Beginning a startup business does not only mean putting ideas into mobile applications or website that are liked by many. Startup business requires good organisational management like one of a company, such as building network and instilling entrepreneurial spirit among all team members.
This emerged in the seminar titled How To Create Startup in the Kertanegara room, Faculty of Economic and Business UGM on Wednesday (9/8). It presented speakers, such as Dr. Gerhard Herz, observer from Institute for Vocational Education and Corporate Identity, Germany, Anggit Tut Pinillih, founder of JAKPAT Mobile Survey, and Ahmad Yuniarto, founder of Biru Peduli.
Gerhard Herz said startup business was different from regular businesses, because the digital business would not need huge capital nor long history of entrepreneurial experience.
“Having a startup business requires less money, less work in building a business concept, but it has to be able to respond to consumer needs as soon as possible,” he said.
Unlike regular business that needs one to register the business to the government, a startup business does not have to. You just need to put your ideas into mobile apps or website that can resolve problems faced by many. Next is to make sure that the business is liked by many people so that it may flourish.
“Brand manajement is crucial so it needs good planning strategies,” he added.
Gerhard Herz explained in Germany, e-commerce grew rapidly, even it ranks fifth in the world after the US, China, UK and Japan. Some of the products they sell on the internet are electrical products, automotive spareparts and accesories, food, media, and fashion. In Herz’s opinion, the rapid development of e-commerce was due to shorter chain of distribution. “E-commerce has shortcut distribution chains,” he said.
Anggit Tut Pinillih said the steps to establish a startup business was by finding a problem that affects many people. After mapping the problems, one needs to find the solution. “The problems will be mapped so as to answer the question whether these can be resolved by technology? And how far the solution can be provided to resolve the problem,” she said.
In her opinion, everyone has a smart idea to establish a startup business, but they need courage to run that business. “Not all ideas have to be perfect. The key is to establish communication with clients or customers,” she said.
She added after finding a good idea, one needs to strengthen cooperation between team members to build an appropriate brand which is acceptable to the market. “If a market has been established, the profit will come naturally,” she concluded.