I was recently contacted by an entrepreneur – let’s call him John – who was seeking some marketing advice for his new technological startup. Having little idea of how he can market his innovative video imaging products, John sourced my contact in a local entrepreneurial forum and – knowing that I used to work in a consumer electronics company – approached me for advice.
We met up and John admitted that he had no marketing knowledge and so needed to get as much advice as he could from others. I shared whatever limited knowledge I had with him. When I mentioned someone in the forum who may be able to help him in the area of customer service, John replied that he had already also approached the person and gotten some advice.
To me, John represents the rare entrepreneur who readily recognises his own deficiencies and in so doing, realises that his best chance for success is to approach for help. Most entrepreneurs I know – in fear or ego – wouldn’t consider doing what John did. And then sometimes their great ideas FAIL for the LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.
The moral of the story is:
You don’t have to do it alone. Look around, and ask around. You’ll never know who can help your business reach another level.
PS: I can’t reveal who John is as yet. He’s still holding on to a full-time job for the moment as his business incubates. But I do wish him all the best and will interview him for this blog when he’s ready. ^^
