My Favorite Horror Movies and Their Entrepreneurial Advice

It’s that time of year.  Everybody is fired up and ready to go with crazy outfits, scary scenes, and too much too eat.   Yep, that’s the life of a Tennessee Titan’s fan.  Oh……….and Halloween too.    With that said, let’s take a look my favorite horror movies and their entrepreneurial advice.

1. Friday the 13th – Jason Voorhees manages to get resurrected every few years, and immediately
go on a slasher spree at Camp Crystal.  I could never figure out why people kept going to that camp.  I know this was before social media, but you would still think they learned their lesson.

Entrepreneurial advice – Do not do the same thing over and over and expect different results.  If that Yellow Page ad isn’t producing results or that employee never seems to make it to work on time, you should not expect to receive anything different over the next few months, unless you make a change.

2. A Nightmare on Elm Street – When I was a kid, this was the first movie we had with our brand new VCR ($600 Two-Head RCA).  We watched it, until the tape broke.  In this movie we learn that Freddy Krueger began his nightmare slashing, because he was a victim of vigilante justice from angry parents who locked him in a boiler room that was set ablaze.  This is what sets the wheels in motion for one good movie, then several bad ones.

Entrepreneurial advice – Do not take justice into your own hands.  Talking bad about a competitor, claiming excessive mileage on your taxes, or intentionally cheating a vendor will usually result in lost business and an IRS audit.  And, maybe a scary man with an ugly Christmas sweater will visit your dreams.

3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre – This is a movie based on true events about a family of fun-loving psychopaths that prey upon unsuspecting folks in rural Texas.  Leatherface is the ringleader with his brothers and Grandpa in tow.  Spoiler alert – Grandpa ends up being the weak link that leads to the clan’s downfall.

Entrepreneurial advice – Beware when hiring family.  It always sounds like a good idea to put Aunt Betty in charge of QuickBooks, because she was a receptionist at her church, but that doesn’t make her a bookkeeper.

• Bonus movie; Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1994 remake) – Okay, this is a terrible movie.  And yes, it stars Matthew McConaughey, but it’s still pretty bad.

Entrepreneurial advice – Don’t watch this movie.  And don’t watch “The Wedding Planner” (sorry Sarah), “Fools Gold”, or “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.”  In fact, that goes for any Matthew McConaughey movie that is not an independent flick or released during Oscar Season.  If you do, you will lose IQ points, money, and sleep.  All bad things for a business owner.

October Seminars

Don't scare away  your customers!

Starting a Small Business workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, October 21, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free.


Social Media Intro for Entrepreneurs and Marketing Professionals workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, October 22, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free.


Creating Clients for Life workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, October, 29 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free.

5 Steps to Marketing Success - TSBDC Seminar on September 18

5 Steps to Marketing Success Thursday, September 18, 2014 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Fee: $ 25.00 Payment will be made at the workshop. Check or cash preferred. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER This workshop is designed to give you a real world approach for marketing your business! 1. Fine tune your focus 2. Who are your customers 3. Competitive advantage 4. Marketing message and promotion - (with over 30 different methods) 5. Schedule your activities and track your progress You will leave this workshop with a tangible plan to reach your customers on a consistent basis. To get here, take the GAP Blvd entrance to Volunteer State Community College. Then take your first entrance on the right into the parking lot. The 300 Building will located in the round-a-bout and it has a striped awning and the number 300 on the front.

4 MARKETING LESSONS FROM THE ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE

           So, I get a text from my old college roommate, Matt Wilson.  It is simply a link to Facebook.  Keep in mind, I am one of seven people on planet earth not to have a Facebook page.  But I don’t need Facebook.  I know what it is.  The dreaded ALS Ice Bucket Challenge!  And, despite the backlash it’s received for slacktivism, vanity, and wasting water, it has raised an amazing amount of money and awareness for ALS research. 

Anyway, one cold bucket of ice water and a donation later, I see a few things as it relates to marketing small businesses. 

*Disclaimer - And yeah, I know this phenomenon is all but over and everyone has moved on to the next shiny object, however, it takes me this long to digest information and make something useful of it.

1.       MAKE IT ALL ABOUT THE PERSON MAKING THE PURCHASE (OR IN THIS CASE, A DONATION) – Yes, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is supposed to be about raising awareness and money, but in reality, it became as much about the person donating, as it did anything.  This is how you should make your customers feel.  It is not about the features, advantages, and benefits of your product.  It is about the person or business buying from you.  Shower them with public praise, send them a thank you card, and find a way to support them.

2.       IT USED VIDEO - The Ice Bucket Challenge wouldn't have even happened if it used an elevator pitch, memo, or even a fancy photo.  Video has become much easier to create, is more engaging, and video has a much higher engagement rate than anything else.

3.       IT'S FUN AND EASY TO DO - Admit it.  One minute you are watching the Kardashians dump ice water on their heads and then the next minute your preacher is doing the same thing.  A simple and funny activity can get your customer’s attention. And if you can make it easy for them to sign up for your loyalty program or redeem a coupon (no awkward procedures or lengthy forms to fill out), they will follow you even more.

4.       THERE IS SPECIFIC CALL TO ACTION – When Peter Frates got the ball rolling with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, he didn’t say, “so if you ever need to give a donation, make sure you consider ALS.”  He challenged someone specifically.  If you want customers to buy, tell them what specifically you are offering and give specific steps to make a purchase.