#pandemic #entrepreneurship #recruitment
I had worked in a multinational which gave me all my "how-to" knowledge.
I had worked in a small team that worked night and day on unrealistic time frames, which gave me the endurance I needed.
I had worked at my family business, which gave me the creativity and problem-solving skills every entrepreneur needs.
I was great at what I did, and I even found pleasure in building and developing High-Performance Teams. But nothing prepared me for launching my own business, much less during a pandemic.
What were the biggest challenges?
Face to Face versus Online Sales:
I am an old-school kind of sales guy. You want me to sell you anything, the first thing I used to train my team to do, was "mirroring." Engage the consumer with their own body language, to let them know you are trustworthy and you won't rip them off.
Boy, Did I have a learning curve?!
I had approached hundreds of companies online and received even more rejections than I had anticipated.
I learned that for a successful hybrid business model, I needed to capitalize on my loyal clients and ask them to pledge that I have value to add and quality services. (That helped, but it wasn't enough).
Not everyone plays well with others:
There will always be competition in every business you launch, and they have spent years trying to build brand loyalty and the image that they are the market's greatest.
How do you compete?
Never mention their name
When asked about competition, as counterproductive as it may seem, always speak highly of them. (sportsmanship goes a long way, especially in ruthless industries).
Truly Identify who your competition is. If you specialize in something specific, then you may find yourself with very little or no competition. (niche approach works best in saturated markets).
Never compare yourself to anyone. Your business is a mirror image of your quality, your values, your strengths, and your results. (They do not and will never express who your competition is).