03 Apr Startup Grind Fireside Chat with Annie Eaton: 5 Key Takeaways

Startup Grind is a global organization with over 2000 members in Atlanta. They recently invited our CEO, Annie Eaton for a virtual fireside chat to share about her journey as an entrepreneur, and her experience and thoughts on how to achieve success. The topic was “How to Build a Successful Professional Services Firm”, and there were many recommendations and points made whether you’re thinking about beginning your startup journey, or just needed some encouragement to keep going. The group had great questions and were given helpful and insightful answers.  Here are 5 key takeaways from the evening.   

1. Getting started.

Since the journey to becoming an entrepreneur can be overwhelming, it’s best to start small. Focusing on one task at a time is important. If you would like to hyper-productized in the beginning and eventually scale out, if you are following your passion, or if your focus is on a new market in which you see potential, your goals are your choice. You don’t need to be constrained to what you already know. It’s up to you if you want to specialize in one product or many. Just remember whatever you decide, make sure it’s a product or service that you really like because you will be spending a lot of time with it. 

2. Attracting clients in the beginning stages.   

If you are the head of your company, get ready to have vast conversations with many different people coming from various backgrounds. Depending on what you’re selling, you could use digital tactics, or you may have to get out there and have conversations face-to-face. Most of your early relationships will be focused on building trust and early adoption sales. One of the biggest challenges you may face will be to get people to listen to you and to buy from you. Many people may be interested, but not prepared to show you the money. That’s ok. Keep building those relationships, and keep the conversation going.    

3. Building your leadership team.

If your journey starts with a partner, make sure it’s with someone of whom you have good balance. Once you begin building your team, hire trustworthy people who are talented in multitasking and can wear multiple hats. A full-time social media person may not be in your budget, or necessary in the beginning stages. You can utilize the people you have, invest in their skills, and educate and equip them in the areas you need.    

4. Launching your company in Atlanta.

While other cities have their perks and great qualities, Atlanta holds a special place in our hearts. Not only do people here put a lot of trust in small businesses, but the city has also been welcoming to those in the emerging technology industry. There is a lot of support from the community, which has given us the ability to utilize those relationships and grow together. There are many city-wide initiatives, as well as amazing talent from universities that we use to our advantage. If you are not in the Atlanta area, with a little research you can find the right resources to help you along your journey in your own city. Meetups are always a great place to start finding like-minded peers. 

5. Confidence. Act like you belong there, because you do.

If you’ve decided on your product and are ready to start conversations with potential clients, be prepared to take on those conversations confidently. If you have confidence in your product, you should be confident in how you express it to others. No matter what the industry, act like you belong there. Have the confidence to walk into the room, talk to people and assert yourself.