As entrepreneurs we can’t be afraid of boot leather as a strategy. It’s vital, even for web startups.
But recently I’ve been out selling rentoid partnerships (clipboard under arm sales rep style) to the rental industry in order to develop strategic alliances. It’s not easy, but I’m learning more doing this than I ever do looking into this computer screen.
In addition to that – 50% of the potential customers I find aren’t on my call sheet. They aren’t on the internet at all. If I wasn’t driving, walking and looking around I wouldn’t find them. They have no digital presence at all. When I do find them, they are usually glad I have.
If you’re genuine. If you have an offer that will help people with their business, and if you make the effort to go to where they are, you miles ahead of any entrepreneur, web or otherwise staring at his computer screen. Sure, it doesn’t sound very strategic, or webby, and it wont feature in techcrunch or mashable, but it’s a winning strategy of more internet and general startups than most people would ever believe.
This is very accurate Steve. The idea is that most entrepreneurial businesses are predominantly local. Sure, there may be a global presence, but you begin in your local area. Developing your local reputation well enough will ensure the concept spreads to other locations.
Many people avoid this. They think that by having a website that they can get out and make a huge amount of money. The reality is no one will come to your site if they don’t know it exists.
Excellent post! This is often overlooked by bloggers talking about start ups but is so critical.
Keep up the great work 🙂
I’m with you on this Steve.
Good ideas are plenty. Programmers are plenty. Dreaming is free. And as convinced as one may be of their idea and that the market SHOULD and WILL part with their dollars – there is nothing more costly, humbling and rewarding than beating a pavement and making some in-roads into the lives of new, untapped customers… hey, we might even discover things we should have before we started on the premonition… I think they call that ‘Market Research’. Go for it!