Remart: how I built my business
Part I. the Idea and investors
the it all Started with furniture. Flipping through one magazine I noticed an article describing an interesting business. There is an American company produced and installed hidden passages. This is something that can be seen in the film about the adventures of Batman. This is seen something similar only in the movies, they say, put the chess pieces on the field with the electronics inside, and if you unscramble them, then the door will open. It's amazing, so, I remembered this article.
After a couple of months life circumstances have developed in such a way that for me was the question of how to organize their own business.
A specific idea was not, but had a lot of desire. Quite by accident I remembered the same article, found the magazine and via the website of the company contacted an American company's CEO. There was a fairly simple fellow, he is an engineer (apparently the company was small), but I have to say about them already reported in some major media. With a light shoulder this nice mister gave me region of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine under sale. I was a little, besides start a business without experience in this area was a bit exciting, but I still decided to try. Because, in the end, completely not work, will not describe the search team of installers, the solution of service problems and the like, the important thing is that after some training, we "rushed into battle". Frankly, I acted modestly and, potentially, the result would be somewhat different if I have more money supply and whether the yard is not the crisis years, but it was not the main issue. I printed brochures and went for interior designers: everyone was ooh and ahh, like it's all fine, but then groaned and gasped even louder when they learned the price. The simplest door to quality performance was in the order of 10k dollars. In short, nothing major we haven't sold that, however, did not Rob me of the motivation.
At a time when much soul-searching, in my field of view was an unusual example of furniture — transformer from Italy. Cost she seems not too expensive but still not cheap. Taught by bitter experience, I first imagined how this furniture could be better to sell. In my head it was a large store with huge monitors, which showed a beautiful video with furniture, a demonstration of the mechanisms of transformation and other beautiful things. To do now these stores without huge capital behind it is absolutely impossible, but, thank God, information technology is our everything. Thus, I came to the conclusion that without a website is not enough. Then I thought about the upsell, about the flow and the possibility of establishing a store, a service that could set parameters to offer the furniture and arrange it. The client comes to the site, enter the cost, color, type of room, its dimensions and a couple of options, the program processes and issues in automatic mode interior solution. Class! Dear Customer, if you dearly – move the slider to obtain a more satisfying solution, don't like the color – ask another and buy. So I liked the idea that I could not even sleep normally could not. Then I called my friend who is a programmer for a meal dedicated to his idea and he gladly came into my team. Then he admitted that at the time did not know how it is technically implemented, and going forward, it was quite a difficult task. Fortunately, I didn't know it, and bravely went in search of designers in the team. Found them too quickly among friends: the designer who did the repair at my home, agreed to participate in the project and to attract your husband. As long as everything was rosy, we had to find the money.
My team has roughly estimated the size of necessary investments and the amount was more or less adequate. However, from rough calculations to investment proposals were still very far away. Inspired by the potential of this idea I rushed on searches of the investor into thinking that literally the first person I tell about it will just give me investment. Then the General algorithm of action seemed to me the following:
the
As it turned out, in General, everything was planned correctly, but the complexity of some of the items were undervalued. The search for an investor began with friends in the business. No one is refused immediately, they took time for reflection and thought for a long time. I, of course, all were assured that the implementation will be quite simple, heavily relying on the development team. As a result, all refused, stating this is not a profile of such business for them and a lack of knowledge on this market. Then I moved to the community of business angels, very quickly went through all their selections and everybody turned me down. However, I'm resistant small: I contacted a couple of them officially claimed the business angels in this area. All three of them agreed to listen to me, don't like the idea of only 1, he was the it person, and apparently imagined, how difficult it is to implement it as is. The two met me and invited me to work out more details this question and then return to the topic of funding. I won't call the names of these people, but at the regional scale is rich, with businesses in the construction industry. I was allocated a consultant, financier, and we started to work on creation of the business plan of the project. In the process, meetings with potential investors, their managers and founders, in the process of participation in the startup weekend, the concept of business has changed. Now we create a finished interior solution for a typical apartment. We sell everything that is in the picture. The goal we have set for ourselves roughly formalized in the mission of our company:
"We make repairs in a simple, fun and enjoyable process. We want to make the people apartment a beautiful, cozy, so people are happy to come home, and spend time with your family"
We are giving time for yourself, so that people would not worry or spend time on the selection and purchase of goods for renovation and relied on us."
A process of rethinking was a long 6 months not less. It was associated with what we worked on all main jobs, our consultants we have engaged on a residual basis, etc. However, we still created a good investment project with very good indicators, based on a real number (however, our expectations were even more rosy). The amount that we need has become several times larger and closer to real. This amount was provided to us to become financially sustainable, according to our calculations.
The amount is small for our potential investors and their employees are told that the probability that it will emit, was very high. However, the crisis has made adjustments. Some investors have proposed to revisit this issue in half a year. The second investor said that it may start to spend 5 times less and we are invited to think that we can do to try and then make a decision on further funding. I refused. The next topic I hope to share why :)
the I'm not perfectly versed in the structure of Habra, therefore, if there is a more suitable Hub, I will be glad to Council
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