Page 121 - The $100 Startup_ Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love

Here’s how it’s going. Something always goes wrong in every launch. Here’s a

chance to address or correct it, along with updating everyone on how things are
going. During this time, it’s also important to share stories of happy customers
who have purchased already. The message is, “Look at all these people who are
already benefiting from our product.”

The clock’s a-ticking. Right before the offer goes off the market, or before you
remove the bonuses, or before the price goes up, here’s where you make one
final push. The message is, “It’s almost over. Here’s your last chance before you
lose out.”

“I’d like to thank my mother for believing in me.” Any good launch has a
closing period in which you bring the roller coaster to a stop, even if the offer
will still be available in a different form. The message is, “It’s all over now.
Thanks, everyone. Here’s what’s coming next.”

Disaster and Recovery:

“HORDE OF NEW CUSTOMERS” EDITION

Like the problem of having too much money, having too many customers is
usually a good problem to have—but it can still be a tough scramble if the
customers all arrive at once and a key supplier isn’t ready. Here’s what David
Wachtendonk, the founder of a party planning business in Chicago, learned when
he received two thousand more customers than expected for a promotion.
In June 2010 our company participated in a Groupon. We did some research,
and it appeared this could be a good avenue for our company to get some
exposure for a new concept we wanted to launch in Chicago. After some
discussion with the Groupon guys, we agreed it would be a match made in
heaven. Our last remaining task was to find a venue that could support the deal.
After some initial opportunities fell through, we found a new restaurant that
agreed to work with us.

The day the deal went live, we had no idea what was about to happen. Our
Groupon rep estimated we would sell about 1,000 to 1,500 units … but 3,300
units later, the day ended. We thought we had systems in place to deal with
growth, but unfortunately we became overwhelmed. The phone was off the hook
and emails poured in, which we fielded to the best of our ability. Most of the
customers were fairly understanding as we were a small business, but not
everyone was nice about it.

We found out after the deal had launched that the restaurant was in the middle
of rebranding to a sports bar, which is not the ideal situation for a dinner