Why do entrepreneurs and business owners like to 'reinvent the wheel' instead of taking what's already been done, but making it their own to succeed? One of the biggest mistakes you can make in business, especially online, is thinking you have innovate, or do something completely new to stand out and crowded online marketplace.
On the The B2B Podcast by The App Guys, Darrell Evans discusses his favorite business stories and the best advice he's learned throughout his entrepreneurial career that has continued to help small- to- medium sized business grow.
Austin Miller: Hey everyone, this is Austin Miller with a B2B Podcast where we interview CEOs, business owners and other amazing leaders in the b2b space. It’s six questions in eight minutes because the best are super short on time. So let’s get right to it.
In a couple of sentences, tell us who you are and what you do.
Darrell Evans: Oh, thanks for having me, Austin. My name is Darrell Evans. I am a serial entrepreneur — this is now my sixth company — and growth advisor. In my off time, I really specialize in the customer acquisition field of digital marketing and sales.
Austin Miller: That’s absolutely impressive, six companies. Wow! Well then, question number two: you probably have a lot to talk about here. What is the best thing about working with other businesses?
Darrell Evans: Small businesses make up the fabric of our country. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love corporate America. I love the big name brands that started from a garage or, you know, a humble beginning and became that big brand name we’re all a fan of. But really what I love is the entrepreneur who was really great at a craft or had a great idea. Then did the work to go do something great for other people and providing jobs providing other opportunities. So love helping people succeed in that area.
The Biggest Challenge Faced by Most Entrepreneurs Today
Austin Miller: I love it. Sounds a little quite poetic about that, for sure. Now, maybe on the flip side, question number three, what do you think is the most challenging part of running a business?
Darrell Evans: As an entrepreneur, the most challenging part about running a business is being able to stay focused and motivated when you’re really alone, either. You know, a lot of times, the entrepreneurial journey is a solo journey.
I started my entrepreneurial career when I was 20. And at 20, there were a lot of my friends who were going to parties, they were doing other things and to get 30 years later, it’s still very lonely at the top. And so while you’re driving and grinding, it’s having, you know, and people always looking up to you for ideas. It’s finding a network of other like-minded professionals that can actually get you that lead on. That’s actually one of the challenging parts because your vision to be far outpacing your colleague, not for any other reason other than your vision is your vision and finding people that can support your vision to keep you motivated.
Austin Miller: Wow, that’s definitely insightful. I think many people just want to build a business online. They don’t realize that the community of other business owners is going to be super valuable. You know, it actually sounds like you might even need somebody local. Am I right? Like right in your region?
Darrell Evans: They always say that the people around you are critical. But when you get to a certain point where business has gotten to be successful, and it’s self sustaining, or even to the point where you’re not worried about cash flow, you’re not worried about where your next customer is going to come from. I think that’s the hardest initial stage. And now it’s about getting around people that you can network with.
You can connect with a network by finding good advisors that’ll keep motivating you and helping you stay out of trouble. Because a lot of times when you’re an entrepreneur, you do things because you think you can do everything. Sometimes, you know you need that other advice to pull you in and get you to turn left when you’re supposed you know, maybe you’re thinking to turn right they want you to turn left and it’s back and say that was a game changer.
The Best Advice for Growth-Driven Businesses
Austin Miller: Very interesting. Well then, question number four. Speaking of advice, what is your favorite piece of business advice?
“Don’t try to reinvent the wheel.”
Darrell Evans
Darrell Evans: So my favorite piece of business advice is it sounds cliche, but I learned it in my early 20s. I learned it when I was at a seminar. In fact, I read a book and went to a seminar.
But the piece of advice applies to business. It applies to almost anything you want to do that is successful in life. And that is, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. If you are about to embark on the growth of a venture or a business idea, you are better off finding someone else who’s done it; modeling what they have done with your own spin on it.
Too often people try to break through a brick wall that’s never been broken through before. I’m not saying that can’t happen. Certainly we could look at an Amazon, we could look at an Uber, we can look at an Airbnb. We look at business models if those get really all the attention, but what I’m saying is a lot of us are starting businesses that are in professional services b2b. There may be a SaaS product. Don’t reinvent the wheel, but find your unique value proposition on the wheel right.
Growing up, I used to want fancy wheels on my car until I got a pair and I realized how badly my car ran with those bigger wheels on my car. I thought they were cool until they got on my car. I could feel the road and it was just a terrible, terrible ride. And I had a Lexus. And I’m like this is killing the car with these wheels.
What I’m getting at is there’s all these different styles of friends that you could have put in. I know it’s just a simple analogy. But in business, I just don’t think it’s a great idea. Like you know, a lot of the companies I advise, they’re not creating the first of anything, right?
What we’re saying how does your product or service uniquely impact the buyer or the intended customer in a way that hasn’t been their current experience?
Listen to the rest of the interview to learn more about training your digital employee aka your website and the role that the World's Best Buyer Persona® System plays in allowing your website to communicate more effectively.
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