| It's amazing where people can find a niche and market | | | | must comply. All stock is to be fully tested before it is |
| themselves and be successful. The question is, did the | | | | sold. And if stock is found to be faulty it should be |
| niche exist before they came along or did they create | | | | disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. That is |
| it simply by announcing their arrival and intention? Is that | | | | the hope in an ideal world at any rate. |
| what being an entrepreneur is all about, creating your | | | | Many of these companies also trade in computer |
| own niche market and then exploiting it? | | | | parts e.g. memory, servers and switches etc. These |
| There are so few truly new and original ideas out | | | | are submitted to the same stringent tests as the |
| there. Most are variations on ideas or schemes that | | | | computers and are to be disposed of in the same |
| have been around for centuries or millennia even. Take | | | | way if they are found to be faulty. |
| this example, companies that act as brokers or | | | | So, a successful niche market, this buying and selling of |
| consultants on behalf of various IT companies by | | | | second hand goods. A business as old as time itself. |
| buying used IT hardware and selling it at the best | | | | Just about. I ask the question again, is that what being |
| possible price as quickly as possible to another | | | | an entrepreneur is all about, creating your own niche |
| company. Essentially this is a variation on the old | | | | market and then exploiting it? It must be. It must also |
| tinkers who used to travel from village to village, | | | | be about seeing opportunities sooner than anyone else, |
| trading, buying and selling their wares, years before a | | | | having the courage to grab the available opportunities |
| star shone above a little town called Bethlehem. Only | | | | and having skin thicker than rhino hide so that you can |
| this is a little more high tech. | | | | roll with the inevitable much cliched punches. |
| These companies buy IT hardware from companies | | | | It must also be about being able to see the obvious. |
| who may be trying to reduce their IT costs, who are | | | | This buying and selling of second hand computer |
| going insolvent or who might have surplus stock after | | | | hardware is a fairly obvious idea when you think about |
| a large IT project. The essence of the whole business | | | | it. At least as obvious as buying someone's used |
| is speed as hardware becomes outdated so terribly | | | | jacket and selling it to someone who needs a jacket |
| quickly, so they try to sell the items as quickly as | | | | but can't afford a new one. Aren't all brilliant ideas like |
| possible and for the best possible price. They act in | | | | that though? You mention them and everyone says, |
| the best interests of both parties, buyers and sellers, | | | | "Oh man! I could have thought of that." People tend to |
| but do their best to help the sellers meet their business | | | | overlook the obvious. We're all so busy trying to be |
| goals. | | | | genius and complicated and have that one big |
| There are certain requirements that have to be met in | | | | marvelous idea. There is brilliance in simplicity and |
| the business in order for all concerned to be happy. If | | | | mostly we forget that. I give you the Post-It and leave |
| the client requests a certified disk wipe, the partner | | | | it at that. |