10 tips for Titel starting tekst entrepreneurs So youBeschrijving want to slide build your own business?

Barcamp Ghent 2 - 30/11/2008

Hi, my name is Bart.

I work at webagency Netlash.

... and at a few other companies:

You can nd me here: www.ondernemeringent.be www.netlash.com www.metatale.eu www.tagger.fm www.kopjekofe.be www.planetgadget.be

(Yes, thats a lot of wwws)

Starting your own business 10 tips from my personal experience

Listen carefully...

* personal experience *

It might not apply to you.

Or your business.

My 10 tips

10
1. Your new best friend 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Your accountant

1. Your new best friend

Your accountant
Choose him carefully Make sure his ofce is within a 15 minute drive Do not go for the cheapest!

1. Your new best friend

Your accountant
And whatever you do...

1. Your new best friend

Your accountant
And whatever you do... Do NOT take a friend or a member of your family as your accountant.

1. Your new best friend

Your accountant
And whatever you do... Do NOT take a friend or a member of your family as your accountant. ... Just dont.

1. Your new best friend

By extension
Find yourself a good bank manager, and join that bank. The personal relationship with the bank manager is far more important than the brand of bank.

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Watch your cash-ow

2. Show me the money

Watch your cash-ow

No matter how protable you are, if you run out of cash, its

2. Show me the money

Watch your cash-ow

No matter how protable you are, if you run out of cash, its GAME OVER

2. Show me the money

Billing
Send out your bills asap Follow them up for payment Be rm but friendly! Ask advances

2. Show me the money

Oh, and should I mention: You HAVE to have a business model.

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. Be a Mensch 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

3. Be a Mensch

Mensch
Mensch (Yiddish: mentsh) means "a person of integrity and honor"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensch

Build your rolodex

3. Be a Mensch

Networking
Dont network to build business The network of your network is far more important! Pay it forward

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. Be a Mensch 4. Be easy to work with 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Availability

4. Be easy to work with

Availability
Answer your phone, answer your e-mail Reply to RFPs within the hour! Be reliable, make good on your promises Communicate often and clearly

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. Be a Mensch 4. Be easy to work with 5. Build alliances 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Cooperation

5. Build alliances

Cooperation
More value-creation through cooperation Share your ideas Be open

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. Be a Mensch 4. Be easy to work with 5. Build alliances 6. Get a sparring partner 7. 8. 9. 10.

Sparring partner

6. Get a sparring partner

Get a partner
Its very hard to build a bigger business on your own Find an opposite Its like cycling...

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. Be a Mensch 4. Be easy to work with 5. Build alliances 6. Get a sparring partner 7. Find your niche 8. 9. 10.

Say No!

7. Find your niche

Niche
Create your own niche, and dominate it Blue Ocean Its ok to say No - sometimes it can win you clients! Focus

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. Be a Mensch 4. Be easy to work with 5. Build alliances 6. Get a sparring partner 7. Find your niche 8. Set your goals 9. 10.

Dont steer - look

8. Set your goals

Launch your torpedo

Know what you want to be: consultant, entrepreneur or manager Dene the numbers

8. Set your goals

SMART
Specic Measurable Achievable Relevant Time Framed

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. Be a Mensch 4. Be easy to work with 5. Build alliances 6. Get a sparring partner 7. Find your niche 8. Set your goals 9. Cherish your talents 10.

Precious diamonds

9. Cherish your talents

Diamonds
Hire people that are smarter than you Hire for diversity Even the biggest diamond has to be cut - push them! Balance your 3P: People - Prot - Planet

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. Be a Mensch 4. Be easy to work with 5. Build alliances 6. Get a sparring partner 7. Find your niche 8. Set your goals 9. Cherish your talents 10. Follow your passion

You can not outsource passion.

Outsource passion?

You can not outsource passion.

(Some people might not agree. Like pimps. And advertising agencies.)

10. Follow your passion

Passion
There can only be 1 real drive for entrepreneurship: passion.

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. Be a Mensch 4. Be easy to work with 5. Build alliances 6. Get a sparring partner 7. Find your niche 8. Set your goals 9. Cherish your talents 10. Follow your passion

11. Free extra tip

Your home base

11. Free extra tip

Your home base

An entrepreneur can only be succesful if his partner supports his plans.
(I can only thank Gudrun, Wolf & Kobe that they do, and love them for it.)

10
1. Your new best friend 2. Show me the money 3. Be a Mensch 4. Be easy to work with 5. Build alliances 6. Get a sparring partner 7. Find your niche 8. Set your goals 9. Cherish your talents 10. Follow your passion

Start your own business!

Start your own business! Its a rollercoaster, but a fun one.

And remember...

Dont give up.

Theres only one difference between an amateur and a professional. The professional is an amateur that did not give up.

Questions?

Bart de Waele bart@netlash.com

www.netlash.com www.ondernemeringent.be

Barcamp Ghent 2 - 30/11/2008