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The Top Five Things I Wish I Had Known as a Young Entrepreneur

(from HeWhoEnters.PBWorks.com)

Kim Brand

kim@KimBrand.com

www.FileEngine.com

www.ComputerExpertsIndy.com

Presented at an occassional meeting of the IceMen Club, April 16th, 2009

1. Nobody reads
2. Spreadsheets are just fantasies that appear real.
3. You will be doing this for a long time - get the basics right: HR, CRM, People, Accounting, Legal, IP)
4. Cost of Sales will be much higher than you imagine (Changing minds costs more than you think.)
5. It will be much harder than you think.

More I thought of later...

You'll have to fire your friends - or wish they would leave.

The Top Five is the new Top 10 Because nobody reads.

Keep salesmen on a very short leash

Your website is your company 

Steve Jobs is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in American history.  But it wasn't easy for him either.  In fact, this article concludes that if he hadn't gotten 'fired' from Apply and struggled with an unsuccessful alternative venture for 12 years, he wouldn't have been able to drive Apple to the ultimate success he achieved later.  Proving my point: Life *is* non linear.

Why your message needs to be short . . . very short:

1. They say "You can't tell a book by its cover."  Why is that advice necessary?  Because people make snap judgments about a book by its cover.  And they do the same thing about you

2. Why are there headlines?  Because that may be all they read