I’m sharing this story to help everyone with great ideas understand taking a product from the mind to the marketplace isn’t easy, and it’s fraught with peril. There are many scammers out there waiting to play on your inexperience and enthusiasm often costing you a significant amount of money and leaving you with nothing in return.
Whether it’s your relationship with family, friends, co-workers, employees, customers, suppliers, competitors, teachers, advisors, etc. — every interaction affects your life in some way. And the value of relationships can’t be ignored, particularly when it comes to building your business.
Can you believe this is Thanksgiving week? Thanksgiving traditionally marks the official beginning of the holiday season and I’m excited. I have already hauled all the boxes up from my basement to begin the decorating process. In my home the holidays are much more than a couple strands of lights, a sprinkling of garland, and a tree—it’s a seasonal event filled with family and friends.
One of the biggest mistakes new business owners often make is not charging enough for their services. Sometimes it’s because they don’t understand their cost structure, and sometimes it’s because they are so desperate for the business that they’re afraid to charge more. Regardless of the reason, charging too little is not a good idea. It will not bring you more business and it may actually drive business away.
Many people are surprised to learn that I hate to shop. it’s true. I’m not one of those women who takes pleasure spending a Saturday afternoon at the mall. But I am an online shopping junkie, and I do nearly all my holiday shopping via the Internet. And I’m not alone. Online holiday sales for 2012 are forecast to grow 12 percent over last holiday season to approximately $96 billion.