Creating something out of nothing is not easy, but one must always remember the old saying: Rome was not built in a day. Whatever new adventure you are embarking on whether it be setting up a label or setting up a recording studio, there are a few simple things that can help you stay focused. There is, however, no magic formula that can make you successful without hard work.

First of all you need a vision. But if you are reading this then conceivably you have already thought it through a bit. And maybe you are wondering why you keep on dreaming and can?t seem to execute. Maybe others share your same vision and manage to succeed while you keep on changing your mind, feeling insecure about your convictions etc..

What differentiates an idea from a project is the ability to execute. A good idea is important to start off with, but after that initial euphoria only hard work and perseverance can get you where you want to be. You also need a bit of luck, but way too many people think that luck is everything. Nobody gets anywhere without hard work and if hard work is not put in then your not going to be satisfied anyway once you get there. But, if you can stay focused and remain tough in adverse situations, believing 150% in what you are doing and staying organised, then you can make it.

I have been active in over 20 start-ups (in sectors such as hi-tech, beef industry, night-life?) in the last 6 years and getting ventures off the ground is sort of my field of competence. I have given advice in terms of strategy and sometimes taken on the day to day work. In most cases the ventures did not work out. So one might say that my advice is not reliable. Well hopefully you can avoid the mistakes that I made. This is what it is all about. Learning from your mistakes and those of more experienced people. Read up on your sector and try to avoid the common pitfalls, but don?t let it scare you off. Learn as you go and ask the right questions.

Here are a few other rules that to me seem important in starting and maintaining any venture:

1. Set yourself short-term and medium term goals. And 1 or 2 long term goals. Short term is under 6 months. Medium term is under 2 years. Get these by brainstorming ideas and then setting realistic time frames to these ideas.
2. Make yourself a work schedule for the next two years with clear deadlines according to your goals. Make sure you know who has to do what (ie. Bob needs to build studio desk within 2 weeks, Bill needs to initiate make t-shirts within 1 month). Make sure the time frame is realistic and that you are using your time efficiently. For example, it might not be very efficient to do a big marketing campaign before you have a working studio.
3. Every 6 months re-run this process. As your business develops you will understand better the market. Your old work schedule will seem out of date. This is good! It means you are getting somewhere. Learn from what you have done so far, tweak the schedule and keep going. Never lose momentum. Evolve with your business.
4. Ask the right questions and don?t waste time. Become informed when you have a problem. Don?t waste your time reading 20 books on how to start a studio or a business unless you feel ready to absorb that knowledge. If you have a vision then conceivably you have some idea on how to get there. When you have a concern relating to your specific goals (eg. how do we build a studio desk that keeps noise to a minimum?) become informed about that particular point. You will retain the knowledge more easily and will not waste valuable time. The more time you waste the more likely you are to become old and jaded. Seize the day and be efficient.
5. Believe in what you are doing 150% but always be prepared to take advice from people. Dont listen to people who try to discourage you. They have no idea what they are talking about. Prove them wrong. Fight to make your vision come true.
6. These 5 points can help you get where you want to go without getting bogged down. The energy you have inside is all you need to follow to make it. Forget the books until you know you need to get more in depth knowledge in a specific subject. There are lots of theories about testing your market before embarking on your adventure, but I think that as you go you will understand your market and be able to adjust your business model and goals to find your niche. And if it doesn?t work out? Then give me a call and I will tell you which of the five points you failed to follow!

So in the words of one William Wallace: “Will ya fight?”

David Loris
davideloris@yahoo.it

This entry was posted by Will Dayble on Monday, August 28th, 2006 at 10:34 pm and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.