Читать книгу Wake Up and Sell the Coffee! - Martyn Dawes - Страница 15

 Recognise that winning ideas often come in different forms – for me it was the business model that came first, not the product or customer need.

 Look for evidence that your idea is low risk and that elements of it are already proven. Coffee bars were becoming trendy in the UK and takeaway coffee was sold in enormous volumes in US c-stores.

 Beware of tie ups with other parties at an early stage. They complicate the business and can go wrong. The other guys’ priorities can also change and deals between tiny businesses and global corporations are very unlikely to be on an equitable basis.

 Watch for secondary priorities that are noble causes but utterly pointless and simply serve to distract from what actually generates the revenue. Helping small retailers fight back against supermarkets was all well and good but how did that help me?

 Get the best possible advice early on when risks are at their highest. If accountants and advisers want big fees up front, they don’t get you or your business. Find ones that do and offer them loyalty in the long term in lieu of fees today – if they demonstrate commitment to you.

 Market research can be dangerous if you are trying to discover what people might do in the future.

 Passion kills fear. They cannot co-exist. An entrepreneur that knows their idea from every angle and knows deep down they are really on to something can skip into that first sales pitch.

 Be able to tell the story of your business in one sentence. Does it light people up or do you get a sarcastic “Oh, that’s interesting,” in response? In 1996 I was able to say I was going to make coffee-to-go an everyday part of life for the British public even before I had one machine live.