You’ve heard the expressions, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait till you hire an amateur,” or “don’t stumble over dollars looking for pennies.” There are more, but hopefully I’ve made the point.
More and more, people of all ages are looking to start their own business, don’t have a clue on where to begin, and anguish over the possibility of paying a consultant to help get them started. As a dairy and nondairy frozen professional, I frequently receive an email stating they’re anxious to understand how things work and look forward to my assistance. The inquirer found me from an article written or Google search “ice cream consultant” or “private labeling”. The inquirer was anxious to tap into my knowledge base and possibly expect investing $0.00. My reply: “Yes indeed you’ve come to the right place and happy to help in the endeavor.”
Their ask: “So what’s the next step?” Me: “Send your contact information and topics you want to learn about.” And from there we’ll schedule a brief chat to meet and get a clear understanding of expectations. During the chat, I recommend scheduling a 3 hour one-on-one session meeting for $375. Silence – then a response of “Oh.”
At that moment I’ll pretty much know who is serious about starting their business and who is just trolling for free information. I’m not suggesting that if they do not go forward with the meet, their chance of being successful is slim to none. But rather, if they believe the cost of learning from a professional is steep, then wait until they see the cost of learning from their own mistakes. “Darryl will save you time and money” is not just a tagline, but rather a statement of fact from 30 years of experience in the consumable industry.
Learning on your own is vital, but I suggest that investing in knowledge based information can have immediate impact on initial investment and, in some instances, an ROI in the first couple of decisions.
I believe being in front of the competition from the start can be one of the most important strategies towards a successful business. When learning to drive, you pay an instructor. To get pointers on self improvement, you buy a book. The same thought process should apply when looking to become self-employed. Don’t be reluctant in the idea of hiring an ice cream consultant to provide useful information on how to make ice cream; improve your product, build a manufacturing facility, or start a retail shop.
Darryl David, owner of Darryl’s Ice Cream Solutions, LLC, created a frozen dairy consulting business from recognizing the disconnect between the small business startup and the commercial sector. Clients tell me they’re surprised when no one called back from a manufacturer, distributor, broker or retail buyer. My guess is the message left did not reflect a knowledgeable prospective client. In the consumable industry, especially dairy, consolidation transpired over the last twenty-five years, leaving companies forced to run lean and work on thin profit margins. With that comes the elimination of “good ol day” customer service. Manufacturers can no longer afford to offer customer support for a new product or concept. Why? Because of the risk of little to no return on investment. It sounds cold to people starting out, but it’s the sad reality.
So instead of writing a “How To” book on starting your business, Darryl decided to create a consulting service easily accessible to start-up entrepreneurs and growing businesses. Darryl’s Ice Cream Solutions, LLC. opens its door and replies to anyone with the desire to start their business, no matter the consumable. Assisting in product development and identifying equipment, facility requirements and other areas of importance is what we do. What are you going to do?
Don’t stumble over dollars. Contact Darryl and get your project in motion. Your wallet will thank you.
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