Good PR matched with good operations can send a start-up sky high. But it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into before searching for the perfect PR plug.
The start-up venture Chocomize experienced first hand what it was like to have an incredible PR story that almost sent them beyond their capabilities. Featured in the New York Times yesterday, they explained what it was like trying to keep up with the orders resulting from a short blip about their company in Oprah’s magazine O (full article here).
One of the most crucial parts of their business (based solely online) – their server – crashed because of traffic. They were also short of employees and equipment. After a short week of panic to fill the orders, they were able to once again be in control of their operations.
Although it’s hard to predict when or if a story will be successful, start-ups must realize their full capabilities and max capacities. A similar occurrence happened with Mr. Wong’s start-up BlankLabel.com; after dealing with the situation he stated, “We should have invested more time in learning about our suppliers and their capabilities.” So it could be as simple as learning the full potential of suppliers and equipment. It’s unfortunate that Chocomize’s server crashed, but it could have been avoided through preparing it (or upgrading) for more traffic. Start-ups must be careful not to spread themselves too thin – especially when gearing up for a possible PR success story.
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