[TriLUG] Starting / Running a business???

Ryan Leathers ryan.leathers at globalknowledge.com
Tue Oct 14 10:52:30 EDT 2003


I have started 2 businesses and was self employed for 4 years.
#1 Secure Internet Access, content filtering and Proxying - Sold this
#2 Broadband technologies consulting - Eventually took it in the shorts

I suppose by any business standard I've been a failure, but I wouldn't
trade the experience for anything.  I'll give it another go someday, but
for now I'm licking my wounds and working for somebody else. 

Lesson learned: business partners don't always deliver.  If you allow
key parts of your business model to depend on partners then you had
better be able to scramble when they drop the ball.

On Tue, 2003-10-14 at 10:21, Mike Mueller wrote:
> On Monday 13 October 2003 22:35, Phillip Rhodes wrote:
> > Right now, I have reason to believe that the company I'm currently
> > working for, might not be around much longer.  In the process of
> > deciding what
> > to do next, I find myself thinking more and more about trying to start
> > my own business.  So, if any of you guys or gals have been through that
> > before,
> > and are willing to spend some time discussing things, I'd REALLY like to
> > sit down and talk with you (maybe over lunch? Crazy Fire anybody?)
> 
> Don't do it. You're nuts.  So many people fail, why would you succeed?  It's 
> already been tried.  Now is not the time - wait for the economy to improve.  
> You'll need a lot more money.  I'm not any different from anyone else, why 
> would anyone hire me (or my product).  It takes so much time.  That's a 
> stupid idea.  There's so many businesses out there already.
> 
> If any of the above causes you stop in your tracks then don't start your own 
> business.
> 
> You'll need to distance yourself from old biased negative influences and seek 
> out new un-biased negative influences (often known as clients or customers).
> 
> You'll have to embrace marketing and selling - the very stuff technicals 
> loathe.  Consider getting a part-time job where you sell something - anything 
> - face-to-face with the customer.  Selling is selling.
> 
> I'd like to join you and others for lunch anywhere in the Triangle to give 
> whatever encouragement I can to your folly.
> -- 
> Mike Mueller
> 324881 (08/20/2003)
> Make clockwise circles with your right foot. 
> Now use your right hand to draw the number "6" in the air.
-- 
Ryan Leathers <ryan.leathers at globalknowledge.com>
Global Knowledge
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