Standardout Business Blog : March 2017

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

6 Things You Must Do to Make Your Idea a Reality

“That’s a great idea, you should take the initiative and make it a reality.”

How many times have we heard that line? And what typically happens next? Most of the time – nothing. Most great ideas stay dormant because we lack the courage, resources, time and/or money to take action. But even when we have those things, giving our ideas life is like giving birth to a child (or so my wife tells me): before the joy comes great pain and sacrifice. You must own the responsibility regardless of the circumstances because no one will ever understand your idea or the dynamics associated with it like you do.

Monday, March 13, 2017

6 Bootstrapping Secrets for Building a Successful Business on a Shoestring Budget

Many entrepreneurs feel they cannot start a business because of lack of capital. Of course, capital is necessary, and sometimes difficult to come by. But, what many don’t realize is that today it is possible to build a successful small business on a shoestring budget. Bootstrapping is absolutely doable, and many businesses have been very successful doing it.

Although no two companies are the same, we’ve highlighted six ways anyone starting their own business can cut costs, without cutting any corners.

Best Business Tips For Success

Srinivas Rao."Probably the most costly mistake many entrepreneurs make is in choosing the people that they work with or hire. It’s a mistake I’ve made. And it’s a mistake I’ve seen over and over again.""The way we’ve gotten around that is to always work with somebody on a project before we start handing over significant equity stakes or large sums of money. If the trial project goes well, then talk about expanding the scope of the relationship. Sam Altman from Y-Combinator once said something to the equivalent of 'a bad hire in the first few employees can be detrimental to a startup.' I've really taken that to heart in my business."
Michelle Schroeder."The most painful mistake I see first-time (or inexperienced) entrepreneurs make is that they see others in their industry or niche as competition. This can significantly hold you back, as you may never learn industry secrets and tips, make genuine friends, and more.""Instead, I think you should see others in your industry or niche as colleagues and friends. You should network with others, attend conferences, reach out to people, and more."
Conrad Wadowski."At this point, I've worked closely with dozens of new technology products. Across the board, the most painful mistake I see first-time entrepreneurs make is placing too much focus on building product versus learning from users. There usually isn't much risk in building software, but there's a lot of risk in bringing a new product to market.""A few ways to solve this include: constantly talking to users, building an audience while or before you build and taking time to learn how users actually behave with your product. Not easy, but if you can really understand which type of user you want to optimize toward, you'll increase your odds of finding an initial wedge in the market."
Ankur Nagpal."The most painful mistake I see people making repeatedly, particularly with their first project is striving for perfection over getting it done.""Weeks turn into months, months into years. As a result, whatever they are trying to launch isn't out there gaining traction in the marketplace because of the fear of being perfect.""My advice is to go out and break shit. It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission when you start a business. The only way your project, your business idea or whatever is in your mind is going to become better, is by having people use it in the real-world. Listen to them and iterate until you have a solid product."