Small, dynamic companies develop radically different organization culture than big enterprises, often locked up in their stiff procedures and forgetting that „Because we always do it that way” is a very, very bad answer.
Obviously, big company cannot allow itself for operating in start-up style, but still it should draw inspirations from beginners and come back to its own early days. Such refreshing gaze helps remind of the primary aim that created the company.
For all of you who feel a little bit unlocked in corporation procedures, we prepare a list of 6 things one can learn from most promising start-ups.
1. Find a product that nobody sells online and … start selling it online
People won’t buy it! People want to smell, feel, sit on, touch… Many products were surrounded with such myths before they didn’t prove a successful sale on the web.
For example Casper, selling mattresses. Mattresses seemed like an unattractive and big product, to which people don’t pay much attention and buy without excitement.
But Casper created a unique project, combining high quality product with all the benefits of e-commerce and social shopping. And all that with nice life-style framing and visually appalling website.
Also Farmigo works that way: it’s an online platform for farmers connecting producers and audience. Thanks to it consumers know more about origins of their food and farmers have more opportunities.
So if you hear “It’s not for internet”, it means that you’re on the right track.
2. Have a mission
Remember that start-up doesn’t involve designing fancy apps or sophisticated software exclusively. BioLite provides new energy distribution solution – namely, cheap portables stoves. Even as much as half of the planet cooks meals on the open fire, what leads to 4 million deaths per year.
They are not alone in their efforts to make world a better place. Eden Full, about whom we wrote in our post about world’s youngest entrepreneurs, also wants to deliver cheaper energy to the poor. Also the way we think about charity changes, involving it in business process, not separating from it. Blake Mycoskie’s TOMS works on such basis (for each pair of shoes bought, the company sends one to South America) or Man Can (candles in stylish soup cans – and the content goes to soup kitchen before the candle is produced).
You can do what heart tells you and still earn money.
3. Give user control to protect what matters
There are things about which we care more, because their value exceeds financial one. For examples our homes: we want them to be safe not only because economic reasons, but also our peace of mind and many others emotional issues.
Hence the huge popularity of home security systems, like Canary: thanks to camera and sensors it can monitor every movement and change of temperature or lighting in the house. All that data is transferred to user’s smartphone, empowering him with sense of control and safety.
4. People want to buy differently!
There are product we use on everyday basis, so when we run out of them, we are extremely frustrated. There is nothing exciting about doing regular basis of, let’s say, paper towels. Wouldn’t it be nice if they magically founded themselves in our kitchen?
Some companies saw a business opportunity here. Petflow delivers you month supply of your pet’s food, and Dollar Shave Club does the same with razors. All on the price and quality terms you yourself choose.
5. Let amateurs be professionals
Huge market for wearables and trackers to monitor sports activity, allowing dilettantes to feel like members of Olympic squad, it’s one thing. The other are tools like Game Changers, created for amateur sports team. The app integrates little players with themselves and with coaches and parents. It registers scores, progress and enables sharing stores and thoughts.
Thanks to that players are more motivated and their families can be more engaged in the process.
6. Remember about the pleasure of doing things on your own
Self-made food tastes better, and joy from cooking might top the joy of eating. Cooking can become a wonderful way to spend time with others and reshape your meeting =s with friends.
For admirers of such pastime, Plated prepared a new service: they deliver a recipe and ingredients at your doorstep. You don’t have to visit many shops or carry heavy shopping bags. It’s as if they gave you a Lego bricks set with an instruction. Pure fun!
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Most interesting start-ups of 2015
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