Sick and Tired of Failed Startups: 4 Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Terrorists

Omolola Akinyele
Jul 30, 2017 · 3 min read
Photo by Amador Loureiro on Unsplash

Terrorism is a sensitive topic in the world.

This is not only because of the ongoing war against terrorism, but because of the thousands of people who lose their lives yearly to terrorist attacks (May their souls rest in peace).

This article does not ridicule the issue or even extol terrorists.

Rather, it exposes core business hacks that terrorists used for years to remain relevant.

The following are four things entrepreneurs can learn from terrorists.

· Indoctrinate All Members

One common thing with terrorist organizations is that all their members are brainwashed into believing and following the doctrine.

This doctrine for business is your company culture.

Company culture is the personality of your business. This includes company values, expectations and relationship with the public.

All terrorists irrespective of their rank or age behave according to their overall code of operations.
While, I don’t expect you to force your employees through the horrifying processes of brainwashing.

Proper orientation and induction is necessary for all your employees.

Plan team building activities for your employees, insist in all employees fitting their personalities into the corporate brand, and inform the team about the company culture and expectations.

· Publicize Every Step

Terrorist attacks are reported every day on every medium all over the world.

Imagine your business making major headlines from CNN to your local newspaper.

Suddenly, your business receives a whooping amount of attention and you double your profit in record time.

Great Right?

If only life was so easy?

To get crazy results, invest constantly in creating an impressive online presence

Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash

· Commitment is Key

Have you ever heard of a retired terrorist? Funny Right, because terrorists never retire. Deep down, that is pure naked commitment to their cause.

If you are not 100% committed to your business, it would be very difficult for you to succeed. You should have that same commitment to your business. You should be ready to be the most hardworking and diligent person at your startup.

Commitment to the success of your business is not just putting in long hours. It involves focusing on the right areas, hiring the right people, and taking decisions for the good of the business

· Long Term Planning

It is not unusual to discover that terrorists plan for the long run, from all we see on CNN they have a long term agenda. What does that say about them? It says they believe they would be around for long and so they plan.

If terrorists have faith in their cause, why lose faith in your business? Long-term plans show you believe your business is sustainable and viable. Short-term plans are great, but if they are not geared towards achieving long term plans, and then they are wasted effort.

Long term planning resolves issues of lack of resources, because it allows you to spread costs, by budgeting over a longer period for innovations or upgrades to your service without weakening your current financial position.

· Conclusion

Terrorists always study before they attack.

They know the news; they probably study the attack environment and other information relevant to them.

What do you know about your environment? Are you studying market trends; competitor information and government policy related to your business.

While your business is not seeking to inflict terror.

It is becoming more important for entrepreneurs to have ninja skills to thrive and succeed in the competitive world of business.

Omolola Akinyele

Written by

I help Startups get more paying customers, double revenue and build brand loyalty with email marketing.

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