[Question] How to get small business owners on the phone?

[EpicLee]

Hi all,

I want to start a software company. I am a software developer myself and have helped several friends and family members with setting up websites, mobile applications, and the like. I specialize in automation and back-end development.

I would like to be able to use my skills to help small business owners. The problem I am having is finding a way to contact them and explain what I am trying to do. I have been reading a ton about "cold calling" -- but I am not trying to sell anything. I am wanting to talk to owners and see what problems they are having in their business and if there is a way we can automate it or make it easier. If there is a problem we can automate, and it makes sense to do so, then we can work out the compensation. But I don't want to try to sell something that isn't going to provide a TON of value or call them with a generic solution.

For example, if a business owner is having a problem with reporting that takes 1 hour a day to do, they work 6 days a week, and they value their time at $25 an hour. They are spending $600 a month with this theoretical problem. If I can automate the process for them, or knock it down to just spending 2 hours a week doing it, then they would save several hundred dollars a month.

Would this conversation be worthwhile? I would think so. Would it save small business owners time and money? I would think so.

So, as small business owners. What would be the best way to call / approach you guys for an interview about your business to specifically talk about things that you do not like to do or spend a lot of time doing? And do you think this would something that would be worthwhile to pursue?

Thanks for your feedback! :)

[vangogh]

I don't think this is worth pursuing the way you're thinking. Business owners are not going to want to stop what they're doing so you can interview them. You're looking at this thinking business owners will be happy to talk to you because who doesn't want to save money. Business owners will likely see you as an interruption in their day that's costing them money. You're really asking them to take time out of their day so they can help you with your business.

A better approach is figure out a common problem many people have and then write software to solve that problem and sell the software. Promote it so that when someone does have the problem you can solve they'll be aware of you and seek you out.

You really want to approach a business with the solution in hand. You don't want to approach a business and start asking them questions until you figure out something you might do to help them. Most business owners are not going to spend the time to help you do that. You can't approach businesses and essentially go fishing for work.

[Harold Mansfield]

Hi all,

I want to start a software company. I am a software developer myself and have helped several friends and family members with setting up websites, mobile applications, and the like. I specialize in automation and back-end development.

I would like to be able to use my skills to help small business owners. The problem I am having is finding a way to contact them and explain what I am trying to do. I have been reading a ton about "cold calling" -- but I am not trying to sell anything. I am wanting to talk to owners and see what problems they are having in their business and if there is a way we can automate it or make it easier. If there is a problem we can automate, and it makes sense to do so, then we can work out the compensation. But I don't want to try to sell something that isn't going to provide a TON of value or call them with a generic solution.

For example, if a business owner is having a problem with reporting that takes 1 hour a day to do, they work 6 days a week, and they value their time at $25 an hour. They are spending $600 a month with this theoretical problem. If I can automate the process for them, or knock it down to just spending 2 hours a week doing it, then they would save several hundred dollars a month.

Would this conversation be worthwhile? I would think so. Would it save small business owners time and money? I would think so.

So, as small business owners. What would be the best way to call / approach you guys for an interview about your business to specifically talk about things that you do not like to do or spend a lot of time doing? And do you think this would something that would be worthwhile to pursue?

Thanks for your feedback! :)

I agree with VG. You're approach won't work. Telemarketers and recorded message spamming is very annoying. When I need a product or service or to solve a problem I search for it.
I hear about new products and services because I read a lot of tech and business blogs.

You're trying to approach it like a door to door vacuum cleaner salesman..."If they can just see how well it works, everyone will want one.".

What you really need to do is come up with a real marketing plan that gets your product some exposure and brings people to you when they are looking for what you have to offer and then be ready to close the deal once they get to you. That could include advertising.

[Freelancier]

What would be the best way to call / approach you guys for an interview about your business to specifically talk about things that you do not like to do or spend a lot of time doing?
If you call me, expect me to thank you and hang up before you can get through the second sentence. When I want help, I search for it. When someone calls me out of the blue, it's an annoyance.

From what I've seen, the biggest problem IT people have when starting a business is figuring out who their customer really is and knowing how to target them. Shooting a musket at a hole in the wall to kill a mouse is not understanding your quarry at all.

[Patrysha]

You'd be better of networking within local business organization groups and picking up your information through conversation than through the doors of their business. Get to know them through alternate means and they'll be happy to take your call. Offer to hold a Q&A session at a local Chamber or Rotary meeting...things like that will go much further than trying to grab their time while they're in work mode.

HTH

[vangogh]

You have to keep in mind that while you might be able to save a business owner time and money, at the moment you want to talk to them you're doing the opposite. You're interrupting their work. Most people will be focused on ending the conversation and getting back to work.

If you're a good salesperson you'll get some people talking and even agreeing to hire you. Some of those will probably change their mind after you leave, but if you talk to enough people some will say yes. It's just not an effective way to run a business for you.

Decide who your customers will be. Your market isn't every small business owner. Look for groups of people with similar problems and solve those problems. Asking people what problems they need solved isn't a good approach.

[EpicLee]

I don't think this is worth pursuing the way you're thinking. Business owners are not going to want to stop what they're doing so you can interview them. You're looking at this thinking business owners will be happy to talk to you because who doesn't want to save money. Business owners will likely see you as an interruption in their day that's costing them money. You're really asking them to take time out of their day so they can help you with your business.

A better approach is figure out a common problem many people have and then write software to solve that problem and sell the software. Promote it so that when someone does have the problem you can solve they'll be aware of you and seek you out.

You really want to approach a business with the solution in hand. You don't want to approach a business and start asking them questions until you figure out something you might do to help them. Most business owners are not going to spend the time to help you do that. You can't approach businesses and essentially go fishing for work.

Vangogh, thanks for your feedback!

With regards to the bold, how do you purpose I find a common problem that many people have without being able to talk to them and develop a solution that fits there needs?

I could read articles, follow trends, and make assumptions. I could spend 6 months developing a perfect hamburger only to realize that when I try to go to market... all my customers wanted hotdogs. To delve deeper, let's say everyone wanted hotdogs... but you like ketchup and the guy next in line hates ketchup. Instead of guessing... wouldn't it be better to ask?

[Harold Mansfield]

Vangogh, thanks for your feedback!

With regards to the bold, how do you purpose I find a common problem that many people have without being able to talk to them and develop a solution that fits there needs?

I could read articles, follow trends, and make assumptions. I could spend 6 months developing a perfect hamburger only to realize that when I try to go to market... all my customers wanted hotdogs. To delve deeper, let's say everyone wanted hotdogs... but you like ketchup and the guy next in line hates ketchup. Instead of guessing... wouldn't it be better to ask?

I know you didn't ask me, but I'm chiming back in..

You should definitely do your research to see if there may be interest in your product or service. But don't combine that will also trying to sell the product or service.
Usually people start with solutions to problems that they know exist based on experience in a certain field. Not the other way around.

For instance, my experience as a Do It Yourself WordPress hobbyist taught me that there weren't that many places for people to go for knowledgeable help and tech support when they needed it. And that since many small businesses run WordPress websites as their company site that there was a market for support and emergency services.

I didn't go around asking general questions like "What do you need help with the most when it comes to WordPress?". You will get 1000 different answers and waste time chasing every quirk out there. I saw the need because I watched and listened. And then I took a chance.

Your approach is kind of backwards. You're basically doing the old "what can I do to make money? ", instead of actually having a specific product or service that you want to launch. In short, you can't just pick something and say "That's what I'll start a business doing". It should be something that you already have some skill or interest in that you can develop into a business because you have some kind of experience in it.

My last tip is...many people here have asked the same question as you. The general "What do small business owners need? ". I'm here to tell you, you will never come up with any solid business ideas or a sustainable plan if it's based on wandering around asking people what they need.

Many times people don't know or consider what they need until someone offers it.

[RR151]

Hi all,

I want to start a software company. I am a software developer myself and have helped several friends and family members with setting up websites, mobile applications, and the like. I specialize in automation and back-end development.

Why don't you start with the friends and family? Don't they know some small businesses in your area that are having trouble. You should work with a friendly business owner to start in a specific niche. Create a series of modules that can quickly be transferred to other businesses in that specific niche.

I had a friend that was having trouble keeping up with his free estimate offer. What was happening was it took approx. 4 hours a day to complete his new estimates but with all that work he was getting less than 1% showing interest. And way less turning into jobs.

Solution was to hire a programmer like you to create a free estimator on his website. The prospects would create the quote on-line and get a price then they decided if they needed an email follow up. If yes then he followed up with the finial quote at 15% less than the on-line quote.

He is now closing more work than he can handle and not having take 4 hours out of his life to do an estimate that he is not going to close. He is in the fence building business and I know that the programmer has the same calculator on other businesses with little custom work needed.

Do you know any friends that are having trouble creating free estimates? a Electrician, a Plumber, a Fence builder, a roofer, the deck builder and list goes on and on of the businesses that rely on free estimates.

On-line is so cool because you build the one calculator for one business in your home town and sell it across the net in the same niche. I wonder how many small businesses build fences for a living in North America and are having a problem with their free estimates?

Build it and they will come...

Just a thought...RR