DAY 01 How To Start A Startup
DAY 01 How To Start A Startup
MBA
Day 1
Solopreneur
to Entrepreneur
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Being a Solopreneur
तो तु झ पर सब अहिमान करें गे
हर छोटा बदलाव,
बड़ी कामयाबी का हहस्सा होता है
Fire => Ready => Aim - That’s how 90% Freelancers get started
1. Know why you’re Freelancing
Identify your Goals
o Be Clear about what you want from Freelancing
o Use Freelancing as a Stepping Stone to Success
Identify if your Dreams and Reality Match
o Assessment of Aspirations vs Action
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2. Figure out your Key Strengths
How Sharp are your Skills?
o If you’re working full time, take out some Time and Money for
some Skill Upgrades. The Greater your Skills, the Higher Prices
you can set for Yourself
3. Are you New to what you do?
Time is Limited in Freelancing
o Price घटाओ => Customer बढ़ाओ
o Price बढ़ाओ => Customer घटाओ
4. Make a List and Check it Twice
Make a two-sided list. On one side are the skills you love to use and
could exercise daily. On the other side are skills you have
but don’t use / enjoy as much.
It will help you see different ways to market your- self
Sometimes the best-paying skills aren’t ones you like the most
5. Identify your Top Skills
Your Top Skills Create your Reputation—which Drive your
Marketing Message | Your Negotiating Leverage | Your Pricing
6. Can you Specialize?
Specialization Heightens Reputation.
The Best Specialties are where your Skill and Passion Intersect
7. Perform SWOT Analysis
Strength- Weaknesses (Internal)
Opportunity – Threat ( External)
8. Always Strive to Improve
The beauty is, the internet provides you with a plethora of options for
you to learn
You could join an open course, pay for a course online
More you know = More valuable you become.
Increase your prices with extra knowledge.
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Office Setup for Freelancers
Priority Management
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Market Segmentation
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If You Win this Segment, will You Expand
To Adjacent Market?
4. Focused Pilot Market Example : Amazon
Jeff Bezos started Amazon focused on books
After winning FPM..
Amazon began to expand into adjacent categories.
His FPM acted as foundation to build larger product categories.
Electronics, Fashion, Groceries to everything & now become multi-
billion $ Co.
5. Focused Pilot Market Example : Tinder
Tinder launched on September 12, 2012 and the marketing was
originally focused only to college students on the West Coast of the
U.S.
College Population: Tinder hired “college campus reps” to help
promote the app to their peers.
Organized College Parties | Entry with Tinder App
6. Focused Pilot Market Example : LinkedIn
LinkedIn had targeted Recruiters as its FPM.
Presence of recruiters attracted business executives who were seeking
a job..
Later Positive word of mouth helped others join the network.
7. Persona for the Focused Pilot Market
Persona is a mini-biography of a real user
Describe their goals, strengths, pains and motivations.
Build a very detailed description of real consumer.
Focused Pilot Market Helps in Understanding
o Marketing Messages
o Decider Influencer Buyer Consumer
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Decision Making Unit
Product Development
A brand is no longer
what we tell the customer it is –
it is what customers
tell each other
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Build your Personal Brand
Building a Personal Brand is Important but its not Easy
Your portfolio of Skills Testimonials,
Accolades, Case Studies etc. on Web
Social Media
o Link what you do to your Website & all Social Channel
o Make an Announcement that you’re Open for Business
o Ask your Social Network to Share the News about you
o Email your Friends, Make a Personal Update about what you’re
up to and why
o Join Facebook Groups. They have Gained Popularity in the Last
Few Years Category Wise Groups.
o Introduce yourself to the group, explaining how you help
o Answer questions. Be helpful. Build relationships. Don’t Just post
links on hire me
o Let People view you as an expert in your field.
Portfolio
o Show off examples of your work in a portfolio or a blog
o Display your services with a contact form
so people can easily get in touch with you
o Portfolio makes you look more Professional Amongst
Unprofessional Freelancers – having a website will make you
stand out and shows you’re serious about business.
Portfolios are everything, promises are nothing
It’s all about Presentation
o Your Business Card has to Stand out –
Make your Own Template - Who are you | Your Unique Value |
Contact Details
o Go Digital. A virtual business card saves you from ending up in
dustbin
Excellent Presentation, Gets Sold without hesitation.
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Customer Acquisition
When Freelancers are asked about their Biggest Problem in Freelancing Business,
almost everyone has the same answer – FINDING CLIENTS – Have
Enough Clients - Not too few and not more than you can handle.
1. Introspection
How Will Customers Know About Your Brand?
How Will Customers Analyse Your Product?
How Customers Will Acquire Your Product?
How Customers Will Pay For Your Product?
2. Consumer Empathy
For example, If your specialty is “I’m the most detail-oriented
freelance animator in town,” but your customer’s need is “We need it
fast, not perfect,” you’ll quickly become the most detail- oriented
unemployed freelancer in town.
Look for what’s important to them, and in what order?
Speed? Efficiency? Accuracy? Beauty? Durability? Luxury?
Affordability? Simplicity? Health? Security? Reliability?
Profitability?
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3. Networking
Join Professional Association and attend Events. - Make small talk
Keep showing up and you’ll soon feel welcomed
Build your Love Bank Account. - Change your mind-set from “What
can I get? to “What can I give?” (Give-Give-Give-Ask)
Don’t be one of those “calls-only-when-they-want-something”
Networkers
Tap your Existing Network
Someone in your circle might need your services - Classmates, Old
Colleagues, Professors and Teachers, Past Bosses
Start conversations. Don’t talk about yourself the whole time.
Never miss to exchange contact so you can connect with them after
the event.
Don’t ask for a job. Talk about how you might be able to help them.
Stay in touch without being Creepy
Add everyone you met to LinkedIn and follow up with a ‘nice to meet
you’ note within a few days of the event.
4. Choose your Prospects
Make a list of Businesses, Professions, Industries, or Companies
might need you?
Rank them, from Ideal Candidates from Top to Down.
What makes them ideal?
Their fitment against your skills? Their pay scale?
Their size (big-stable, midsize-busy, Startup-growing)? Their
reputation?
Think about where your prospects go, in person and online.
What organizations do they join? What websites, blogs, or
discussion groups do they visit? Where do they go to hire people like
you?
5. Don’t be Obsessed about How you Say it!
Sounding too Rehearsed can make people Uncomfortable
- Practice Verbal Mirroring: (Less Scripted)
6. Follow up … Follow up … Follow up
When you get home, jot down some key words on their cards about
what you talked about
Include the Notes to your Contacts List
Next Day, Call or Email to mention some specific learning or +ve
experience with them
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Not following up
with your prospects is
the same as filling up
your bathtub without first
putting the stopper in the drain
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10. Common Connection
Eg: Same School, Same Professional Group, Same Place of Worship
Same Goal, Social Service etc.
11. Authority
All the Doctors Display their Degrees in their Offices
It Promotes Trust in their Authority
Display your Résumé, Website Bio, Portfolio, Client List,
Professional Titles, Memberships, Certifications, Special Training,
and Awards
12. Build Your Trusted Inner Circle
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Startup Resource Websites
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Best Websites for Virtual Assistants
o Belay
o Time Etc
o ClickWorker
o Fancy Hands
o Assistant Match
o Zirtual
Best Websites for Marketers
o Hub Spot
o LinkedIn
o Sem Rush
Best Websites for Photographers
o Shutter Stock
o Flicker
o Pixa bay
o Image Bazar
o Getty Image
Best Websites for Customer Support
o We Work Remotely
o Virtual Vocations
o Support Driven
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Sales Cycle of Customer Acquisition
Pricing Strategy
8. Learn to Say No
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11. Schedule Work with Milestones
14. Plan your Fee Structure Per Hour | Per Day | Per Unit (Quantity) |
15. Calculate your Fee Structure - Billable Time | Purchase Made for Project
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Penetration Pricing: Break Even Price and
Aggressive Marketing - Used in Very Competitive Markets to Hit
the Established Leader
Loss Leading: Price is Less than Cost
Remove Competitors or Establish Market Share - If Demand is too
High, Losses Escalate - Difficult to Increase Prices Later
26. Design a Pricing Model => Free-mium | Premium
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Negotiation
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7. मन की सुनो, सोच के चुनो
If you sense a Prospect will Cost More to Keep than Lose
Negotiating over Nothing | Making Constant Changes
He Who Learn to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable Has
Discovered the Most Valuable Secret of NEGOTIATION!
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Off Season (Dry Time)
1. Keep a Routine
Treat your work days like any other.
Touch base with former Clients and Potential Blue Chips | Seek
Referrals | Follow up with New Contacts |
Join Events to Network
2. Keep Networking
Because you Never Know where the Next Project Might Come From;
Revive Contacts
3. Update Online Platforms
All that you forgot to update when you were busy
4. Stay on the Top of Your Customer’s Mind
Ask for Testimonials from Satisfied Clients and Leverage them
5. Evaluate your Business Mode
Build a New Product Line Especially for Off Season
Add Complimentary Freebies, Product or Service
6. Focus on what you can’t do During the Season Time
Upgrade Skills by taking online tutorials/ course
or get coaching from expert
7. Money Saved is Money Earned
Prepare a Financial Cushion for a Predictable Slow Period (post-
holidays, post-taxes, post-wedding season, post- school year)
8. Go where the Season is
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Cost of Customer Acquisition
3. Availability on Weekdays
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There is only one boss.
The customer.
And he can fire everybody
simply by
spending his money
somewhere else
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Be There | Prepare | Say you Care
7. Be on time for meetings and calls. People might not comment on it, but
8. Don’t Multitask on Calls - Unless there is a deep crisis, don’t take calls
10. Let the client know that you are prepared:“I looked at your website . . .”
11. Transparency Builds Trust - People are most Vigilant at the Start of a
Relationship
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“Years ago, A customer left a message to cancel
I left him a message saying I hoped his wife was OK. He’s never
forgotten that I was the only one who called to express concern for his
wife.”
13. While Breaking a Bad News, – Stay Close Staying close helps you
19. Don’t take Blame for what isn’t your Fault, but take Responsibility
when it is
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Next New Market
11. Estimate the Total Addressable Market (TAM) Size for Next New
Markets
13. Next Market that you Identify after Focused Pilot Market
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15. Define your Core - After your Experience with
Focused Pilot Market
Reason for Customer to Switch
Must have at least 1 single thing that another company doesn’t have
Core provides you a certain level of protection
A Core is an advantage that continues to put one ahead of his
competitors
Startup Success depends upon the Core of the Company.
Core is also Called Secret Sauce
Most Concentrated Way to gain differentiation from your
Competitors
If Core has Clear Strength and more clarity then surely Investor will
invest in the Business.
First Mover advantage can never be the core of the Company but it
can help in capturing more market
Examples of Core
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4. Exclusive Rights - Xiaomi/Flipkart
Core of Apple
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How to Scale your Business?
Will the Income Continue (5) or last for a Limited Time (1)?
5. LIBERATION: Outsource
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More Customers = More Turnover
Solopreneur to Entrepreneur
If you have more work than you can handle most of the time
Raise your Prices
Subcontract Work
Availability of Resources
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Economic & Legal Factors in Destination
Country
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