image This is Akio Morita the founder of Sony. He had an opportunity to continue in the Sake brewing business that had been in the family for 15 generations. He decided to go out on his own and built one of the world’s most recognizable brands. Evan Carmichael from “problogger” did a story of Akio on his post today, I thought I would share that with you here. One thing that we as Americans have to learn to accept is that we live in a Global economy. Our competition no longer operates just across town or across country. We are competing in every field all over the World. Granted we have a head start in some niche’s but the World is quickly catching up.

  • “Don’t let people hold you back with their expectations of what you should be. Believe in yourself and create your own Sony.” We have all at one time or another dreamed about being our own boss. I’ve been fortunate to have a couple of businesses in the past. The first one was a HUGE Shovel the driveway in the winter for the people within walking distance of my house business. I think I had a whopping 4 customers.

That beat me down enough that my next attempt at my own business took almost 20 years to get off the ground. I bought my first tractor trailer when I was in my late 30’s I think it was. That business lasted 10 years went through 3 vehicles and ended in Bankruptcy for me.

  • Start small. Morita started Sony with only $350.00. Great businesses and blogs are built one step at a time. Keep building momentum every day.

I didn’t follow the advice of starting small. Well it was relatively small for a Tractor Trailer. I bought a 1990 Peterbilt Conventional for I think somewhere around $30,000 dollars. We used Cindy’s settlement for her injury on her leg to pay the down payment. Cindy has been with me every step of the way. I don’t deserve her, but I’m keeping her.Two trucks and 8 years later I went belly up when I had an illness and one of the two drivers I had was less of a driver than he said he was. (Read, afraid to drive in the snow)

  • The next one was. Pick a good name. Hurray!! I finally got one right. Sony’s first name was The Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Kabushika Kaisha. Sort of makes you want to run right out and buy a T.V. doesn’t it?

I feel pretty good about this one. I mean How many JustaKrusen’s do you know? Exactly! But now you can’t say that can you. Hang on we have BIG plans. Anybody out there can start an Internet business with no money at all. If you don’t have a computer, you can go to the library.

  • Trust your gut. Morita did not believe in doing market research. His advice was to “Carefully watch how people live, get an intuitive sense as to what they might want and then go with it. Don’t do market research.” As an example, his team wanted to change the name of the Sony Walkman to Soundabout but Morita refused. He trusted his gut that Walkman was a better name. Today the word “Walkman” is in almost every major dictionary. Part of being a successful blogger is trusting your gut and going with what you think will work despite what the data and “experts” are telling you.

I copied and pasted this paragraph right out of Evan’s Blog. I couldn’t say it any other way any better. 

  • This next one is one of my favorite ones. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Heck I can do this one. I have it down pat. If there is a wrong way or a hard way to do it just ask me. I’ve done it! His last sentence states “The more mistakes you make the wiser you will become and the more successful you will be.”

Man I hope he’s right, because I’m well on my way if that’s the case.

  • The next one he talks about is Building a quality product. Basically if your not writing material that is new different,and offers interesting perspective, you won’t get readers, sponsors,or links to your blog.

This one I’m not so sure about I just started Two months ago and I’m getting about 7 or 8 new visitors and about the same amount of return visitors according to Goggle analiticals. For those of you that have come and then even come back I am grateful. Thankyou.

  • Be Different. Morita when he opened the first Sony store in America hung a huge Japanese flag above the entrance. WWII had just ended and the flag got people talking. Darren asked the question “Can you answer the statement: My blog is different and unique because ___________?

I’ve got this one in the bag. Any body that knows me, knows that I am different. Just ask The Lime Green Drama Queen I don’t have any Japanese flags laying around but I am “JustaKrusen”. 

  • The last bullet point of the 8 was. Create the market. Morita created products for markets that didn’t exist.This resulted in boo coo recognition. He say’s to become an expert for your niche and get known as the leading figure in your field.

This last one “Not so much” I don’t feel like I’m an expert in anything. I was a very good truck driver. I don’t know if that translates into blogging or not, but I’m going to give it the best I have. That’s the only way to do it right?

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