Struggling Entrepreneur

 

 101A- Mark Roberts- Helping customers to validate their market [30:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Mark A. Roberts, who has been a Small Business Owner after he was successful in the Corporate World with Frito-Lay and a Startup business.

He currently has his own business, which is called Out of the Box Solutions.

As you will hear in this podcast, one of the biggest obstacles to success for an Entrepreneur is not being able to sell the product or service. And how come?

As Mark describes, the Entrepreneur has passion for the idea, excitement for the product or service and enthusiasm for the launch of the small business. However, the strategy and planning and research needed to see if the market was there — and if anyone would be willing to pay for the final product or service — does not exist.

Mark’s current business can help the Entrepreneur to do the proper investigation to see if a real market exists and real customers who would buy the product or service.

Mark is currently with a firm called Pragmatic Marketing.  Although we had met at the ProductCamp event in Austin, Texas, he is currently based out of Phoenix, Arizona.

Mark has published a book in 2007, titled “Branding Backwards: A Brand’s Odyssey Toward Self-Discovery.” And you can get a free copy from his web site by simply requesting it on his online form.

In this book, he uses the story-telling method of describing the thought process that goes in acquiring a differentiating BRAND. It is also available as an audio narration in the form of a podcast.

In addition to writing a second book, Mark is also the invited keynote speaker for an events that deal with assistance for Entrepreneurs, especially with the mature and experienced workers who are going into small business ownership after being laid off from their day-jobs or because they have just retired from their corporate or public sector career. This organization is called BoomerzWork.

We thank Mark for empathizing with Entrepreneurs and “how his heart goes out to them” when he sees them in trouble and tries to provide the guidance and assistance to help them save their business, then grow their business.

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