Ideas and creativity
1) Ideas and creativity are what drives a business forwards, always support ideas and creativity within your company but keep dogged focus on what ideas are really priority and be ruthless about removing the ‘nice to haves'.
2) Don't lose a spark of an idea, no matter how far fetched it may seem at the time. Quickly record things that come to mind, and as a company keep them all in one central place so you can review regularly and sort by priority.
3) Never set boundaries and stop generating new ideas.
Starting up
1) Its hard work and then its hard work again. The best journey you will ever go on.
2) Don't be afraid to make changes. It's sometimes hard to do this, if you have spent along time down one road but failure to be flexible when there's a problem can be a real risk. What often starts out as a good idea may one day take you somewhere completely unexpected, and even then it may change again.
3) Be honest with yourself, are you a start up kid or an everyday business person? Can you cut it?
4) Keep it simple, and take a step back from time to time to remind yourself what it is your trying to achieve and if your achieving it in your current activity.
You don't need to spend lots of money on marketing in the beginning, but you do need to look professional
1) Get the best people. Always stand by your teams and never wash laundry in public. Your staff will make you look good and never as a leader take the credit.
2) Just because you are co-founder of the company, doesn't mean you will always know more. Seek out people more experienced than you that can fill gaps you can't cover. Be open to advice and seek guidance from everyone you meet.
3) When you’re in a start-up people often work in isolation often from home. If there's more than one of you make sure you have regular meet ups over a coffee or a drink to make sure that your all on the same page and offer support to each other.
4) Everyone you meet can be a doorway to new opportunity. Always be passionate and talk about what you do, so your contacts can spread the good word for you. You never know whom they'll meet.
5) Work with people you like and respect, who are better than you and have complementary skills.
7) The best businesses have a massive team ethic and diversity in your talent pool bears the best results.
Marketing and advertising
1) You don't need to spend lots of money on marketing in the beginning, but you do need to look professional. If you use a graphic designer ask them to provide you with editable versions of everything you will use, so you can make changes to collateral yourself when needed.
2) Email Marketing. This is a great low-cost way of marketing if carried out properly. To improve your email marketing, take note of every good email you receive personally and file the ones you like. Going to this file when in need of inspiration can help you to understand how to improve your own.
3 )The best advertising is simple and re-enforces the brands credentials.
Social media
1) Twitter is a great free tool to spread your message to an interested audience, network with peers and industry contacts, receive feedback from customers and potential clients and learn about best marketing practices. BUT whatever you do don't use it as an advertising channel, Twitter is about having conversations - that involves talking and listening.
2) Encourage everyone in your start up to have his or her own company Twitter account. Allow them to be ambassadors of the company, just be clear on what information is sensitive and what information is free to discuss and promote.
For more information please visit www.drinksin.com [1]