The Disappearing Silver Bullet

Many individuals interested in a business startup are under the assumption that there is a magic silver bullet (or formula) for success. They are convinced that the successful businesses they have encountered gained access to this formula and are simply unwilling to share the knowledge with other aspiring business owners.

Somehow if that knowledge could just be pried away from the 'successful' then the startup businesses might just have a chance to develop something equally successful.

In today's highly competitive marketplace success often comes when individuals challenge existing ideas. For instance Google has made a habit of challenging existing thinking and has purchased numerous peripheral businesses that allow for diversification while allowing their entire brand to move forward in what had been an already crowded search engine market. Today Google provides radio stations with automation systems; they provide visitors with maps and now have ownership of the popular You Tube video distribution site. It is also Google that provides web owners the possibility to find cost effective ways to market their site through AdSense.

How is it possible that a company that has only been in existence since 1998 is a multi-billion dollar firm?

Perhaps the predominant reasons include innovation and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom. In the first case they look for interesting ways to provide connections with a global community. In the second case they have never stopped questioning the way "its always been done."

If someone were to take the current model for Google and attempt to recreate it, it is probable the attempt would fail because Google understands that what got them to the point of success may not be what keeps them there. It won't be long before new strategies emerge and new roads traveled. Google is not the focus of this article because there are literally hundreds of other businesses that are blazing a new trail to success by challenging the status quo.

As the global marketplace gets more congested with online merchants it will require an increasing amount of adaptability to find new markets, appeal to an enlarged demographic, fine tune a specific niche market or refine offerings.

The elusive silver bullet is a myth. There is no 'one' path to financial entrepreneurial success. Each business draws from unique strengths and adapts to market pressures in highly personal ways. It is the individual perseverance and leadership of each firm that will cause a separation between 'good idea' and 'business success'.

No one can give you a definitive "10 Point Plan for Personal Business Success", but you can apply several good ideas and adapt them to create something that really works well for you in your own business startup.