Doubling your chance of winning new clients
What does it mean when someone tells you that they will double your chance of winning a client? I have a friend here in Munich who keeps introducing me to interesting people and on Friday I had an appointment with one interesting person who says he can do exactly that... double your chances.. Is this rigged? Am I being toyed with?
Nic is a Creative Director looking for a firm that will develop his business idea. The email I received was that he would be making an investment and would not require anything except a percentage of the profits or a piece of the company he would be joining. Promising that there were no catches, I thought it would be interesting to see how I could help this creative person find his niche.
Meeting for coffee, Nic Schwabach brought along a large portfolio to show me. Inside the portfolio were some interesting advertising and marketing products. Products that I would like to use for my company and have not seen on the market. Nic explained to me that he has the patents for these products but has not developed them or licensed them. What he wants is to create a large design firm that does the work low cost for middle to small business people. An internet based business. They have a company in the United States that is doing really well with this business format and I think it would work well in Europe. A company that will do your print jobs and also your design work. you can have stock designs or you can have specialized design work but everything is done over the internet and mailed/shipped to you.
I liked his idea but I didn't understand why he didn't license the products. his answer was that he doesn't want to be considered a manufacturer, He wants to be the creative side of the business. I fully understand not wanting to be pigeon holed into the wrong category and I could understand the problems he is having finding the appropriate business partners.
After talking to him, I suggested that he needs a formal business plan. Showing people, especially business people a portfolio doesn't explain to them what you want to do and how it will benefit them. Even if he never looks for an investor, if he has a business plan, he will have some idea of where he is going with the business. I also told him to license the products. No use keeping them in his drawer, someone else will make a similar product soon and he will be out of luck.
I have a meeting on Monday with Nic and I will let you know what he has decided to do. Tomorrow, I will be writing about Dan and our conversation about stipends and Fee schedules.. I bet you can't wait, can you.
Nic is a Creative Director looking for a firm that will develop his business idea. The email I received was that he would be making an investment and would not require anything except a percentage of the profits or a piece of the company he would be joining. Promising that there were no catches, I thought it would be interesting to see how I could help this creative person find his niche.
Meeting for coffee, Nic Schwabach brought along a large portfolio to show me. Inside the portfolio were some interesting advertising and marketing products. Products that I would like to use for my company and have not seen on the market. Nic explained to me that he has the patents for these products but has not developed them or licensed them. What he wants is to create a large design firm that does the work low cost for middle to small business people. An internet based business. They have a company in the United States that is doing really well with this business format and I think it would work well in Europe. A company that will do your print jobs and also your design work. you can have stock designs or you can have specialized design work but everything is done over the internet and mailed/shipped to you.
I liked his idea but I didn't understand why he didn't license the products. his answer was that he doesn't want to be considered a manufacturer, He wants to be the creative side of the business. I fully understand not wanting to be pigeon holed into the wrong category and I could understand the problems he is having finding the appropriate business partners.
After talking to him, I suggested that he needs a formal business plan. Showing people, especially business people a portfolio doesn't explain to them what you want to do and how it will benefit them. Even if he never looks for an investor, if he has a business plan, he will have some idea of where he is going with the business. I also told him to license the products. No use keeping them in his drawer, someone else will make a similar product soon and he will be out of luck.
I have a meeting on Monday with Nic and I will let you know what he has decided to do. Tomorrow, I will be writing about Dan and our conversation about stipends and Fee schedules.. I bet you can't wait, can you.
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