Justin BellerEntrepreneur, Marketing & Training Pro
Bio

I'm the owner of Window Genie of Boise as well as a specialist in internet marketing, content management, and training & development serving businesses in a variety of industries. I grew up in a family of small business owners to become one myself. Along the way, I gained a lot of experience while working with such well known companies such as Albertsons and Hewlett-Packard.


Recent Answers


Of course it's alright. Be sure to read "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. I think after you read that book you'll be able to validate your own intuition, back up your thinking with logic and common sense, and know that "going with your gut" isn't necessarily a bad thing.


Here's what I've noticed, not only in myself, but in others:

1.) Not knowing their strengths and weaknesses and how they relate to their business. Play to your strengths. In the areas where you are weak, delegate or outsource.

2.) Don't give up. Perseverance will be your greatest asset.

3.) Have a clear mind. Learn how to meditate. 5-10 minutes of silence will do wonders.

4.) Learn to adapt and be flexible.

5.) Validate the business before going all in. Like another person who answered earlier, don't "play business" and get a website, business cards, etc. Bootstrap the business for as long as possible to find out if it is something people want and if it will be profitable.

Everyday is challenge, but you can't win if you don't get in the game.


Fully pursuing a business idea doesn't necessarily mean you have to go "all in". Depending on what this business idea is, it doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition. This is where scaling your business comes in. You already know it is validated and people want it. Service THOSE people for a time. Make it easy for them to be advocates for you and your product/service. As the business grows, and if you have a way to hire more people to build and provide the product or service, you should quickly be able to get an idea when you should go "all in." Most of all, build systems to support the business and document processes and procedures. This way you can quickly bring new employees and customers on board without skipping a beat.

Call me to talk more about this. I'd love to learn more about your business idea.


When I started by business off of a franchise model, I had the same questions. At the very least I would make sure you have a general liability policy. There are probably not a lot of risks involved with your business, but if somebody trips and falls getting in or out of your air conditioned van and gets injured, they may expect you to pay their medical bills. It's good to be covered for this.

You can shop around for a good rate from any number of reputable insurance companies. Just search for "business liability insurance" in your city. Above all, talk to an attorney. It will be worth the time and money in the long run. If you know your business idea is validated and will work, if you are going to the lengths of creating a business plan and marketing plan, then you should be talking to an attorney. At the very most you'll probably be paying for an hour or two of their time at the most.


You may be surprised to find that Baby Boomers and Senior Citizens are fairly active in online communities and social media because this is how they stay connected to family and friends. I wouldn't ignore it entirely.

Two things I would do: First, If your online business lends itself to creating content of some kind that is educational, look to content marketing. Create a blog and write content that answers questions your target audience wants answered. Share that content on social media. Facebook and YouTube are great places. You've probably heard that younger people are turning away from places like Facebook because that's where their parents and grandparents hang out online. Well, there you go. That's where your audience is. Become an authority in your space. Your audience wants to know they can trust you if they decide to part with their money and spend it with you.

Second, and this is for offline marketing because it shouldn't be overlooked, look to your local area and find associations or organizations that cater to your target audience. Many of these organizations host meetings or group outings. Could you perhaps take your same educational content and present it to these people in person? Start small and you'll be surprised that word will get around about your product or service if you do a good job presenting it and demonstrating its value.

I know my answer is somewhat ambiguous because I don't know much about what you are selling or your online platform, but look to content marketing. If you can skillfully craft your pitch in an educational format, your audience will likely respond accordingly.


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