Glen Wakeman was experiencing a conundrum. People were telling him all about the plans they had for starting new businesses, and Glen thought that they were wonderful. In actuality, these ideas were not getting off the ground. According to Bloomberg, eight out of 10 new businesses close their doors after just 18 months, and Glen wanted to know why.
The Birth of Launchpad Holdings
Glen studied this issue very carefully, and he came to the conclusion that new businesses fail because the business owners did not have a plan that would make the businesses work. Glen Wakeman set out to change that reality by creating a software platform that would make it easy for entrepreneurs to build their plans. That was why he started his company “Launchpad Holdings.”
The focus of Glen’s company is on startup businesses only because they are the ones who need help getting started. Since he learned that an idea is not a plan, he set out to help entrepreneurs develop their plans so that they are in the best position to pitch their ideas to potential investors and have the best chances of obtaining the money that they need to get started.
Launchpad Toolkit
Glen has been in business for several years, and the lessons he has learned helped him create his Launchpad Toolkit that guides other entrepreneurs. He knows what it is like to own a start-up, raise the capital to get the project moving and build the best teams. Because of this, he knew exactly what he needed to put into his Launchpad Toolkit to ensure the success of everyone who uses it.
Customers of Launchpad Holdings will be welcomed to join a tour that shows them how to start a business. Some of the useful subjects they will learn are questions about legal matters and marketing. The software exists entirely online, and it asks several useful questions and provides students with the answers. The students receive a presentation document at the end that can be used to raise funds for the venture.
The Future of Launchpad Holdings
Glen definitely sees a future in Launchpad Holdings. A total of 50,000 new businesses are created each month, and he wants to increase the amount of money that his company gives to these startups this year. When businesses also make the commitment to use the Launchpad Toolkit, it is less likely that these new businesses will fail.
Other companies that address the same issues as Glen’s company exist, but Glen Wakeman believes that his company has the upper hand. The Launchpad Toolkit is very straightforward and easy to operate. It even goes further and gives new entrepreneurs advice on how they can become better leaders.
Failures that Brought Glen Wakeman Where He Is Today
Glen uses his successes as well as his failures to bring value to the people who use the Launchpad Holdings Toolkit. One of his more memorable failures was when he thought that it would be a good idea to start a venture called “Snappy Answers.” These snappy answers were pre-recorded messages that customers received on their answering machines. To say the least, this project did not go well (SoundCloud).
Although his messages were amusing, this business failed, and Glen learned what he would need to know to help other entrepreneurs through his future business “Launchpad Holdings.” He admits that he didn’t have a marketing plan for Snappy Answers, but he also didn’t have sufficient capital to move it forward.
Another unforeseen problem presented itself as well. He found out too late that it was extremely difficult to transfer his recorded messages to other people’s answering machines. He believes that what he learned from that ordeal was much more valuable to him than what he lost.
Glen’s Personal Strategy
Glen Wakeman has an entire strategy that he uses to make his ideas come alive. The first thing he forces himself to do is explain the idea to several other people. Before he can do that, he must organize his thoughts by creating an outline and put a lot of thought into each successive step. Then, he has to know how he is going to defend them if he is challenged on them.
Using this strategy, he finds out when an idea is a good one, but he also learns when he has a bad idea. Sometimes, it doesn’t take any more than stating the idea out loud. Once he hears it, he may not need the other person to say anything because he already knows that it would be a horrible plan. On other days, he expresses an idea that is very good, and the act of explaining it to another person encourages him to want to implement it.
To ensure that this strategy works, Glen looks for people whom he knows do not always readily agree with him. He looks for people who will say more than the idea isn’t good. He wants them to explain the reasoning why it is a bad plan. When he knows why the plan wouldn’t work as it is, he can figure out a way to make it work.
Curiosity Is a Good Thing
As an entrepreneur, Glen needs to constantly work on his projects, and he has one thing that he uses to make sure that he remains in a productive space. That one thing is his sense of curiosity. Curiosity is what keeps him going when he runs into a roadblock, helps him continue to be creative and makes him please his customers. His curiosity helps him discover the foundation that exists underneath everything so that he has the best chances of changing them for the better.
Glen’s Background
Glen Wakeman earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from the University of Scranton in 1981. He went to the University of Chicago to study for his Master of Business Administration that he earned in 1983.
More about this at https://thebrotalk.com/businessman/glen-wakeman/
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I love the idea of having a launchpad toolkit! This would be of great help to those promising start-up companies who find it hard on what to do next. ‘Cause let’s all admit, we do love to work on things that are already planned out well on paper. What a brilliant one, Mr. Glen Wakeman!