How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two
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I agree that larger companies have advantages in many ways, but it doesn't mean it's impossible to start and grow your own company.
The OP was asking how to go from a one man shop to two. What that looks like in reality, is going from google voice to a hosted PBX. Yes you now have an additional cost, but now you have two people that can answer the main number. Most of the growth steps look like this.
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Good info from all. I know it's going to be hard, but can't see myself going to work for someone. I don't have any desire to become a large company.
Are any speaking from experience in starting a company fresh or is this mostly anecdotal?
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@ccwtech said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
Good info from all. I know it's going to be hard, but can't see myself going to work for someone. I don't have any desire to become a large company.
Are any speaking from experience in starting a company fresh or is this mostly anecdotal?
Lots of us have started companies
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@ccwtech said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
Are any speaking from experience in starting a company fresh or is this mostly anecdotal?
I started my company about 5 years ago and have been totally out on my own for a couple years now.
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@jaredbusch said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@scottalanmiller said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@storageninja said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
Expense/travel reimbursement policy - Small shops will balk at someone spending $30 on dinner. Large shops will not care about a $100 lunch. Small shops will force lowest cost fair rules on travel, and force discount carriers, and tickets. Larger shops will allow business class on long flights.
I'm seeing the opposite here. Small shop, doesn't blink at flight costs, dinner is always $100+, we can just request luxury apartments wherever they are needed, etc.
Meh, startup burning cash to attract the right talent. After startup phase this type of thing will typically change.
I agree. I've worked for several smaller companies, and they all had strick reimbursement policies. i.e. I can't have a rental car for SW next week - I have to use the shuttle. Meals capped at $35/day, etc.
The larger company I used to work for.. yeah, they didn't care - $100 dinner - no problem, etc.
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Just had a nice expensive lunch as we speak
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@dashrender said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
I agree. I've worked for several smaller companies, and they all had strick reimbursement policies. i.e. I can't have a rental car for SW next week - I have to use the shuttle. Meals capped at $35/day, etc.
I thought about staying up at the Arboretum and renting a car, but I hate parking in Austin. Instead, I'm just going to bus in (Vonlane drops you off south of the river for the same price as a southwest airlines flight) and bum rides off the local SE's and Alliance guys if I need to go to RoundRock or something. Uber/Lyft is far cheaper than renting a car and parking it for $30 a day at a hotel.
Staying at the Courtyard near the convention center (was like 300 a night).
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@dashrender said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@jaredbusch said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@scottalanmiller said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@storageninja said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
Expense/travel reimbursement policy - Small shops will balk at someone spending $30 on dinner. Large shops will not care about a $100 lunch. Small shops will force lowest cost fair rules on travel, and force discount carriers, and tickets. Larger shops will allow business class on long flights.
I'm seeing the opposite here. Small shop, doesn't blink at flight costs, dinner is always $100+, we can just request luxury apartments wherever they are needed, etc.
Meh, startup burning cash to attract the right talent. After startup phase this type of thing will typically change.
I agree. I've worked for several smaller companies, and they all had strick reimbursement policies. i.e. I can't have a rental car for SW next week - I have to use the shuttle. Meals capped at $35/day, etc.
The larger company I used to work for.. yeah, they didn't care - $100 dinner - no problem, etc.
I work for a fairly small company... they always told me just to keep it reasonable...
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@storageninja said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@dashrender said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
I agree. I've worked for several smaller companies, and they all had strick reimbursement policies. i.e. I can't have a rental car for SW next week - I have to use the shuttle. Meals capped at $35/day, etc.
I thought about staying up at the Arboretum and renting a car, but I hate parking in Austin. Instead, I'm just going to bus in (Vonlane drops you off south of the river for the same price as a southwest airlines flight) and bum rides off the local SE's and Alliance guys if I need to go to RoundRock or something. Uber/Lyft is far cheaper than renting a car and parking it for $30 a day at a hotel.
Staying at the Courtyard near the convention center (was like 300 a night).
That was just an example. I don't care about having a car, I'll walk like I have the last two times I was there. I took a shuttle or perhaps even the bus from the airport to the convention center.
Since traveling in EU, I don't mind taking the bus anymore. In general it seems safe and fairly easy.As for the hotel - I got an AirBnB for like $600 for 3 nights.
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@dashrender said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@storageninja said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@dashrender said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
I agree. I've worked for several smaller companies, and they all had strick reimbursement policies. i.e. I can't have a rental car for SW next week - I have to use the shuttle. Meals capped at $35/day, etc.
I thought about staying up at the Arboretum and renting a car, but I hate parking in Austin. Instead, I'm just going to bus in (Vonlane drops you off south of the river for the same price as a southwest airlines flight) and bum rides off the local SE's and Alliance guys if I need to go to RoundRock or something. Uber/Lyft is far cheaper than renting a car and parking it for $30 a day at a hotel.
Staying at the Courtyard near the convention center (was like 300 a night).
That was just an example. I don't care about having a car, I'll walk like I have the last two times I was there. I took a shuttle or perhaps even the bus from the airport to the convention center.
Since traveling in EU, I don't mind taking the bus anymore. In general it seems safe and fairly easy.As for the hotel - I got an AirBnB for like $600 for 3 nights.
I often do that when traveling, just skip the whole car deal altogether.
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@scottalanmiller said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@dashrender said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@storageninja said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
@dashrender said in How to Grow from a One Man Operation to Two:
I agree. I've worked for several smaller companies, and they all had strick reimbursement policies. i.e. I can't have a rental car for SW next week - I have to use the shuttle. Meals capped at $35/day, etc.
I thought about staying up at the Arboretum and renting a car, but I hate parking in Austin. Instead, I'm just going to bus in (Vonlane drops you off south of the river for the same price as a southwest airlines flight) and bum rides off the local SE's and Alliance guys if I need to go to RoundRock or something. Uber/Lyft is far cheaper than renting a car and parking it for $30 a day at a hotel.
Staying at the Courtyard near the convention center (was like 300 a night).
That was just an example. I don't care about having a car, I'll walk like I have the last two times I was there. I took a shuttle or perhaps even the bus from the airport to the convention center.
Since traveling in EU, I don't mind taking the bus anymore. In general it seems safe and fairly easy.As for the hotel - I got an AirBnB for like $600 for 3 nights.
I often do that when traveling, just skip the whole car deal altogether.
Yep, super easy. If I wanted to wake up an hour earlier, I could have caught the bus back to the airport for $1.25... instead I split an Uber to the airport for $30 total. The cost of convenience.
