wanted to move to California to pursue his dreams. His father and others told him it wasn’t possible. He was told that an Austrian who spoke German and broken English couldn’t get into the movies. Arnold knew that the most muscular man in the world would surely get a role in a movie somewhere – and he planned in his teens to become so. The rest is history.

Think long – act now.