The New Business Hype

Starting a new business is a lot like a new relationship. Everything is new and exciting with challenges around every corner, and rewards so close you can taste them. Everything either works perfectly or falls apart immediately. Or so it seems.

One of the hardest parts about a business in the startup phase, is trying to make sense out of what is real, and what is just hype. Many businesses begin with an idea and not a lot of thought for planned execution. A developed business plan can give structure to any business, but let's face it, not many people get excited about writing a business plan, and usually they don't do it at all.

The hype comes when a challenge is overcome much quicker and easier than everyone thought possible. At this point in the game, everyone gets excited and wants to contribute ideas that they thought previously were out of the question. Quickly these ideas are put into production without any thought of fitting into the business strategically.

One of my latest startup projects, Order Experts, is in this exciting phase. We are finally working in the same office, we have employees, and my partner and I are amazed at how quickly the other can accomplish a task that they are responsible for. It's this phase in a company that I crave. Its also the time when some of the biggest mistakes are made. Instead of channeling this energy into productive and meaningful projects, its usually spent on things that have a hard time translating into a product.

Businesses where two or three partners are running a company can stay on task with a few quick meetings a week. This way, all parties know what's going on, what direction they are headed, and what the other(s) is doing. My partner and I do just that with lunch meetings. We discuss topics that need privacy, and also plan out the strategy for the coming week/month/quarter.

Order Experts is quickly developing a product and a platform. Soon, we will be adding a new partner that will help develop a technology infrastructure that will revolutionize how this industry works together. Exciting? Yes! But again, this is the time where businesses are made out of ideas, and ideas are in no short supply.

-CR