With so many successful stories of start-ups, it is natural to get inspired and want to launch your own brand.
If you’re not very sure yet, are in a ‘safe’ job, but still want to start something of your own, there’s some real advice and tips from two people who went through the same ifs, and are now the proud co-owners of their very own brand.
Shaji Thomas and Taranjeet Singh, the co-founders of Aqua Twist Herbal Water, have seen the safety of the corporate world and finally took the plunge into starting something of their own. Here are a few tips you could use from their experience.
1. The Challenges Will Never Stop, So Be Ready For It
Both Shaji and Taranjeet feel that you can never be ‘prepared’ enough and there will always be the need to constantly improvise and find better solutions. This will help you to face and manage the challenges better. The problems will never really go away, so you have to be prepared and stay positive about it. It will also keep you excited and motivated.
2. Be Ready To Face Problems And Be Ready With Possible Solutions Too
Do enough research to know about the potential problems you might have. It will also give you time to come up with possible solutions. The founders of Aqua Twist Herbal Water did a fair amount of research to understand all the problems they could face. Being the first in this category was a challenge in itself. Other challenges such as raising funds for development and manufacture, releasing the product in the market and such were those they had already prepared themselves for.
3. Develop Your Knowledge About Competitors
Shaji and Taranjeet feel that it is very important to understand the competition that you have from similar products. You should also make note of what your competitors could have done better. This will let you bring on board the right type of talent that can help you build the brand.
4. Interact, Network And Never Shy Away From Seeking Advice
Networking can be critical for your brand, voice Shaji and Taranjeet. Sometimes, very good brands or start-ups fizzle out due to a lack of networking. We cannot emphasize on the importance of networking. We always actively seek guidance, they add.
5. Be Patient, As Good Things Take Time
If you’re thinking of coming up with your own brand, run the company as lean as possible and be patient, the founders suggest. Something that is worth doing may take a while, so wait out the challenges and wait for the good time to come. It is of course hard, and when you think it can’t get any worse it will get even worse.
This is the test that will determine whether you can build your own brand or not
“There will be times when you’ll think about finally throwing in the towel and saying “I can’t do this anymore.” That’s the test that all founders are eventually faced with – when things get too hard, you decide to stay or you decide to quit. Before you decide, look at all those great, successful businesses that inspired you to start your own. They stayed.”
Read Also: 7 Founders Who Were Fired From Their Own Company
