Your Idea, Inc.: 12 Steps to Building a Million Dollar Business - Starting Today!

247 Pages·2009·4.98 MB·English

by  Sandy Abrams

"Ani ndispenssatbelpe- by-sgtueipd e."
-Me g CadouxH irshbg,e rcolumfnoirs t
Incm.a gazine
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foundaenrd CEoOfM oistuJraem zzI,n c.
NO MBA? NO MONEY?
NO PROBLEM.
Bur'ts Bees. ..C roc.s. .M ySpac.e. .
You'vhee adr countlseuscsc essst orioefs peoptluer nignrge at ideas into
goldA.n d you'vper obablya skedy ourse"lWfh,y c an'Itd o that?W"e ll,
youc an-thet riciksk nowinhgo w tot aket hoseg ood ideasy ou have
and builtdh emi ntgor eaptr oductsth atc ans ucceeidn t hem arketplace.
InY ourI deaI,n cy.o,u 'glelt t het welve-stpelpa n you nemeadk ety oo ur
new producotr sevricea profitarbelael iYtoyu.' llela rinm portasnkti lls
fosru ccesisn,c luding how to:
Refinyeo urI deat oa ttraac t • Creataep prorpiatber and
targeatu dience messaging
Researcyohu rp rime Buddb uzz onlainndeb eyond
competition
Work trasdheo wsa nd
Find trhieg hmta nufacturer conventions
WithS andy Abramss-uac cessefnutlr reepneuwri thn o priobru siness
experience-yaosu rg uide, yboeu 'olnl t het ractko m akingm illioinns
not ime!
SandyA bramsm ade herd reamc omet ruew hen sheh ad
a revolutioindaeraya n d turneIdt I ntoa multimillion-dollar
companyA self-tauegnhtrte prenWeiutrh ouat b usinebsasc k­
CEO
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hers ignatuprreo ducMto.i stuJraem zz MOistGulroev esA·
membero ft heI nternatiSopnaaA ls sociatiMorns,.A brams
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12S teps
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MILLION-DOLL.A R
Business-Starting
your
Today!
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foundaenrdC EOo fM oistJuarmez zI,n c.
�adamsmedia
AvonM,a ssachusetts
Copyrig©h 2t0 1b0y S andAyb rams
All rirgehstesr ved.
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forwmi thopuetr missfiroontm h ep ublisehxecre;p tiaornes
madef obrr ief exucseeridpn tp su blisrheevdi ews.
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57L ittleSfiterledAe vto,n M,A 0232U2..S .A.
www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN1 01:- 59869-909-1
ISBN1 39:7 8-1-59869-909-8
Printientd h eU niteSdt atoefAs m erica.
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LibraorfCy o ngreCsast aloging-in-DPautbal ication
isa vailafbrloetm h ep ublisher.
Thisp ublicaitsid oens ignteodp roviadcec uraatneda uthoritative information
witrhe gartdot hes ubjemcatt tecro verIetdi .ss olwdi tthh eu nderstantdhiantg
thep ublisihsne ort engiangr eedn dering aclceoguanlt,oi rno gt,h eprr ofessional
adviIcfel .e gal aodrvo itchee r expert iasrs esqiusitratenhdces,e e rviocfea cs o m­
petepnrto fessipoenraslos nh oulbdes ought.
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AmericBaanrA ssociaatnidoa Cn o mmittoefeP ublishaenrdAs s sociations
Manyo ft hed esignatuisoenbdsy m anufactuarnedsr esl lteord si stingtuhiesihr
produacrtec laimaesdt rademaWrhkesr.et hosdee signataipopnesai nrt hibso ok
andA damsM ediwaa sa waroef a trademacrlka itmh,e d esignathiaovnes been
printweidt ihn itciaapli lteatlt ers.
Thbiosio askv aialqtau balndeti istcfyoo burun pltuksr chases.
Foirn forpmlaetcaia1sol-enl8 ,0 0 -289-0963.
Thbiosio ks dedailtclha" etu endddo egtirsbon"u siness,
pepolweh doa rtebode tahtoe d dasnf dlo ltohwde riera m.
/ ,
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Acknowlgemdent.s. .......................i.x. ......
IntroducSteiiozYneo: u r LightM omBeulnbt. .........x.i. .
STEP1
Taketh eL eapt oB ecmoinga nE ntrepre.n.e.u.r. ...... ..
STEP2
BrinYgo urI detao L if.e. ..................... 1.9. ...
.
STEP3
BootstrappMiankget: h eM osto fY ourO wn Resour.c.e.s. 3 3
STEP4
UnderstaLnedg aIls su.e.s. ...................... 5.1.
.
STEP5
ManufactYuoruerI deian tao P rodu.c.t. ........... 7.3.
.
STEP6
CreatYeo urE xecutOifvfei .c.e. ...............1.0.7. .
.
STEP7
LearMna rketi1n0g.1 . ..................1.2.7. .......
STEP8
Maket heM osto fY ourM arketiEnfgf o.r.t.s. .......1.4.9.
STEP9
Finadn dS eltloB uye.r.s. ................1.6.7. ......
STEP 10
Prefpo trh eT radSeh ow. ....................1.9.3. ...
STEP1 1
MakeY ouTrr ade Show .D.eb.u.t. ..........2.1.3. ....
STEP1 2
Maintaai Lni fe BaalnandLc oeo kA head. ...........2.2 5
.
Conclus.i.o.n. ..............:.. ...... ......2.3.7. .
Ind.ex. ..........................2.3.9. ...........
acknowledgments
Thanyko ,uM eredJiatcho fboslr,e adinignt hmreei gdhitr eonc ti
andi ntrodmuect ioJn oga nBnreo wnsYtoeuih nav.be e etnh bee st
mentoBrum.to rteh atnh ayto,ut rr ufeire ndsgheinpe,r ohsoint­y,
esthyu,m oarn,de ntshiuahsamv mee anstom ucht om e.
Thanyko ,uJ oanBnreo wnsotfBe riann adntHd ochmLaint erary
AgnetsYo.u just "ghoeta rmidyt p .a"s saiYnoodnuy out ootkh e
timteob riintign tfoou csY.o uw orkaebdo vaen db eyotnhdce a ll
ofd utwyi tmhy p ropotsosa hla,pt eh ibso oikn to iwtih saM.to st
importaynotufluo yn,da p ublisIah mee rt.e rngarlalutyle .f
Thanyko uA,n drNeoar vimlylw eo,n duelref ditfoobrre, l ieving
int hibso okp'ost enatnidda ela lwiintgth h ifisr st-atuitmhweoh ro
isn oatw ritYeourrp. a tieanncdke i ndnweislnslo b te f orgtoten.
A vergyr atetfhualny ko ut oW endSy imarLda,u rDaa ly, and
LaurMealr otftooarr ganimzyit nhgo ugahntdgs i vitnhgib so ok
clarTihtayn.k tyoPo auu Mluan iaetAr d amMse diaasw elall;ol f
thseu pphoarst btereenmd eonus!
Thanyko uD,a rryn fEolyrlo euprro, s itrievioenr fcemyeenatr s
agoT.h oskei nwdo rdcso mifnrgo m sapu rcmohe anat ltoomt e
andg avmee t hceo nfidetnobc elei eIvc eo usledt eh iisnt hbeo ok­
stosro need ay.
Thanyko u ttoh eean ltlr eprwehnoei unrssp imreea dl ong the
wayI.a ma lwaaytst ratcott ehuden derdsotgos r,ti heuen likely
candidwahtobe esc ombiesg u ccesTshoesspe.e opwleer peo wer­
fuelx ampalnedrs e allym egs atvree ntgobt ehl itehvaect o uIl d do
itt oo.
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To BraoncdCk l aIyh ,o pyeo uf loloywo udrr eaamnsde ventu­
ally ale iavrindn ogis nogm ethtihnaygto ua rpea ssioanbaotuAetl .l
myl ovteoy ou!
Theb iggtehsatny ko ug oetsom yh usabndR,o nA bramYso.u r
calamn wdi snea tuhraeas l wahyesl pteobd a lamnyce en thusiasm
ande neragnyda, c tuatlulrtynh eimn ttoa ngirbelseuI lb tesn.e fit
dayif lroymo ulro vheu,m ogre,n eroasniydto yu,r asdavgieIcw ei.l l
nevferorg etthd ea iyn 1 99w5h eyno ut urnienyd o urre signtaot ion
thlea fiwr ma,n dwe t ootkh lee aopff iatthh atth i"sb usitnheisnsg "
wilblej usfitn eI.t b'ese n muscoh f un hayvoiubn ygm ys idaet
MoistjuarmezY zo.u hbaeveetn h bee spta rtenveerar n,dt hkei ds
andIa rseo happbyl easnwsdie tdyho ua roundt hteai lmlTe h!a nk
youf or belYioeukv nionhwgo .wm ucIhl ovyeo u!
Withotuhtse u ccoefsM so istjuarmez Izcn,.I w, o ulndo hta ve
hadap latffoorrm btohoiTkso. M arianad S auVla qeuro,h ayvoeu
beewni tuhs s intcheve e rbye ginnainndIgc ,a nntohta nyko u
enoufgroha lwabyesi nthge re apnrdo vfiodqriu nagla intdcy o n­
scienwtoiroYkuo.su a rtew oo ft hsew eetpeesotpR loena ndIh ave
evemre tW.e w ilall wabyes gratyeofuulrlo yfaolrt y.
Thanyko ,uM om, for moaunoraf gfiifcnoetgr e yne aarnsdf or
lettuisvn agc atwiiotnh woourtr Yyo.uw erteh ere deavwyei rtyah
smilaen,dy oua lsoofe freudsc ontinsuuopupsoa rntdl ovBee.i ng
ablteoc ounonty oum eanstom ucht ou s. aYroseuu cah blessing
nootn lfyoR ro na ndm eb,u otf c ourfsoeyr,o ugrr andktiodoWse!
alllo vyeo us om ucha ndw ilall watyrse astuhraqetu altiitmtyeh at
weh ad wyiot.uh
MiRau iwze,c anntohta ynokeu n oufgohyr o ulro vaen dge neros­
itYyo.ub ecapmaer to uofrfa mialnyd wyioalul lw abyeas b ipga rotf
oulrie vsY.o um eatnh weo rtloda lolf aunswd,e c ounlodht a vdeo ne
asw elwli thyoouutW .e lovyeo ua nd aylolu frmao ifl vye rmyu ch.
A hugaen dv ergyr atetfhua-lny koausw ellW etsotD ,e borah,
jfefrKeeyn,n eTterhr,e aen,da lolfo uprr oductteiaoImnit. s t rau e
pleastuowr oerw ki tyho uY.o usru ppaonrddte dicahtaeisno anb led
ust og roawn dt hriLvaesb.tu ,st u renlolyte atshta,ny ko uf rotmh e
bottoofmm y h eatrot eacehv eaornnydeo fo ucru stomers.
INTRODUCTION
seizyeo ulri ghbtu lbmo ment
In1 993,l eimc fyh angAe ldi.gb hutlw be notf ifnm yh eaadsI h ad
ani ncreididbeflaoae rb euatpyr oduct.
Ita ll bbeegcaanuI hs aedr ealdlr,yyc happheadn dasn dm y
grandmostuhgegre sIpt uetVd a selionnet hema ndt hewne ar
whitceo ttgolno voevse rn.iI gtwh atsab euatsye crveertfy a miliar
tot hoel dgeern aetrioIsn e.ca hrebde auty-coLnossAc nigoeulse s
andc ouolndl fiyn do net ypoefm oisturgilzoivInewtg.a sc hae ap,
thianlc lo-ttgolnot vheaf lteol f wfi thsienc oondfps u ttiiotn ngm y
hanAdg.a iann da gaiItn r,i teofd lo lomwy g randmotahdevri'cse ,
buItn eedae db egtltoeavrne dI c ouldfinn'dot n aen ywehrTeh.a t's
wheinht i mte I.c ouldbnet' htoe ny ol nwei tdhr hya ndlso okfiron g
ane asrye medy. As laa unrceMhsoeuidls tt],ua rmIez I zn,ca b. a,th
andb oydm anufacatnudwr heorl esbauliaelrrto umnyds ignature
produMcoti,s t]uarmezM zo istGulroesv .e
Soh owd iIdg of ormh avitnhgai td etaob e itnhgfe uo ndeorfm y
ownc ompnay?M yj uornewya sc omplicatat tiemdeb su,itts tarted
with bealseimcee nxtcsi:t eammebnitt,ai noden n,t uhsiaWshme.n
thlei gbhutl wbe notff ,Ik newIh adt oa cotn m yi deLai.ky eo u,
Id reamoeftd u rnmiyns gi mpcloen cienpttaob usinIeh sasdt. h e
motivabtuiItod ni,d nh'atva ec lue ahboowtu ost t aarb tu siness.
WhaItd ihda vienm yc ornwears emtye ronpatli mainsndma ivete.
Ij usfitg urIec do udlodi t.
Id inde esdo mewhteors et atrhto,u gShoI. h itth beo okstores
fogrU idaanncdpe i ckoeudst e vebruasli nsetsasr tb-ouopkw si th
catcthieyts Ul.n ftourntaelIdy i, dnfi'ntdt hhee lIpn eedientd h ose
xi