Startups are all the rage. Politicians especially love them and love talking about financial support for them – as if they think there are votes in startups.
I think the interest is in part due to the new of the startup, the opportunity to create something new that could be a great big thing.
Thinking about the obsession with startups recently got me thinking of them in the context of the Australian newsagency. The reality, our reality, is that we are at a moment in time where we need to create the next model.
Tweaking the newsagency business here and there buys time but not a long term future. No, we need to bring the principles and clean slate view to the future of the newsagency business.
This is the key element of the startup world that I think applies to our channel today – the idea of building a business from scratch, with a clean slate and full of hope from looking forward and not looking back.
That is what I mean when I suggest you think of your newsagency as a startup. You stop thinking about the old-world things you do that hold you back or the old suppliers who now contribute only a fraction to your bottom line.
A good startup starts with a good idea, rooted in a mission for the business. What does your business offer? What does it stand for? What is its USP? What makes it relevant decades from now – rather than why it is relevant thinking about decades of history.
Too many newsagents spend too much time worrying about old-school things that add little or no value to the business. In many cases plotting business performance data shows where those old-school worries will end at some point in the future.
So, think of your newsagency as a start up. Work out the new business you want to create where you are currently located. Even if you don’t do it, the thinking can open you to change to your current business that could be beneficial.
Thinking is free. All you have to risk is some time. What you can gain is excitement for changes ahead that you can bring to the business as a result of being open to thinking like a startup.