You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
78 <strong>The</strong> tip<br />
Guidelines for start-ups roam the web, but nothing beats the fi rst-hand<br />
advice of se<strong>as</strong>oned and experienced experts. Here, we <strong>as</strong>k a motley crew of<br />
connoisseurs – consultants, angel investors, directors and accountants –<br />
to dish out what, to them, are the do’s and don’ts of setting up on your own.<br />
1.<br />
Roman Suarez<br />
Founder and Managing Partner at<br />
BetaGroup Coworking, Founder and<br />
organiser of Startup Weekend Brussels,<br />
Consultant for New Media Business &<br />
Marketing Solutions<br />
do<br />
Share and <strong>as</strong>k and you will be amazed at the<br />
quality of the feedback you will get from<br />
people with lots of experience and very little<br />
free time.<br />
don’t<br />
Don’t be a pushy jerk, you will only get a bad<br />
reputation.<br />
expert advice<br />
Illustrator Valentine De Cort<br />
2.<br />
Serge Kalitventzeff<br />
Long l<strong>as</strong>ting experience <strong>as</strong> NICT Business<br />
Unit Manager at the Brussels Enterprise<br />
Agency, now Management Consultant at<br />
Leyton Belgium<br />
do<br />
Focus, focus, focus… on the clients who really<br />
need your product or to whom you think you<br />
bring a clear and signifi cant advantage. On the<br />
country you think you can be the leader of<br />
taking into account your fi nancial means. On<br />
the market where you can be really different<br />
(and better…) than your competitors.<br />
don’t<br />
Don’t start your company alone. A one-man<br />
show is always somehow suspect. It is going<br />
to be very diffi cult to convince an investor, a<br />
bank and even a public authority if you can’t<br />
show that you were able to convince, from the<br />
beginning, one or two good professionals to<br />
join your project, being a friend or a personal<br />
contact.<br />
3.<br />
Simon McDermott<br />
Social media marketing expert, entrepreneur<br />
and business developer with 15 years<br />
experience<br />
do<br />
Even if it’s only the beginning, think about<br />
what will happen if someone will leave the<br />
business. It happens all the time and you have<br />
to be legally prepared. A bit like a marriage<br />
prenup. Do what you are good at and delegate<br />
the things that are diffi cult for you. For<br />
some people it might be essential to hire an<br />
accountant for example, others can e<strong>as</strong>ily do<br />
it themselves.<br />
don’t<br />
Don’t be impatient. You don’t become super<br />
successful in a few months. Sometimes it takes<br />
years. And try to keep the fi xed costs down<br />
<strong>as</strong> much <strong>as</strong> possible. That includes salaries:<br />
Don’t start hiring people too early.
Change language