Council Post: How To Embrace Disruption As A New Or Serial Entrepreneur

Award-Winning Entrepreneur, TEDx Speaker, Media Maven & Founder at Inception Automotive Inc.

Starting your own business is difficult. You can have the perfect strategy, adequate financing, a great product to sell and experienced business partners, and you can still fail. One of the biggest hurdles all new businesses face is finding their “position” in the marketplace. Your targeted consumers already have relationships with various businesses in the community. So, how does a new business get some of that love and attention? My answer is being disruptive. 

If you’ve enjoyed my other articles, you’ll remember that I believe meaningful change takes significant time and effort to accomplish. Any new entrepreneurial endeavor will take time, so be patient. However, I also encourage serial entrepreneurs to be disruptors. Move and shake the industry to create some space for your business in the marketplace. Here are a few ways that I embraced disruption, and chances are these methods can work for you, too.

Partner with other industry disruptors.

The automotive industry has always been dominated by fossil fuels. However, times are changing, and the industry is slowly adapting and accepting new forms of fuel. There’s no bigger disruptor to the auto industry right now than Elon Musk, so naturally, I connected with Tesla Motors. In my region, I was one of the first businesses that offered destination charging, a sought-after and relatively new feature of the Tesla brand. This shook things up in my community and garnered lots of attention from new customers.

Look at your industry, and think about the companies already shaking things up. Connect with them, and let them know who you are and how you plan to shake things up, too. You might not be able to connect exactly how you want, but be open-minded, and listen to any advice they offer.

Learn what customers want, and give it to them.

This sounds deceptively simple, but it can be difficult when you are starting out. As my company grew and added services to its infrastructure, I noticed that many consumers wanted a particular brand of paint protection film and window tinting. I learned more about these products and was delighted to find that this brand had a certified installer program. Traveling to its headquarters and taking its course material when I did was a risk for my small business, but it paid off in the long term. I proudly display my “authorized installer” certification plaque in my workshop and encourage other small businesses to consider taking some accreditation or educational courses to help them shake things up and give customers what they want.

Be an ultra-transparent and helpful business.

Many customers are fearful of salespeople who sell lies and bad promises. That feeling may be present for your business simply because you are the new kid on the block. Overcome this concern by providing large amounts of useful information and thinking out the whole interaction with your customers. Take a moment to think about the kinds of questions your customers might have about the products or services they just purchased. Perhaps a frequently asked questions or after-care document can be created for your customers. If customers deem you helpful, they will easily choose you again.

Plan for the future of your industry.

This one is tricky because no one can forecast the future with certainty. But you can watch your industry and make predictions based on industry trends. It can be helpful to look at parallel industries to better “see” the whole landscape, too. For example, in the 10 years that I have detailed cars, I have noticed that vehicles are coming out with larger and more prominent touch screens. So, when one of my preferred paint protective film products introduced an antimicrobial version, it was a no-brainer to bring that into my shop. As vehicles continue to change and increase tech features, I want to be poised and ready to accommodate requests surrounding them. How have you been planning for the future? 

So, do you have what it takes to be a mover and shaker? It might seem scary at first, but remember that fortune favors the bold. And consider this: If you’ve started your own business, you’re already braver than most, so start disrupting now. Partner with other disruptors, and learn how they impact the industry. Learn what your customers want most, and give it to them by any means necessary. Be ultra-transparent and helpful to overcome any fears consumers may have about you. Lastly, plan for the future of your industry, and be ready to attack. 

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