There is no one-size-fits-all guide to starting a career or starting a business. But learning from those who have already accomplished is a good way to avoid unnecessary mistakes. That’s why we prepared a new podcast called First Time. Moderator Jan Hrušovský invites prominent personalities of (not only) the business world to study and asks them what their beginnings looked like, what helped them the most and what they recommend to others.
Václav Staněk did not have a large initial capital, but he was young and full of enthusiasm to start a business. Experienced entrepreneurs and also his own father betrayed him from the idea of making his own shoes. They reminded him that Asian competition could produce much cheaper. However, Staněk did not let himself be discouraged, took the saved 30 thousand crowns, bet on manual work, sophisticated marketing and started the production of shoes. Vasky.
He talks about the beginnings of his business, a comparison with Tomáš Baťa and successful crowdfunding campaigns in the next part of the HN podcast for the first time.
“When I consulted Vasky with many entrepreneurs, most of them laughed at me, because it seemed utopian and unimaginable to them,” says Václav Staněk. But he didn’t do anything out of the ridicule. “As an eighteen-year-old, you can’t expect people with corporate and business experience to pat you on the shoulders and tell you to start running a Czech shoe brand.”
In the beginning, he took everything in such a way that there was only one risk in his business. He will spend his initial capital of 30 thousand crowns and will have nothing. That’s why he chose a low-cost start-up and barter. He approached his classmates to help him and gave them a pair of shoes for their work. For example, he paid for the web, photos, and videos.
After 4 years, Staněk can say that he managed to break through. There is interest in his Vasky, which is also confirmed by the crowdfunding campaign, which ended in July, and thanks to her, Staněk received almost 5 and a half million crowns in order to start the production of new sneakers. This is another first time for Staňek and Vasky, because he has not produced classic sneakers yet.
Previous podcast episodes are available for the first time on our website in the Podcasts section and also in mobile applications Spotify a Apple Podcasts.
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