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What happens when you realise your path is entrepreneurship rather than employment? Lindsay takes up the challenge and shares an account of her journey as it unfolds…

Two big potential opportunities are unfolding – and it’s a bit scary.

One is to collaborate with one of the Big Four, delivering Strategic Alignment to a very sizeable Government Department here in the Netherlands; the other is to get into some kind of deal with a huge software company for their use of Mirror Mirror.

I am of course, excited. But there’s also risk. I’m trying to manage this all professionally but can’t deny I feel the stress: I need to be super-careful.

And I don’t want to get my hopes up.  I’ve had too many disappointments in the past and am trying to avoid the crash down from a ‘dream wave’ when the it breaks into nothing but another self-funded learning experience. I’m just going to assume neither of those opportunities come through.

And as I’m investigating them, I’m seeing the credentials from contacts in the loop and I’m seeing how they’re talking about new business.  Two new MUCH more exciting ideas spring up:

IDEA 1: Big Deals Coalition

• If there’s a Government department issuing a huge RFP (requests for purchase) under the title ‘Strategic Alignment’ (now that’s a breakthrough) there could be more.Note to self – get on the notification list for this in Europe at least.

I’ve always wanted to work across whole organizations but never saw that door of opportunity.  And by that I’m not referring to the demand, I’m referring to the MEANS – what kind of offer could I put together that would be convincing.

IDEA 2 – Partnerships

If a software company is interested in integrating Mirror Mirror into its collaboration platform, then who else out there could be interested in the same or similar. Collaboration platforms, HR tooling companies, psychometric testing organizations – I need a brainstorm.

Very quickly, the unsettled feeling I had about where to go now that my trained-up network is not the route-to-market I’d thought, is replaced by THE NEXT LEVEL.

Here’s the logic that is underpinning my new strategy:

• Mirror Mirror has taken 3 years to incubate into a proven, valuable offer
• Since then I’ve built a network, created more case studies, and made it more robust
• I’m looking to attract
  • A) more sales directly and via my network
    • By building awareness and credibility with blogs and social posts etc
    • By engaging my network with news, calls, sharing resources etc
  • B) big deals by coordinating and marketing the Enterprise Approach
  • C) partnerships to extend the use of / revenue from Mirror Mirror.

Nice plan!

By the way – I won’t be able to apply the Big Deals Coalition concept to the current Government Department contract. It’s too big and we wouldn’t meet the criteria.  The route so far to get myself into a bid for this contract with one of the Big 4 has been a pretty uncomfortable and round-about one to date.  I won’t bore you with the details, but I hope it will be worth it.  We may not win, and if we do, it may be a costly learning curve…

Mirror Mirror aligns people in teams to pull together and deliver on your strategy.  The process adds clarity and ownership and takes out cost and risk.