some insights on startups - a founders journey

Some insights on startups a founders journey"

Roger Basler!November 24th, 2014!

www.unternehmens-architekt.ch! 1!

Roger Basler"

Unternehmens-Architekt"Betriebsökonom FH!@rogerbasler!!Co-Founder and CEO of PLV Fashion AG!Country Manager Switzerland of whatchado GmbH !CEO and Founder of the Swiss e-Commerce Academy"CEO and Founder of Gustav&Paul Digital Marketing"CEO and Founder of Analytics Agentur Switzerland!!What I do for a living? As an Unternehmens-Architekt I am invested or leading several ventures within Switzerland and Austria. I manage the founding, business development and startup stage of these projects and companies on my own account.!

www.unternehmens-architekt.ch! 2!powered by www.whatchado.com"

What we will cover today"

1.  Why there is no such „startup“!2.  10 ideas and insights I gathered over 5 years!3.  Questions and answers!


Why there is not just one startup"


Many ways lead to Rome"

1.  What we all dream of: Lifestyle Startup!2.  What we all start with: Small Business Startup!3.  What some of us aim for: Scalable Startup!4.  What happens in Tech: Buyable Startup!5.  What others do: !Social Startup!6.  What others do as well: Mompreneurs!


The Lifestyle Startup"


The Lifestyle Startup"

•  Build a sustainable revenue stream that is systemized to operate on its own!

•  Work hard, but aim to minimize hours worked!

•  Profitable from the very beginning!

•  Have a network of clients / friends that pay for!


The Small Business Startup"


The Small Business Startup"

•  Setup to feed your family (or yourself)!

•  Maybe already is a family business less than 5

people working in it in a local market area!

•  No need to grow fast and big!


Scalable Startup"


Scalable Startup"

•  Common understanding in the Silicon Valley as a Startup!•  Needs Venture Capital in several rounds!•  Think Big, Bootstrap all!•  Serving a market bigger than CHF 300 Mio. annual

turnover!•  Can grow more than 100% year over year!•  Founders will mostly leave after build stage (growth will

be „managed“)!


The Buyable Startup"

The Buyable Startup"

•  Search for a disruptive idea no big company is capable of in the area of!–  Medicine!–  High Tech!–  Mobile!–  Gaming !–  App!

•  Look for alliances and good knots to the industry!

•  Get bought – get out!


Social Entrepreneurship"


Social Entrepreneurship"

•  Solve a problem for society!

•  Push social innovation and mind change!

•  Maybe not to be monetarized immediatly!

•  Have a strong and idealistic team!

•  Have a long breath (financially)!


The Mompreneur"


The Mompreneur (or Dadpreneur)"

•  Find your niche!

•  Scale your limited time (part time)!

•  Make sure you can (partly) live on it!

•  Collaborate with other mompreneurs!

•  Beauty, fashion, marketing, personal services

(daycare, dog sitting, etc)!


What is a Startup in fact?"

A Startup is a temporary organisation used to search for a repeatable, scaleable

business model.!


What if its not?"

•  It‘s an experiment!

•  It‘s a less expensive but more valuable MBA!

•  It will make you think out of the box!

•  9 out of 10 startups fail!


Back then 1998 - 2008"


Back then 1998 - 2008"


•  10 years of experience!

•  Speaking 5 languages!

•  Having a corporate credit card!

•  Having all expenses paid!

•  I can do this on my own!

Let‘s start a healthy business (2009)"


Lets close that business (2010)"


You did it once, you can do it 4 times..."


10 insights I gathered"


10 pieces of (personal) advice"


1. "

2. "

3."

4. "

5. "

6. "

7. "

8. "

9. "

10. "



1. Your best friend"

2. "

3."

4. "

5. "

6. "

7. "

8. "

9. "

10. "

1. Your new best friend"


Knows your numbers!Is within 15 min drive or a call away!Is not (!) someone from your own family!




2. Cash is King"

3."

4. "

5. "

6. "

7. "

8. "

9. "

10. "

2. CFIMITYM"


If you run out of cash, its over!Send bills and follow up!Ask for advances!




2. Cash is King"

3. Reputation"

4. "

5. "

6. "

7. "

8. "

9. "

10. "

Your reputation is all you got"


Work hard on it!Help others!Call back immediatly!




2. Cash is King"

3. Reputation"

4. Networking "

5. "

6. "

7. "

8. "

9. "

10. "

Work on your network"


Have a pitch (for your mom)!Start local – connect with industries!Pay it forward – with a kick back!




2. Cash is King"

3. Reputation"

4. Networking "

5. Be patient"

6. "

7. "

8. "

9. "

10. "

The first client is the hardest, keep it"


Say thank you!Work on referalls!




2. Cash is King"

3. Reputation"

4. Networking "

5. Be patient"

6. Have a sparring"

7. "

8. "

9. "

10. "

Find your opposite - outside"


People telling you the truth!People not afraid of not knowing your business!




2. Cash is King"

3. Reputation"

4. Networking "

5. Be patient"

6. Have a sparring"

7. Find your niche "

8. "

9. "

10. "

The world is an ocean"


Find your niche and people that pay for!You cant do everything – but you can be known for!




2. Cash is King"

3. Reputation"

4. Networking "

5. Be patient"

6. Have a sparring"


8. Say NO "

9. "

10. "

Just Say Nay"


This will help you more than you know now!




2. Cash is King"

3. Reputation"

4. Networking "

5. Be patient"

6. Have a sparring"


8. Say NO "

9. Set Goals"

10. "

If you cant measure it ..."


... You cant manage it.!Measure, learn, adjust, move on!




2. Cash is King"

3. Reputation"

4. Networking "

5. Be patient"

6. Have a sparring"


8. Say NO "

9. Set Goals"

10. Do things"

Stop thinking – start doing!"


Do that call TODAY!Yes it is that simple!




2. Cash is King"

3. Reputation"

4. Networking "

5. Be patient"

6. Have a sparring"


8. Say NO "

9. Set Goals"

10. Do things"




2. Cash is King"

3. Reputation"

4. Networking "

5. Be patient"

6. Have a sparring"


8. Say NO "

9. Set Goals"

10. Be Nice"O N E F O R F R E E"

Have a homebase"


And if all fails..."


Happy to answer any questions"

"""

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Now or later: @rogerbasler"


Seite 54!www.unternehmens-architekt.ch!

Contact"

Unternehmens-Architekt"Roger Basler!Pflanzschulstrasse 33!8400 Winterthur! !p: !+41 44 586 07 97!m: !+41 78 644 76 81!www.unternehmens-architekt.ch!!@rogerbasler!www.rogerbasler.ch! ! Thank you very much."


Find more inspiration on: "

some insights on startups - a founders journey

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social entrepreneurship

social innovation