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Uriah Av-Ron works for Oasis PR and is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. You can contact him at uriah@oasis-pr.com.

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A great year to start a business

Written on
Mar 3, 2009 
Author
Uriah Av-Ron  |
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A great year to start a business

revolutionsmall.jpgADOTAS EXCLUSIVE — When I was growing up, my father used to tell me that what doesn’t kill me will make me stronger, and as much as I hate to admit it, he was right.

And 2009 is probably going to be one of those years. Companies with weak or non-existent business models are going to have to find one quickly or close. All of those web 2.0 start-ups that were set up with an ‘AdSense Business Model’ are going to have to find more bankable business models.

That said, now more than ever, companies need ways to generate qualified sales leads, and I know that there are a few readers on this distribution last that know how to deliver these leads. The worlds of advertising and publishing have changed dramatically in the last 15 years, and they will undoubtedly continue to change in the next 15. Someone just needs to deliver the next steps in this evolution.

But despite all of the challenges, 2009 will be a great year to start a business. And the companies that succeed in getting off the ground this year are probably going to be around for a long time.

So why is 2009 such a great year to start a business?

1. You’ll need a real business model from day 1 – There is no better ‘proof of concept’ than revenue generation. Ever walk into a small business and see a $1 bill tapped to the wall? Well every new business has to remember that first dollar, how much it cost to generate it, and where the next one will come from.

But why is ‘needing business model from day 1’ a good thing? Because it will make you focus on what really matters to growing your business.

2. You’ll save on expenses – If there is a silver lining for entrepreneurs in today’s market, it is that the costs of starting a business are lower than they were even six months ago. Labor, rent and equipment will all be cheaper and more negotiable this year.

3. It’s less expensive to start a business today than it was in the last economic downturn – Many of you still remember the economic downturn of 2000 – 2002. Well it’s less expensive to start a new business today because the technology to power your new business – be it hardware, hosting, software, programming, whatever – is less expensive than it was then.

4. It should be easier and definitely less expensive to generate some buzz – Though some will disagree here, I believe that marketing will also be cheaper this year. The caveat here is that your new business really does help people / companies in the economic times we’re in, which of course is the best kind of business to start this year.

Reporters and bloggers are looking to write stories about companies that help others do more with less, and there is definitely a desire for ‘good news’ stories. In fact, a few weeks ago I read stories in The Wall Street Journal and Fortune about a company that I know has not been featured in these publications in a couple of years, but they had a good news / growth story that made even these A-list publications interested in writing about this company.

5. There are many history-defining companies that were founded during recessions – GE, HP, Disney, Microsoft, just to name four, were all started during tough economic times (source: Fast Company). Even a number of today’s leading companies (and last year’s exits) in online advertising and publishing where founded or thought up during the economic downturn of 2000 – 2002.

You don’t have to found the next GE or Microsoft in order to succeed. You just need to address the challenges of today’s market and deliver a solution that will help us all get to 2010 (which admittedly is no small feat). Good luck!





Reader Comments.

This is a great article. Thanks!

Posted by biz opportunity | 4:08 am on March 9, 2009.

Your nuts. Our economy is screwed for decades. Anyone starting a new business now is a fool. Higher taxes,no job creation. People are hunkering down,only paying for basic necessities.

Posted by rr | 2:35 pm on October 25, 2009.

Nuts? No it’s the lack of yours that you shouldn’t start a new company… Launched mine in June 08 and thriving. Just pick something that can help people hunker down.

Posted by Bullit | 10:22 pm on January 31, 2010.

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