This is the first in a series of posts I call “Break to Fix,” in which I give you examples of how to fix a common business problem by breaking something—breaking with convention, breaking the rules, breaking the way things “have always been done,” breaking up with people you think you need but really don’t.
So here’s how these “Break to Fix” posts will go. I’ll come up with a type of business, the problem, and the fix, and then tell you a story about it. Yes, a made-up story, but just because it’s fiction doesn’t mean it it’s not true. (Ponder that, why don’t ya?)
I’m going to kick off the series by focusing on an often-overlooked entrepreneur—the artist. In this story, we’re talking about a painter.
So Wolfie, our artist, has been at it for years—painting pretty landscapes and trying to sell his wares to random strangers at the park, to gallery owners, and to art lovers online. The problem is, no one knows who he is. And because no one knows Wolfie or his work, no one cares. And because no one cares, no one buys.
Business is difficult for Wolfie, and it only gets worse when people pronounce his name “Wolf-ee,” as in a scrawny, inadequate, sissy wolf. His name is really pronounced “Volf-ee”—you know, the old German W-V switch up. So, on the few occasions he meets a new prospect, the meeting kicks off with a confusing discussion of how to pronounce his name and why any parent in their right mind would call their lone son a "pussy wolf?"
It’s almost impossible for Wolfie to get noticed amongst the sea of painters and other artists who all want to develop a following, gain notoriety and make it big. (Heck, he’d settle for a chance to get off his PB&J diet for good. Volves eat meat, after all.) There are just too many of them.
Wolfie’s about to toss his brushes into the river and move home with Mom when he gets the idea that will change everything:
He will only paint on one canvas. Period. Ever. Like until death, or the apocalypse… whatever comes first.
The idea comes to him when he realizes he will either have to stop buying canvases or stop eating. He asks himself the great question, the big “What if…” and he comes up with a fix to his problem that defies convention in every way.
The objective of the painter is to sell a painting, right? So it makes no sense to paint on one canvas for the rest of your life. How can you sell the same painting over and over again? (Now THAT is a genius question.)
Wolfie figures he’ll paint on one piece of canvas, take a high-res photograph of the painting, sell the photograph as a limited edition print, and then paint over the painting and start again. He’ll repeat this over and over again, until his canvas is covered with layers and layers and layers of paintings.
By breaking the most basic rules of commerce for painters, Wolfie will no doubt generate buzz and interest in his work. And now that he’s eating all things medium-rare again, he comes up with more brilliant ideas to help him get noticed.
He paints in public—first on the street, then at a friend’s studio (which he films and puts on YouTube), and when business gets better, in his own studio (NOT mom’s basement) with a sitting area where guests can come and watch him paint his “One Canvas” at any time, for a small fee. When he’s about to finish a painting, he hosts a live event on Livestream, and lets those who are watching bid on the prints.
Soon, Wolfie’s prints are in high demand. He’s featured on Sunday morning news programs, and on Oprah’s Christmas list in O Magazine. Orders and accolades come rolling in, and Wolfie couldn’t be happier. Really, he couldn’t. He gets to do what he loves, you see, and make a killing doing it. Can’t get any happier than that.
Wolfie’s story is made up, but there are artists who broke rules to get noticed. Think about Keith Haring, one of the most famous painters of the 20th century. He got noticed not just by breaking the rules—he broke the law. He was a graffiti artist in New York, and a damn good one. Fast forward 10 years and his stuff is on T-shirts, postcards, posters, you name it.
So the fix is—do the ONE thing you shouldn’t be doing. Do the thing that, in theory, would stop your industry from functioning. You know, like painting a lifetime of work on one canvas.
How does this apply to your business? What could you stop doing or start doing, what could you pay attention to or completely ignore, what could you promise or offer or give that would be totally unconventional?
What could you break to fix?
Great made up story! We are starting a company to sell dried spice and herb blends. Got one for us?
Thanks
Denny
Hey Dtrion – Absolutely! First have some questions for you…
1. Who is your target customer (not just their sex and age, but what do they do for fun, why do they want your product)
2. Who is your closest direct competitors (even if their stuff sucks, who is the customer aware of).
3. What is the name of your company?
Dear
Mike,
Thanks
for your response, I just read your book and that led me here. Great
book by the way!
Answers
to who is your target customer?
)
People who love to cook or grill food. With growing trend towards
“plant based foods” , we hope to make our blend available
to those who want to eat and or serve more vegetables. I think our
customers probably love to cook for fun too.
2)
Since we are still in infancy, I am not sure who that would be. I
like two online sellers: redmonkey.com and tampicospice.com and
see our company evolving into a wholesale resource rather quickly.
3)
Our company name is SunnySIdeSpice Company, I own the url and am
forming an LCC.
Thanks
for your consideration of this. I was blown away reading TPE, I wish
I would have found this book when you first published it, I would
have started then.
Peace,
Dennis
Here
is Cindy’s (my wife and business partner) response, that I enclosed
as well.
Our target customers
are varied. We want to market the big chain grocery stores who
are looking to put something different on their shelves to show their
customers they are interested in introducing new food trends.
We wold like to market restaurants, schools, hospitals and other
institutional distributors in food service. Our spice blends go
very well with yams, kale, Swiss Chard, and legumes, typical
nutritious food, not likely found on their menus. Big benefit
for them. But ultimately, we would like to market industrial
entities who are processing meat such as companies that make jerky,
sausage, smoked salmon, etc. Also, a jar of rub and a recipe
for succulent barbecue ribs or grilled salmon could sell a barbecue
grill. We would be interested in contacting barbecue grill
wholesalers and retailers to sell our product as an enhancement for
their product.
Thanks for this feedback. I will work on some ideas. Just note, that if you want to have clients that are looking for something different… you need to be waaaaay different. The packaging or the flavor or the back story. Something needs to be WAY distinct.
Keep your eye’s peeled for me to do a post.
You could go to farmers markets and fruit stands to start out. I think that you would also have luck starting in the smaller “Ma & Pa” type grocery stores. They may be a bit easier to approach.
Some fairs and trade shows will allow you to sell products like your’s. Check the rules. That is a great place to start getting regular customers.
Good idea. I like starting where the other competitors aren’t even thinking about marketing. Good call.
Good idea. I like starting where the other competitors aren’t even thinking about marketing. Good call.
Hey Dennis – What is your email address? Can you email me? I wrote a new post about your business and want to include pictures of you and your wife, and your products. Can you email pics to me.
Love this story. Entrepreneurs too often fall victim to the urge to blend in, and so follow along with the status quo like lemmings, with little or no thought as to whether it will actually benefit them. I look forward to future “Break to Fix” posts.
Thank you Flint. Never follow the lemmings.
This is fantastic! Thanks. And, the new website did make me chuckle.
Victory! I made you laugh! Victory!!!!
Now this question you have posed: what could you promise or offer or give that would be totally unconventional? Is my ticket higher Mike. Thanks.