We Must Move Forward

Colorado hike
From a Colorado hike. Jeff Cornwall

“No man ever steps in the same river twice.(Heraclitus)

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus may not have been an entrepreneur, but some of his teachings sure do capture the world of startups.

One of my former business partners liked to say that being an entrepreneur reminded him of being a shark. If you don’t keep swimming forward, you will die.

Businesses Must Move Forward

The entrepreneur’s world is like the river described by Heraclitus. Change is inevitable. And change is a constant. Entrepreneurs must never forget that the same changes and disruptions that helped create an opportunity for them at their launch will continue long after they open their doors. If they are not ready to adapt, the change that created the opportunity could eventually lead to their business’s demise. Change in the competitive and macro environments are continuous like the flowing river, creating the need for pivots to the business model throughout the life of most businesses.

Even being a first mover in a new market does not guarantee that you’ll control that market. New competitors will see the opportunity you discovered and come in to take market share from you. You will need to sharpen your business model to ensure you continue to meet the needs of your market and offer the value they seek.

Customers’ needs and preferences evolve and change. You must keep up with these changes and be ready for new expectations. We certainly saw significant changes in customer expectations after COVID.

Demographic changes also create the need for pivots in business models. For example, and one that is near and dear to my heart, Boomers are creating a boom in the construction of 55+ communities. For example, Pulte Homes identified the potential in this market more than a decade ago and now is building communities for aging boomers nationwide.

Entrepreneurs Must Move Forward

Business models are not the only aspect of entrepreneurship that demand change. Entrepreneurs themselves also cannot stand still.

The job description of the entrepreneur constantly evolves and expands to meet the needs of their growing business. Entrepreneurs need to learn and grow as leaders of their businesses.

Entrepreneurs and their teams are prone to boredom and burnout as the business becomes established and professionalized. Even a busy entrepreneur can become bored. Many of us who are drawn to entrepreneurship are drawn to the excitement of the startup. This includes the founders and their founding team members. Once the business is up and running and the founders now have to manage an established company, many entrepreneurs report feeling bored, stagnant, or stuck.

For other entrepreneurs, where the business ends up is inconsistent with their vision. Early on, we often do everything and anything that the market wants from us, sort of an “anything for a buck” strategy. Building a strong market presence eventually requires pruning the offering to the market and focusing on a more specific target customer.

For example, Susan and Jen faced this inflection point in their business, J’s BBQ. Susan describes it like this:

“We’ve always known this part (the brick and mortar) of our brand is not something we planned on doing long-term. We want a better balance for our family, while the brand continues to grow. Reconfiguring our balance is where we’re at right now.

“Our demand has once again exceeded our kitchen’s capacity, and our family’s needs continue to persist. In order to put our next plan into place, we need to shift gears. If you become stagnant or trapped as an entrepreneur, if your current business plan reaches a plateau…you’ve lost the momentum and everyone feels it.” (“Jen, Susan, and Jadon,” Entrepreneurial Voices).

Entrepreneurship is a journey of change and evolution.

“Nothing endures but change.” (Heraclitus)

We are all gnats

“You are gnats! You are like annoying little gnats flying around in the face of consumers.”

This is a message that I consistently tell aspiring first-time entrepreneurs.

Why the harsh words? Most first-time entrepreneurs have so much enthusiasm that they can become blinded to the reality of the challenges that every new business faces.

I tell them to think about the last few hours. How many small businesses did you go past without even really noticing them? What about all of the products in the convenience store where you got gas this morning?

How many of the service businesses that had logos and advertisements on the sides of their trucks did you actually pay attention to?

Many of those products on the shelves are the result of someone’s entrepreneurial dreams. A small-business owner spent hours agonizing over the business name and a logo, and yet most passersby barely notice it.

New business owners need to adjust their expectations. While starting a new venture is one of the most important and exciting things you’ve ever done, to the market your product is just one more in an already overcrowded sea.

So, new business owners need to get a sense of urgency. They need to develop a plan to become more than just another annoying little gnat!

To successfully launch a new business the entrepreneur needs a clear entry strategy, which is a plan for how the business is going to gain the attention of the market and start attracting customers.

If your business is going to take existing market share away from established businesses, you are going to have to do something better, faster or cheaper than the competition. Give people a compelling reason to change their buying habits.

Start small: Consider a niche strategy. This simply means the entrepreneur finds a small part of a market that’s not being served or that has been significantly under-served. It gives the entrepreneur a safer market to conquer a bit hidden away from established businesses.

But establishing a niche requires that you find ways to let the customers in that niche market know that your new business is now open and is ready to fill their specific unmet need.

Getting the market’s attention for a completely new product that has the potential to impress the mass market is the most difficult and expensive market entry. It requires extensive investment in advertising and other forms of promotion to build awareness for your new product and to educate the public about the benefits it offers.

No matter which type of entry strategy you pursue — and as excited as you may be about your new business — remember this: If you build it they may, or they may not, come.

You will need to work hard to find the most effective means to attract those initial customers.

Belmont Business Plan Winners

Congratulations to this year’s Belmont business plan winners. Andy Tabar took home first place and the $5,000 Regions Bank award for our entrepreneur of the year for his web business Bizooki. Freshman Cassie Schreiner took the second place $2,000 award for CNS Photography. Emily Swinson took third for her concept plan for Riot! Clothing store.
BU Business Plan Competition 2008.JPG