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Sweet marketing music

Tanner Montague came to town from Seattle having never owned his own music venue before. He’s a musician himself, so he has a pretty good sense of good music, but he also wandered into a crowded music scene filled with concert venues large and small.But the owner of Green Room thinks he found a void in the market. It’s lacking, he says, in places serving between 200 and 500 people, a sweet spot he thinks could be a draw for both some national acts not quite big enough yet for arena gigs and local acts looking for a launching pad.“I felt that size would do well in the city to offer more options,” he says. “My goal was to A, bring another option for national acts but then, B, have a great spot for local bands to start.”Right or wrong, something seems to be working, he says. He’s got a full calendar of concerts booked out several months. How did he, as a newcomer to the market in an industry filled with competition, get the attention of the local concertgoer?

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by Andrew Tellijohn
November 2007

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Upsize Stages: Finding people

UPSIZE STAGES: THE EARLY YEARS

10 :: Finding people to help.

Advisers who?ve ?seen
it all? can help owners
through adversity

Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely feeling, one that many say is hard to relate to. Many entrepreneurs won?t talk to friends or associates because they don?t want to burden them with problems. Those people need peers with whom they can work through situations.

But one common theme espoused by former start-up entrepreneurs, consultants and other advisers is that business owners don?t have to go through the battles alone.

There are mentors that have been through similar battles before that enjoy working with start-ups to help them avoid repeating mistakes. You can find them at groups like Inner Circle or Vistage, which give business owners the opportunity to meet in peer groups to discuss common issues. SCORE, formerly the Service Corps of Retired Executives, provides free consultations with retired entrepreneurs who have been through many of the same issues faced by early-stage businesses today.

Internally, you should have your own advisory board, which generally will consist of at least your attorney, a banker and an accountant. Lean on those people for advice during difficult times and advise them of potential problems before they become too big to handle.

It?s equally important that entrepreneurs have valuable people outside that circle to provide advice and talk to about problems that arise. Some small-business owners say creating a board of advisers or directors was one of the best moves they?ve made.

This doesn?t have to be made up of people you already consult with. It can consist of people whose opinions you respect, larger investors (some say you shouldn?t take money from an investor if you don?t respect them or they aren?t willing to put in some time and feedback), customers, vendors and others that can provide a sounding board for your business. Just make sure they?re all people you respect and trust.

Whether it?s a SCORE representative, a mentor or some other professional, it?s vital to have advisers that will tell you they think you are wrong or who can see things through an unfiltered lens. It?s often difficult as an entrepreneur to look past the latest problems.

While it?s good to have advisers and it?s good to keep employees informed about what is going on with the company, they should not be a part of your inner advisory team. They don?t see the company from the same perspective you do and it can create anxiety and insecurity. They can be brought into board meeting sessions to keep your team apprised of what is going on with the company, but it?s best that they not be made part of the inner team itself.