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如今，全世界都在談?wù)撎O果公司（Apple）剛推出的iPhone6和蘋果手表（Apple Watch）,，人們很難相信，這家價值數(shù)萬億美元的科技巨頭曾經(jīng)也只是一家很小的初創(chuàng)電腦公司,。
對于許多創(chuàng)業(yè)者們而言,，蘋果、Facebook或Twitter的發(fā)展軌跡，證明消費(fèi)者市場才是創(chuàng)業(yè)的藍(lán)海,。
但這一點(diǎn)并非始終都是正確的,。如果放棄與公司做生意（與消費(fèi)者市場相反）的潛力，創(chuàng)業(yè)者們將錯失大量有利可圖的好機(jī)遇,。
作為芝加哥創(chuàng)業(yè)服務(wù)組織1871的董事會成員,，筆者接觸過許多初創(chuàng)企業(yè)，因此很清楚B2C（企業(yè)對消費(fèi)者）公司可以從B2B（企業(yè)對企業(yè)）初創(chuàng)公司學(xué)到什么,，包括人力資源管理公司Fieldglass,、在線企業(yè)硬件交易平臺MarkITx和會議與活動在線交易市場Eved。
B2B領(lǐng)域有巨大的潛力,；通過將新技術(shù)整合到傳統(tǒng)業(yè)務(wù)當(dāng)中,，創(chuàng)業(yè)者們可以顯著提高效率，開發(fā)新市場,，解決長期存在的問題,，在某些情況下，甚至?xí)嵏舱麄€行業(yè),。事實(shí)上,，越來越多的B2B初創(chuàng)公司正在經(jīng)歷快速增長，同時獲取了令人艷羨的利潤,。
以Fieldglass為例,。這家芝加哥軟件公司最初規(guī)模很小，如今已成為全世界最大的供應(yīng)商管理系統(tǒng)（VMS）提供商,。據(jù)報道,，該公司在今年五月被SAP公司以超過10億美元的價格收購，這是近幾年規(guī)模最大的私人科技公司交易,。
再比如企業(yè)IT硬件在線交易平臺MarkITx,，公司成立僅8個月，市值便已經(jīng)達(dá)到1,200萬美元,。筆者從公司聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人弗蘭克o姆斯卡萊羅那里了解到,，公司今年的收入同比增長了300%。
要創(chuàng)建下一家偉大的初創(chuàng)公司,，創(chuàng)業(yè)者們應(yīng)該從B2B公司學(xué)會以下六條經(jīng)驗：
明智地確定第一批客戶
許多B2B公司往往會圍繞最初客戶來設(shè)計產(chǎn)品與服務(wù),，因此通過戰(zhàn)略方法吸引第一批客戶就變得至關(guān)重要。Eved成立之初,，公司創(chuàng)始人兼CEO塔利亞o彌賽亞追逐的目標(biāo)是戴爾（Dell）等大公司,。后來，她設(shè)計了Eved平臺和在線市場,，以解決這些客戶的需求,，使客戶可以直觀了解會議和活動的總開支,。而這為吸引其他大公司奠定了基礎(chǔ)，幫助她將客戶增加到5,000多家公司,。
客戶的長期價值至關(guān)重要
一般而言,，B2B公司的銷售周期比B2C公司更長。但大多數(shù)B2B客戶都是長期客戶,，最終,，B2B公司可以從客戶獲取更多價值。1999年,，賈伊o謝卡瓦特成立Fieldglass,，他花了超過一年時間才找到第一批客戶，其中包括威瑞森（Verizon）,、美國國際集團(tuán)（AIG）,、葛蘭素史克（GlaxoSmithKline）和強(qiáng)生（Johnson &Johnson）。但他一直緊緊抓住這批客戶,，現(xiàn)在這些客戶每年在合同雇工方面的開支都達(dá)到數(shù)十億美元,。到目前為止，Fieldglass的客戶保持率超過99%,。
要獲得穩(wěn)定的收入,，應(yīng)該抓住能夠產(chǎn)生經(jīng)常性收入的機(jī)會。
將最有可能重復(fù)使用公司產(chǎn)品或服務(wù)的客戶放在首位,。
姆斯卡萊羅深知,，金融公司將是其在線交易平臺的理想供應(yīng)商，因為金融公司會在IT方面進(jìn)行大量投入,，并且經(jīng)常要清理庫存,，為最新技術(shù)騰出空間。MarkITx的第一家客戶是芝加哥商業(yè)交易所（Chicago MercantileExchange）,，從2013年8月以來已進(jìn)行了22次交易,。
開發(fā)有粘性的服務(wù)或產(chǎn)品
要與客戶保持長期關(guān)系，必須創(chuàng)建天生具有“粘性”的產(chǎn)品與服務(wù),，并且為同一家公司客戶包含多個層級的整合服務(wù),。MarkITx的儀表板可以通過應(yīng)用程序接口（API）連接到客戶公司，為客戶提供其資產(chǎn)的實(shí)時市場價值數(shù)據(jù),，以及更新IT基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施的最佳時間,。結(jié)果，這些公司會經(jīng)常查看儀表板,，而且在需要出售資產(chǎn)的時候,，會更傾向于使用MarkITx。通過投身客戶遇到的實(shí)際困難當(dāng)中,，Fieldglass可以提前為客戶打造整合性服務(wù),。例如,，公司會密切關(guān)注勞動法的變化（謝卡瓦特估計,，僅在歐洲,，每月便會有25-30處變化），并確保其軟件能及時反映這些變化,。因此,，為了解決問題，客戶對Fieldglass變得越來越依賴,。
從眼前尋找商機(jī)
思考一下你的公司目前面臨的問題,，或者你會如何解決行業(yè)內(nèi)的問題。商機(jī)無處不在——或許這些機(jī)遇沒有那么令人興奮,，但卻非?？煽壳矣欣蓤D。謝卡瓦特在產(chǎn)生創(chuàng)建Fieldglass的想法之前,，曾做過合同程序開發(fā)員,，為一家技術(shù)供應(yīng)商工作，并為買方和客戶提供咨詢,，后來他發(fā)現(xiàn)了管理合同雇工所面臨的挑戰(zhàn),。對行業(yè)內(nèi)情的了解，也使他創(chuàng)建的公司輕松打敗了其他5家競爭對手（這些公司都已破產(chǎn)）,。
清楚何時采取下一步行動
思考一下,，你現(xiàn)在的工作能否變成更大的事業(yè)。2010年,，Eved進(jìn)軍國際市場之前,，還是一家本土服務(wù)公司，公司規(guī)模在4年內(nèi)增長到1,000萬美元,，并入選Inc. 500強(qiáng)（Inc. 500）排行榜,。但彌賽亞清楚，海外有更多機(jī)會,。于是,，她出售了Eved的服務(wù)部門，保留了研發(fā)部,，將其重新打造成一家全球性公司,，她的目標(biāo)是公司市值達(dá)到十億美元。（中國進(jìn)出口網(wǎng)）
With the world buzzing over Apple’s reveal this month of the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch, it’shard to believe that this multi-trillion-dollar tech giant was once a small computer startup.
For many entrepreneurs, the epic trajectory of Apple AAPL -0.87% — or Facebook FB -1.63%or Twitter TWTR 0.07% , for that matter — serves as evidence that the consumer space iswher you go to launch a winning startup.
But that doesn’t always hold true. By foregoing the potentials of selling to business (asopposed to consumers), entrepreneurs are missing out on a world of opportunities — andlucrative ones at that.
As a board member at 1871, Chicago’s entrepreneurial hub for startups, I see a lot ofstartups and know what B2C companies can learn from B2B startups, including Fieldglass,MarkITx and Eved.
The B2B space is rife with potential; by integrating new technologies into traditionalbusinesses, entrepreneurs can dramatically improve efficiencies, uncover new markets, solvelongstanding problems and, in some cases, disrupt entire industries. Indeed, an increasingnumber of B2B startups are experiencing rapid growth while achieving enviable profit margins.
Take Fieldglass, for example. Once a small startup, the Chicago-based software company is nowthe biggest vendor management system (VMS) provider in the world. In May, it was reportedlyacquired by SAP for more than $1 billion, one of the largest sales of a privately held techcompany in recent years.
Or consider MarkITx, an online marketplace to trade enterprise IT hardware, which earned a$12 million valuation after only eight months of operations. After speaking with its co-founderFrank Muscarello, the company’s revenues are up 300 percent this year compared to last.
To launch the next great startup, here are six lessons that entrepreneurs can learn from B2Bcompanies about how to launch the next great startup:
Target your first customers wisely
Many B2B businesses design their products and services around their initial clients, making itcritically important to take a strategic approach to recruiting those first customers. TaliaMashiach, founder and CEO of Eved, went after large firms like Dell when her company was stillin its early stages. She then designed Eved’s platform and online marketplace to addressthose customers’ needs and provide visibility into their meeting and the total amount spent onan event. That set the stage for the recruitment of other large-scale firms and helped herstock her online marketplace with more than 5,000 companies.
Long-term value of customers is critical
Generally speaking, B2B companies have longer sales cycles than B2C firms. However, mostB2B customers are long-term customers and, in the end, companies can extract greater valuefrom them. After Jai Shekhawat founded Fieldglass in 1999, it took him more than a year toland his first customers, which included Verizon VZ -0.80% , AIGAIG -3.34% , GlaxoSmithKlineGSK -1.33% and Johnson & Johnson JNJ -2.36% . But he held on to them, and now eachspend billions on contract labor annually. To date, Fieldglass boasts a customer retention rateof more than 99%.
To generate steady revenue, focus on opportunities to generate reoccurring revenue
Prioritize customers that are most likely to use your product or service repeatedly.
Muscarello knew that financial companies would serve as ideal suppliers for his online exchangebecause they invest heavily in IT and frequently purge their inventory to make room for thelatest technology. MarkITx’s first customer, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, is now on its22nd trade since August 2013.
Build something that sticks
To develop a long-term relationship with your customers, you need to create products orservices that are inherently “sticky” and provide several levels of integration within acompany. MarkITx’s dashboard plugs into companies via API and provides real-time data aboutthe mark-to-market value of their assets and the optimal time to refresh their ITinfrastructure. As a result, these companies regularly check the dashboard and are more apt touse MarkITx when it comes time to sell their assets. Fieldglass takes integration a step furtherby staying enmeshed in its customers’ problems. It monitors, for example, changes in laborlaws (in Europe alone, Shekhawat estimates that there are 25-30 changes per month) andensures that its software immediately reflect those shifts. In turn, customers grow moredependent on Fieldglass to manage their problem for them.
Look for a business idea on your desk
Think about the problems your company is facing or how you might address issues in yourindustry. There are business ideas there — maybe not sexy ones, but solid, profitable ones.Shekhawat came up with the idea for Fieldglass after serving as a contract developer, workingfor a technology vendor and consulting for buyers and customers, wher he witnessed thechallenges of managing contract labor. That insider knowledge also enabled him to build acompany that easily overshadowed the five preceding competitors (all have since gone out ofbusiness).
Know when to venture further
Consider whether the work you’re doing now could parlay into something bigger. Before Evedwent global in 2010, it was a local service company that grew to $10 million in four years andlanded on the Inc. 500. But Mashiach knew that there was a bigger opportunity out there. Soshe sold Eved’s service side, took its R&D and re-launched it as a global company, withher sights set on a billion-dollar goal.
