Bus 210 Wk 6: Building Your Brand

 

This week we read "In Praise of the Purple Cow" by Seth Godin. It made sense. He gives a list of 10 things to do in order to find success in your entrepreneurial journey.

1. Differentiate your customers.
2. Seek the underserved niche
3. Create two teams: the inventors and the milkers
4. Get email addresses of 20% of your customer base
5. Try the unsafe things (whether big or small!)
6. Explore the limits
7. Think small - dominate that market
8. Do what's "just not done" in your industry
9. Ask "why not?"
10. Tell the truth in your company and to your customers
These were all interesting ways to remember to "be remarkable!"

Guy Kawasaki also recommended that you niche yourself. It gives you marketability. It pays to know yourself, know what you can do, and then do that thing. He also encourages entrepreneurs to achieve likability by improving your smile, knowing how to dress for various encounters, and having a great handshake. All things that, I'm sure, will come in handy once I am interacting with customers and others in my industry.

My $100 challenge is coming along fine. I created my 30-second pitch for Mom's Original (by the way, I decided to name the business Mom's Original*). I am waiting on feedback from classmates before I rework my pitch and record the final version to submit. I also found the containers that I want to use for the salsa. There is an 8 oz and 16 oz container, which work out to be about $.23 and $.38 each. These prices fit into my cost estimation. They come in packs of 48 containers/lids. I am still deciding whether I should offer the two different sizes or stay with just the one. I might do a bit of social media research again before deciding. Otherwise, I am looking forward to getting started.

*I chose the name Mom's Original because:
    1. I am using my Mom's recipe, and
    2. It allows me to add products in the future that fall into that niche.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bus210 Wk 11: Franchising

Image
I was able to complete my franchising and entrepreneur papers this week. It has been beneficial to talk with others who have gone down these paths already. There is a lot for me to learn. I think that franchising sounds appealing because of the business systems already in place. But, after a lot of consideration, I believe that a start-up is more aligned with my goals. We studied Steve Jobs. I have not followed his life but know the name. It was interesting to hear his take on business. He dropped out of college because he felt he was wasting his parents money. He seemed to know himself better than most young people. Unfortunately, I think many people use his example to drop out of college, choosing that point to follow. Instead, they should be looking at his "why's." He had passion, natural talents, and a work ethic that allowed him to find success without the formal education first. These strengths allowed him to suffer the downfalls of failure and disappointment as wel...
Read more

Wk 14: Celebrate Your Life!

Image
 I am almost finished! This course has been a great learning experience for me as I consider a future as an entrepreneur. Spring break can't come soon enough!  As I look back on all that has been taught, I would wrap it all up like this: Life is work. Work is hard. If at all possible, build a career around those things that bring you joy and allow you to grow into the person you are striving to be. Your life's work should represent all those things that you hold dear. It's impossible to know what the end will look like exactly but you probably have a pretty good idea of what you want it to be. All of your preparation, whether it is a formal education, working your way up through a company, or gaining skills in the millions of ways that are out there, will lay the foundation for achieving your dreams. Each stone, each step, each decision, is worth it when it brings you closer to your goals.  Shoot for the stars and then  take the time to build the type of rocket that ...
Read more

Wk 9: Disciple Leadership

Image
  This week's study focused on becoming a disciple leader. Elder Bednar gave a talk in a BYU-Idaho devotional,  Brigham Young University –Idaho:  A Disciple Preparation Center (DPC). His message reiterated the blessings that come from being able to attend a school where faith is paramount and students are being prepared for a Christ-centered life. He defines a disciple as "one who follows or attends upon another for the express purpose of learning." We are each in the process of becoming closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and understanding how we can best live a deliberate, righteous life. Gaining a formal education at this particular school is a great blessing to my life. I am able to combine academics, professional studies, and my faith in every class. I know that I will not only be better prepared for my chosen career, but my career will be an avenue of service as well. The Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence has provided many of the lessons in this curric...
Read more