Startups in St. Petersburg: Learning from Others

Startups in St. Petersburg: Learning from Others

This is the third in a series of blogs that will examine the needs of startups in St. Petersburg, focusing on the various services they may need, as well as available resources and community leaders who are here to help!

Throughout your childhood and early adulthood, who was the biggest influence on your decisions outside of your family? For most of us, that would be our peers. So why should it be any different when dealing with your business startup? One of the most effective ways to get ahead in the business world is by learning from others who have overcome the same challenges. Every step taken by your peers in their journey, whether it led to an accomplishment or a failure, can inform you of the best and most efficient way forward in your own decision making.

Research

Taking the time to research local networking events to find similar businesses or successful entrepreneurs in similar types of endeavors could pay big dividends. Try to learn hot only how they got started, but how they evolved. Were they successful? Are they still in business? The successful ones will be easier to find, of course, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have some advice on what to steer clear of. Also, use social media platforms to your advantage.  LinkedIn is a great resource for finding like-minded individuals who may have published articles on the exact topic you are seeking information on.

Speak Up

Get yourself out there and make some noise, whether it’s at the various networking events we discussed in our last blog, or by cold calling the businesses you found through other avenues. Reach out to them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially if they are not in the same market as you are. Connect with contacts on LinkedIn and set up meetings to discuss the obstacles giving you the biggest challenges. You would be surprised how responsive and helpful your peers might be.

Take Your Time

Don’t rush! While it might feel like it’s taking forever, it is better to do things right than to do things over. And though “the best laid plans of mice and men…” may be of concern, don’t be disappointed if things don’t go as perfectly as you’ve planned. Nothing worth its salt is ever gained by rushing the process. Be comfortable with a bit of imperfection – business is a messy game sometimes. And as we said in the first blog of this series, take a deep breath. Relax. Blink;Tech has your back.

If you are a startup in St. Pete or in the surrounding Tampa Bay area, and you need tech help, Blink;Tech is here for you. From web design and development to digital marketing, Blink;Tech knows how to help visions just like yours come to life on the web. We are your tech partner.