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22 • The 100 Greatest Ideas for Building the Business of Your Dreams

Idea 11- Describe and compare the keypeople

If you are going to build a business, you will almost certainly have to attract some
key people who will help you go for the dream. Make sure you have agreed their role
and their responsibilities. Check that their experience is entirely relevant to that role
and examine their network. Every person who joins you should bring their own
contacts and business network that will help you in expanding sales. Write that
down along with their qualifications and skills. If you do this for everyone including
yourself, you will have a concise record of the starting point of the skills in the
business. Their current salary will be a starting point for the costing exercise to
come later.

Idea 12- Reach your market realistically

Most small businesses get started by the owner speaking to the first customer, then
the second customer and so on. But at some point, depending on the industry you
are in, you may have to spend money on promotions, advertising mailshots, etc. It is
a good idea to be wary of the company brochure. If you are cold calling prospects on
the telephone for instance, you will frequently be asked to 'send the brochure'. In
my experience nothing comes of this, and it is better to continue the conversation by
explaining that a general brochure is not helpful, since all your sales start from un-
derstanding the needs of your customers. Ask them if you can come and see them to
discuss it, at which point you will be able to send a letter tailored to their require-
ments rather than a catch-all brochure.

This approach is a good sieve. If the person agrees to see you, you are making
progress, if they do not, then their request for a brochure was simply a polite way of
ending the telephone call. It is, of course, a faith position; but I do not believe in
company brochures, they are no substitute for selling a particular item to a particu-
lar customer.