Why not to hire a vendor!

Most start up organizations are often in a race to hire someone to do this job or that job because they believe it is a necessary part of the start up process. This often takes the form of hiring either a public relations agency or some type of marketing consultant. What is ironic is that the process behind tends to be mostly knee jerk. If you ask you will most likely hear some MBA textbook, product marketing answer but if you dig you will find they did it out of the belief that they HAD too!

No for most start up organizations that first marketing discussion needs to come within the organization. Every start up will have, or should have, someone whose role is to develop brand or even in a broader sense to be the person responsible for building the sales and marketing role. During this initial phase it is critical that the first focus be on does the organization have a product or service that can be sold. Initially this can be handled by someone whose focus is on selling a product but at some point there needs to be a transition to a professional marketing person.

Still to a small start up organization where money is scarce there will be a need to spread roles just outside of the marketing organization. While marketing people are rightfully opposed to abdicated the marketing decision making process there may be a need in small start ups to cede some territory normally assigned to marketing and to other professionals with specific tasks during the initial launch phase. As the old cliche goes you need to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.

A first hire within any start up organization should be someone who is focused fully on the product. While that doesn't mean a full fledged employee at first, it should be done with the idea of hiring a freelancer that will be brought on board as a full time employee at some time. The need is for someone who will wrap their brains around the product and become fully invested in its development.

Also, the single greatest reason to avoid hiring a vendor during the start up process is that you run the risk of working with someone who enjoys the cash flow you provide and will in turn provide you with the most junior staff to do the grunt work and will provide you with results in tune with their philosophy and their desire to improve their own standing among future clients they are trying to recruit.

So to anyone building a start up or thinking of starting on. You should not consider hiring an agency until you are well into your start up process, if you hire one at all.