Do entrepreneurs have gambling in their DNA?

March 29, 2012June 27, 2017Leave a comment

(originally published in Screen Magazine 3/28/12)

I’m always disappointed when I only have one team left in the Final Four of my March Madness pool. I don’t follow college basketball, I spent all of five minutes filling out my bracket, and I didn’t have any money riding on the outcome. So why am I disappointed? Can it be because I’m an entrepreneur? In my opinion, the desire to make good decisions is what fuels an entrepreneur. There are plenty of opportunities to make good decisions when you gamble, and even more when you own a business. So is being a gambler in an entrepreneur’s DNA?

I consider myself a casual gambler at best. I play poker with my buddies every once and a while, I’ll stop by the casino if I have time, and Las Vegas seems to be in my cards every 5 years or so. I also consider myself a casual entrepreneur. I’ve started a few businesses, invested in real estate, and don’t shy away from new venture conversations. If you think the risk associated with either scenario is not the same, think again. I’ll invest $150,000 of annual salary to a staff position if I feel it’s a safe bet that this person will be responsible for $750,000 in additional revenue. I’ll also double down my bet if dealt an eleven when playing blackjack.

What are the risks and what are the rewards? These are questions that business owners ask themselves daily. They’re also the same questions that gamblers (professional or novice) ask themselves constantly. So yes, I think there is a little gambler in every entrepreneur. So if you’re thinking about starting your own business and want to know if you have what it takes to be successful, stop by a casino and play a few hands of blackjack. The amount of money you risk is not important. Believe it or not, winning is not important. Being confident in your decision-making skills is important. Confidence is what can make or break an entrepreneur.

Is it time to re-invent your business?

March 12, 2012March 13, 2012Leave a comment

Is it time to re-invent your business? I’m not talking about a major overhaul, but perhaps a little tinkering. Can your business model be better? Thomas Edison continued to upgrade his inventions well after their initial patents, why can’t you do the same?

Much has changed since you started your business, and I don’t even know when that was. About ten years ago, a friend of mine suggested that it was necessary to re-invent your business every 5 years to stay competitive. In the current climate, it might be beneficial to look at your business model from a different perspective every year. Perhaps it’s time to take advantage of some new technology, bring on young creative talent, eliminate redundancies, or even develop a new logo and company personality.

Drawing inspiration from the latest round of DirectTV spots, let me finish with this… When a creative shop stops moving forward, it becomes complacent. When it becomes complacent, it’s known for offering mediocre services. When it’s known for offering mediocre services, clients will stop working with them. When clients stop working with them, the business closes. So re-invent often, and don’t ever stop moving forward.

It’s not too late to put together a 2012 budget

March 6, 2012March 6, 2012Leave a comment

Budget. Many creative individuals avoid using this word. There is a fear that any financial discussions can lead to a premature death or even worse, a loss of all creative talents. This is not true. You will not be less creative if you look at a Profit & Loss statement. You will be more informed. “Let someone else worry about the numbers, I want to focus on my craft” a client once said to me. He is not alone in that thinking. Hell, It was six years before I explored the “Set-Up Budget” area in Quickbooks.

I’m not suggesting that you should become a CPA, fire your bookkeeper, and take on all accounting responsibilities yourself. In fact, if you have the resources you should build a solid team of individuals that eat, sleep, and dream about maintaining your financial picture. What I am suggesting however is to get to know your books enough so you can make informed decisions.

It’s not too late to put together a 2012 budget. With two months of expenses in the books, this is not a bad time at all. My annual budget was no more than a piece of string on my finger, a reminder of the goals I set out for myself. Follow the same instincts that put you in a position to run a company, then use your budget to confirm those instincts are in line with your annual goals.

A short distraction goes a long way

March 1, 2012March 1, 2012Leave a comment

Don’t let being a business owner consume your life. And yes, this is coming from the same guy that suggests you should work at least 4 hours every weekend (It’s 5pm on Sunday…). A short distraction can go a long way to maintaining a successful business. I played video games at lunch to clear my head, but that was usually a short-term fix. Playing golf might help some folks, but I always found thoughts of meetings and financials twirling around in my head between shots. Going to Vegas is a great distraction, I usually forget all about work when I go there. Even if I lose money at the blackjack tables, the experience inspires me to re-focus, and concentrate even more on sales and new revenue streams. But the best distraction for me over the years was the Simpsons. Every episode is so stupid, funny, obnoxious, and brilliant, that it was impossible for me to think about work. Watching mindless TV really helps your mind rest.

So remember to take a break every once in a while. Do something that physically or mentally takes you away from the office. Play Space Invaders if you need to blow off some steam. Take a trip to Vegas and “lose” yourself. And for the love of God, watch the Simpsons!