In the world of entrepreneurship, nowadays it’s a race between companies trying to have a better product or idea versus creating something no one else has delivered. We all know that the simplest idea has the possibilities of leading to something that can shake up the market and inevitably creating new trends which grows from it the competition – of course that Idea must be something compelling. Depending on where you want to take your business, you’re either the ‘Pop-Up’ entrepreneur; short term, quick money or what I call the ‘Root Investor’; long term with the possibility of branching out with new products and services.
Being someone who also dreams of running a business, I find it difficult to know where and how to start. But I realize that, it’s just the fear of the unknown that prevented me from starting. You know when they say that you have moments in life that happens, which creates such an impact on your future; meeting someone who’s like minded and as passionate as you are, makes a big difference. It’s true what they say about surrounding yourself with positive people.
This weekend I spent some time discussing this topic with a promising female entrepreneur, Shay who has recently launched her events company, Shay-Kemi Events. I ventured out with her and one of her new clients on the road to get some insights into launching a business in such a competitive Industry and she’s also set to support an important event of mine in 2017. I wanted to find out what got her to launching her Business, and in return, give her my creative insights. I wanted to know what makes her tick and get advice on the types of suppliers to go for. I chose her services because from a business perspective; she’s dependable and passionate – what everyone needs in making things happen.
Noak Bakehouse & Brew
She pulls up outside of my flat in a rented car, very eager to get going. It was an early rise so I convinced her to stop by my favourite brunch house for a takeaway coffee based in Brockley called Noak Cafe & Restaurant (Previously Noak Bakehouse & Brew). I love a good coffee in the morning and man do they serve the smoothest coffee. Every time I take a sip, it reminded me of the mornings I’d spent in Venice watching the sun rising as I sat at the local cafe drinking a £1.10 cup of coffee, watching the world go by. A priceless moment. The Wedding exhibition required a few hours of our day and we both had limited times; if you see our calendars – each hour is filled with something that is invested to our Business including our normal 8 – 6 jobs. Even calling friends , family, attending social events and Gym sessions are in our calendars. Time is crucial and not to be wasted, but never forgetting that balance is also needed.
As we made our escape through the traffic of South London, we reminisced about the old school days of music as it played out on the radio. The 80’s and 90’s R&B, Hip Hop and Rap. In comparison to what it is now, there’s no contest. Back then real artists wrote poetic verses with meaning. Hip Hop and Rap had a story to tell; it made us think and you can actually understand what they are saying – exhibit A, Hopsin.
The slow jams got us two-stepping with our friends; it was all about enjoying the music and having a great time. Take ‘Regulate’ by Warren G – doesn’t the beat of this track just make you want to bop your head and hang out with your friends all day? We both agreed that we would make sure that our future kids would get to experience the rawness of music back then.
This led us to the discussion of how life had become such a reality in our late 20’s. Suddenly you had all these responsibilities and pressures thrown at you from different angles of life. Looking back when we were both in our late teens – we had it easy. We had more opportunities than the generation before us and we felt that we could have done more. But the reality is that we are getting older. The longer we waited for something to happen, the longer it would take to reach our goals. As we raged through the M11, which after 20 minutes we realized was the longer route to Chelmsford; I ventured with some questions to get to know what got her to this point.
What has been the hardest thing about launching your business?
“Getting myself to actually launch it was the hardest part. It wasn’t the lack of preparation or not having the product. We all tend to procrastinate, for a couple of years out of fear, that’s what I did. The idea of launching my own business was daunting and I was afraid of taking risks. One day I just realized, these businesses were started by people who had passion, so there’s no reason why I couldn’t do it because I had that. I just had to jump in and do it”.
Chelmsford, the birthplace of radio, is only a 45 minute travel from London. In our case it took twice the time. Today the goal was to venture out and meet a variety of suppliers; its wedding venues boasted with so much offering and far less on the price tag compared to London. The event was hosted by Main Event Wedding Shows limited and it’s one of the biggest free events we’d been to.
Like fashion, Weddings have their trends also. It’s very rare to see something different these days. It’s difficult to keep up and be relevant; however showcasing your work or services at these type of events give you an upper hand. You get to meet your competition in one space and network. People get scared of competition, when they can actually teach you something. They can inspire and they can be also an opportunity to collaborate. Nobody has to lose for you to win in this game of Business.
Are you worried about the competition being that we’re in one of the largest markets in the world?
“I think that the trick to launching the right way is to make sure your focus is on what YOU are trying to achieve in the long term and remember why you are different from everyone else. I think having your own identity is key. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing for now, take little steps”
I swiftly responded with “It’s basically like having a relationship?” We both laughed in agreement of this concept. I think that with anything in life, if you want a strong foundation – it’s good to take your time to understand it.
Being the kind of person who loves documenting everything and known to be the ‘secret agent’ of capturing moments (see videos), I took video snippets of each showcase. You could tell from each of the presentation booths, who just got into the game and who knows exactly what they are selling. A lot of people think that “creatives” don’t know how to sell their products. But who best to sell a product than the person who created it? It’s about learning who you’re selling to – everything can be tailored and approached in a way that doesn’t change your identity and cost of the product.
“everything can be tailored and approached in a way that doesn’t change your identity”
Psychedelic PhotoBooth
You can never go wrong with a Funky photo-booth at any event. It creates entertainment and provides your guests with memories to take home. It can be quite expensive, but there are ways of doing it on a cheaper budget – Two words when starting your own business, Ask Friends. You forget that the people around you have skills and hidden talents that they may want to showcase; it’s not just about creating opportunities for yourself, but also to those around you willing to jump in.
it’s not just about creating opportunities for yourself, but also to those around you willing to jump in
Standing out and being relevant at the same time can be quite difficult for any service or product you are trying to provide. We found some of the exhibits to show similarities in look and design, but only one will always succeed. You would think that their fancy advertising strategies has a lot to do with it.
Have you ever seen an advert of the Sriracha Hot Sauce? The Company Huy Fong doesn’t advertise, yet they’ve sold over 20 million bottles in 2014. The 68 year old Mr. Tran’s family-run business is one of the fastest growing Companies in the US. The sauce not only is very like-able, but the family run business captured it’s audiences with a great back story. No other country would accept him when he was fleeing Vietnam, yet he’s a big household name and created a huge banter with followers on Social Media.
Having a brand or product with a pretty good back story and also being able to deliver it correctly separates you from all the other competition. If you believe that a product can sell themselves just because there is a need, you are far from wrong. You need to be able to deliver a product that has a long lasting effect on people. There’s always a need for Loyal consumers to relate to brands – finding that ‘human’ touch.
We were intrigued at the differences of each Supplier and how they had delivered their product as we walked through the exhibition. But we were most impressed by those who actually created the products to be at the forefront – they knew what they were talking about and you could see their passion for it. They took care of their identity which separated them from other vendors in the event.
As we exited the venue, it provided us with a lot of new ideas as to what the future held. Seeing new things, like the exhibition gave us better insights as clients and as entrepreneurs. There are no short cuts. The first step is the hardest and that is jumping in.
Special thanks to:
Art of Words 