The Critical Moment

Part Three

 

Getting Started

 

Video Billboard and our website digitalsignage101.com is one of the few websites in the world if not the only one that is here for the “Little Guy.” We have developed affordable, easy to learn, user-friendly Digital Signage software so you can start off your venture without being smothered in debt or drowned in technology. We want you to succeed so I am making every effort to provide you with real world experience that hopefully will allow you to recognize pitfalls that I found.

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We have identified the need to provide a Digital Signage suite that does not cost $10,000 and requires an army of technicians to run it. If we provide the initial level of product, service, support and guidance to a start-up company like yourself you should learn and be profitable enough to go on to purchase the all singing all dancing software if that is what you choose to do. Digital Signage is very attractive to the young entrepreneur.

Whether your advertising objectives are to sell ads for revenue or as a Point of Purchase medium we will be able to make this effective and affordable. When you combine the falling equipment costs with the ease of operation that current technology provides then mix in a dash of enthusiasm and some naivety you have a perfect recipe for a Digital Signage start up.
 

This is all good, in fact it is a requirement, but it is not everything that is needed for success.

 

When you are investigating the potential benefit of a Digital Signage program, I think you have to look at what are your objectives are for the service. Are you an existing company wishing to expand the information you can provide to your customers through Point Of Purchase placement, or do you wish to start a signage company to sell advertising. If you are reading this with a dream of building your own Digital Signage Company so you can sell advertising, you should make note of this personal message from me.

 

For everything I can tell you about Digital Signage, there is a point where you will have to put your money on the table, or worse, someone else’s. I can only give you a frame work to start business or as I said before a point of departure. At some point you have to pony up real cash and summon all the support and best wishes from friends and family. You had better make sure you are committed. If your not in it for the long haul then stop. Don’t use up all your resources both financial and emotional on some thing you can’t promise to conclude.

 

Over the past twenty one years I have had a steady stream of advice to forget about Video Billboard and get a job some where. If you are a true entrepreneur the thought of this is nauseating. So I stuck it out and it would not have happened with out the support of friends and family. To this point I salute those who stuck by my promise to myself to succeed;

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"I will pay you back as soon as I can, the check is in the mail. :)"

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I do remember the other Critical Moment back in 1990. I had left the small town and moved to Calgary with a nasty suit and a suitcase full of best wishes. I drove taxi to keep the money moving through my wallet. I would park my cab use a washroom to change into my nasty suite and go to a meeting with a promise of the future of our Video Billboards. One of these meetings was a meet and greet at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. As I recall there was a three story climb to the grand chamber, as I was climbing the stairs my anxiety increased with each step. Every stair brought me closer roar of conversations emanating from the top of the stairs.

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When I got to the closed ten foot double doors I was out of breath and sweating. This was my Critical Moment, “What am I doing?” I have a beautiful wife and two baby girls back in my small town, I made a promise to her when I left and it was not until this Critical Moment that I truly understood the weight of this promise. I stood outside these massive doors fully sweating in my bad suite and had a talk with myself. I decided, if I walk through these doors I must solidify this promise to me and my family to see this through regardless or to turn around and go home. For a lot of reasons I wish I had gone home, I missed a lot of time with my wife and baby girls I can never have back. But I wiped of my hands, sucked it up and adjusted the world’s worst suite and made my grand entrance. I got so many promises of help and business cards; it was a great day because it was the official beginning.

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So I say to you now regardless of what business you go into as an entrepreneur do your home work, make sure beyond all error it is viable, make your commitment then get started.

 

Down and dirty viability check:

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"Half your profits and double your costs, if it's still black, go!"

 

Thanks Dave.

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RIP