THE DREAM IN ACTION

Image by Strife81 via FlickrHAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!

I went through some of my oldest blog posts this morning and found one to be particularly appropriate. In a time of leaning business practices and tight funding opportunities it is even more important to focus on businesses that will generate revenue! Sometimes this requires us to put aside ideas that need 1M views and a fancy advertising strategy to be profitable and remember the brick and mortar style businesses of days past. The question is, does a startup have to be sexy?

07.27 2007

Does it have to be sexy?

I was reading an article in Fortune Small Business magazine and I started to question the Web 2.o draw. The article was, “Old Dogs, New Tricks – How smart entrepreneurs find innovation and profit in sleepy industries. (May 2007)” Why is it that so many of us 20 somethings immediately think web start-up when we hear or think about being an entrepreneur? Why does it have to be some sexy idea that nobody has ever thought of? Why does it have to change the world? The article featured a man who bought up tired, less than successful radio stations in small markets, and another who ran a airport parking service. Sure, it’s been done before BUT that doesn’t mean that you can’t run a very profitable company that is equally as fulfilling that isn’t called Google or Yoono or del.icio.us or Ooxma. What about Jeff’s Dry Cleaners or Rich’s Rugs or Uptown Mattress Shop? The main thing is that you like what you are getting into, that you are passionate about the business your starting. If you are a software developer or a computer science major, get after it, make up a crazy name and make millions by selling one square inch of advertising space, show Zuckerberg who’s boss! But just because you’re young, smart, motivated and starting a business doesn’t mean it has to be cutting edge and innovative. After all we all, don’t we all need a mattress?