Why is so many businesses still living in the past, and still trying to do business the very old way? Why do you need all those lousy lawyer-ish, back accountant-ish CEO’s, CTO’s and so on, a boring board of directors that is only killing you? Is it because you’re a VC funded company?

Some businesses wants the biggest customers. Big companies will only kill your innovation. They demand, and their demands are huge. You should’ve delivered yesterday and when you eventually deliver – they didn’t even know what they needed, so the rubber duck you gave them was useless anyway. It’s all down to a bunch of “so yesterday” business people that still live in the 80’s. And they’re killing innovation. Everything must be so cooperate-ish that they become invisible.

Take the top 500 companies in the world, and they all look exactly the same. They are not the ones inventing something new – they’re asleep and loosing market shares as you’re reading this. While they’re sleeping, they want you to be working your ass off, to deliver what they demand. But when working for other companies, you must communicate with them. And man, are they slow! So the big monster is sleeping, and making you sleep as well.

I know it looks very very good on your website, when you have the logos of the worlds biggest companies on your front page. But is it worth it? I certainly don’t think so, because they get to control your business – and more importantly the development of your business and product. And that is the worst thing that could happen. I’d rather make 1000 $ from 10 customers, than making 10,000 $ from one customer! Why? Because with 10 customers, I get more feedback, I can satisfy a common need, I can make a better product, they don’t control me, I’m not fucked if a customer quits or goes out of business.

If you are planning your startup in phases and always are aware of the next step, it is possible to avoid many problems.

A good planning is a key element in being succesfull. If you always have your next goal in front of you then you will take many problems and solve them in a way so you can reach that goal.

In milkshake, We have instead of a bussinessplan tryed to build a rocket. There are 5 phases in the rocket and when phase 1 is over, then we are ready for phase 2.

Its pretty simple, but instead of a fine businessplan we have chosen to build our planning up like this

- How many customers do We need to complete phase one.

What do We ned to have ready on the product

Where should our marketing be, to complete phase one.

We have build up some clear goals, and when we have reach them, We are ready for step 2.

This is the best way for us.What is the best way for you?

Teamwork is a key element in creating a succefull business. I do not believe that one man has all the skills or can overcome all things in a startup. There will always be things you are very good at and things that are not so great to be done by you.

Therefore to higher your chances for succes it would be a good idea to find someone to partner up whit.

If you are a Team you will have someone to talk to and discuss whit. Maybe your idea is not the idea that are the best for the company.

Let me say it this way.

If you are good a computers stay good at that and find someone whos good at marketing and economics. Then I believe you have a better chances for succes.

So do what you are good at and let the rest be done by somebody else.

Last week, we was sponsored into the Microsoft BizSpark program by Rackspace UK.

Microsoft BizSpark is all about helping you get started through free software licenses:

BizSpark is uniquely designed to accelerate your success by providing fast, affordable access to current, full-featured Microsoft tools and technologies, plus production licensing for hosted solutions. For support, BizSpark unites a global community of technology and entrepreneurial experts who can guide you through the hurdles of growing a new business.

Basically, if you match the following criteria:

Is in the business of software development,

Is privately held,

Has been in business for less than 3 years, and

Has less than US $1 million in annual revenue.

You enroll through a Network Partner which acts as a sponsor, and you will receive a Visual Studio Team System Team Suite with MSDN Premium subscription:

Quote Scott Hanselman:

• All the software included in the Microsoft® Visual Studio® Team System Team Suite (VSTS) with MSDN Premium subscription
• Expression Studio Version 2
• VSTS Team Foundation Server (standard edition)
• Production use rights to host a “software as a service” solution (developed during participation in the BizSpark Program, on any platform) over the Internet, with regard to the latest versions of Microsoft products including:
  • Microsoft Windows Server® (all editions up to and including Enterprise)
  • Microsoft SQL Server (all editions)
  • Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server
  • Microsoft System Center
  • Microsoft BizTalk Server
  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM (coming soon)
• In addition to the core program offering, BizSpark startups will be eligible for other Microsoft offerings, such as:
• Microsoft Azure Services Platform - The Azure Services Platform is the collection of Foundational, Developer and Live Platform Service such as Windows Azure, Live Mesh, Compute Services, Storage Services, Workflow Services, Identity Services, Connectivity Services, SQL Data Services. All developers will have access to the Azure Services Platform developer tools which includes the local development fabric.

And the best part is, that it is all free! You only pay 100$ when you exit the program.

I just read on this blog http://www.plumbersurplus.com/Blog/ that Steve Jobs (Apple) is the most influental CEO in recent time.

I would like to ask then. What is Apple whitout Steve Jobs?

I do not belive its a splended idea to build a company around just one person. We all have faults and sometime they will come up, and what will the company do the day their frontman is gone og needs to go?

The best way  is to build a company on values. Then if the headpersons die or get sick, the Business and the whole companystructure have some ideas and values as guidelines.

When you start your Company, it will be good to have some ideas about how to build it. What is the foundation in your business?

Give yourself and your company some values and be more succesfull!

Starting a new company these days may seem like an impossible task to somebody. But we think it is the best time ever to start something new.

Whatever type of business you plan to start, you can be absolutely confident that your competitors are spending way too much money every day on 5 year office leases, 12 months advertising contracts, more bills than you could ever imagine. It is make or break for those companies! Especially VC funded companiesare throwing away money as we speak. Both founders and investors gambled big-time, and now is the time to pay up.

As a startup, you have the chance to create a solid business from scratch without requiring big amounts of money up-front. Established competitors focus on saving their business, instead of developing it. This is the chance for you to make a difference and go in front.

Jason Cohenrecently wrote a guest articel at OnStartups.com, outlining 6 reasons why now is the time to start something new. He also points out that now is a good chance of hiring extraordinary cheap talent:

It's hard to hire good people because they already have a job.  But right now that's not true -- companies are exploding and laying off everyone, even the stars.

If you're starting a company you're probably looking for a co-founder more than an employee. Even better. In an environment where few companies are hiring, lots of stars (or, better, potential stars) are out of work.

The market is flooded with good people.  Maybe you yourself just got laid off with some co-workers you like!  Just keep your hiring standards high and dig into your social network. (Or go get a social network now. See? That Facebook account really was a good idea.)

Also – when the economy is down and everything is looking bad. You can be absolutely positive that the picture will be different some years forward. So if you built something solid now, the chance that it will strengthen when the economy is booming upwards is more than likely!

Neil Davidson also wrote a guest article at OnStartups.comon why you have to get going now:

3) You need constraints to build great software. If there's one thing we've got plenty of in this economy, it's constraints. Make good use of them.

4) Constraints enforce discipline. You'll need to, among other things, manage your expenditure, focus on making products that people actually want to buy, learn the difference between cash flow and profitability and figure out how to market on a shoe-string. Now is an excellent time to forge those skills. You will need them the next time things go bad.

Today is a good day to startup something new, so why wait? Tomorrow might be too late!

Taking up a new challenge is always going to involve some initial mistakes. In the world of business, this will cost you money. So you have to make sure that 1) Reduce the amounts of mistakes, and 2) Make sure not to make the same mistakes again.

I’ve already touched the importance of Web Analyticsfor E-commerce sites. My main point there was, you should be able to get insight and take action immediately! It is the most important thing about running a business online!

I was surfing the Internet this evening, and came across a great blog about E-commerce. I found a specific post that I really like: Top 10 E-commerce Startup Mistakes.

I think these tips are really great. There’s obviously a lot more out there, but these are some of the most frequently mistakes made, and some of the worse.

What is the actully reason to have meeting in a company.

A lot off meeting today is a waste off everybodys time. To have a good meeting its very important that all is well prepared and ready to come whit some inputs.

A lot off meeting in big companies is a product off bad communication. If everybody is willing to share there knowledge, then most of meetings today can be replaced whit a cop of coffee. THERE IS NO REASON TO MAKE IT MORE COMPLICATED

Meetings can be very difficult and I would say its a reflection off the company. If you always need to have a meeting about all things then you prably should look in too the company culture.

Some times its faster and more effecttive just pick up the phone and talk to people.I have NEVER meet a person that said NO if I have asked for Help.

The Question I have been asking myself for some time now is.

Why do two guys who both have good jobs a wish to start up something new.

Is it because we think we can do it better, to get economical independent or is it a total different thing

I think for our business and goals it is a mix between all of these things.

Do we think we can do it better?

I do not think we can do it better, but I think we can do it a little smarter and I also believe that we in the further can do something better than the rest. I think this because we are a good team. We both have some ideas that maybe will make web shops a little easier to handle in the future.

Get economical independent.

I think all people in the world would like to wake up every day and have the possibilities to do whatever they like.

I would not tell the truth if I said it wasn’t a goal. But I believe that if you always think money you will not get a better life, we shall always earn money to the company no doubt, but growth and creativity is also very important measurements’.

Bottom-line for me personal is to build something up and be happy every morning I wake up, so if it is possible to combine this whit economic wealth. It’s just Great.

I just had a few hours of internet jazz time (which I find very important in building a company), seeking information on startups from the software industry. I came across the OnStartups.com blog by Dharmesh Shah. He’d posted a video from his speech at this year’s Business of Software conference. Go watch it here.

It is highly recommended!