If you want do business, be easy to do business with.
Startups, by their very nature, aren’t easy to do business with. They are a risky proposition. They don’t have a history of success. They may not even have a product.
They have vision. They sell the hope of something totally different. Buyers must go out on a limb and bet on a startup.
Taking a risk on someone else is hard. As the old saying goes, “No one ever got fired for buying IBM.” The same can’t be said for a startup.
On the other hand, startups have a trump card. Their agility, lack of bureaucracy, and ability to tolerate risk allow them to give in ways established businesses can’t.
As an entrepreneur, learn to use these to your advantage. Find ways to work around the most common problems in a typical buying process. Bend over backwards to make buying easy.
The early phases of business are all about momentum. To build early momentum, learn to be easy to do business with.