When creating a business, all entrepreneurs seek to differentiate themselves in the market, to have a unique product or service, and to become successful. Before that, however, those who start a new business may face some, or many, difficulties inside and outside the company. Mentors from Braskem Labs - Braskem's entrepreneurship acceleration program - point out the most common obstacles and failures and the best tips for overcoming them and getting the company to take its first steps.

1 - The customer problem
Many startups fail due to a lack of clarity about what the customers' problem is and whether they really need their solution or product. Therefore, the first step is to have market perception - it is easier when the sector is already known - through interviews with potential partners, identification of standards, and finally, diagnosis of the real needs that need to be addressed for the customer.

2 - The customer profile
When the entrepreneur is asked who their customer is, it is quite common for them to answer with demographic data or generic profiles. Having knowledge only of their gender, age range or profession, however, is little. To develop the right solutions and address the needs of the market, it is ideal to create a "persona," something like a stereotype of the customer. One can create a character whose characteristics they know - the exact age, the college where they graduated, where they work and for how long have they been there, how they relate with their boss, how they treat subordinates, and even what they like to do in the free time. With this profile in mind, it is much easier to design communication and sales strategies, for example.

3 - Product Validation
A constant work for all new businesses is the validation of products and services. Many people are so thrilled by their own idea that they decide to release it on the market without being sure whether or not it will work. Validation work - ranging from setting up small tests to see how they work in practice to interviewing real and potential customers - is the best way not to invest too much energy in propositions that will not yield the intended result.

4 - Definition of metrics
One of the major problems of entrepreneurs is the lack of knowledge of the metrics that have an impact on the business. Many people delight in so-called "vanity metrics," likes on Facebook, and website hits, for example, while forgetting about making a difference in the business, such as conversion of visitors into customers and cancellation fees. Having knowledge of the metrics that should be on the radar, and having them always at hand, is a crucial lesson.

5 - Team and leadership
For a new business to develop, it is very important that they have a good team. No one builds a large company alone. One mistake many entrepreneurs make is to outsource crucial business skills and operations. This is a strategic mistake that may affect results quickly. In addition to a competent team, the roles of each employee should be clear. A common occurrence, for example, is no one taking the position of leader out of fear of offending the partners. Having someone in charge, however, is essential to making the decisions that will determine the direction of the company.

Source: Braskem and ACE

About Braskem Labs 2017
Created by Braskem in partnership with ACE, Braskem Labs is a company acceleration program aiming to enable them have solutions focusing on sustainability and innovation. This year, we selected 10 projects in chemistry, plastics or the combat against Aedes aegypti, which will receive training for four months, focusing on developing their business.

About Braskem
With a global, human-oriented vision of the future, Braskem's 8,000 members strive to improve people's lives by creating sustainable solutions in chemistry and plastics. It is the largest resin producer in the Americas, with an annual output of 20 million metric tons, including basic chemicals and petrochemicals, and R$55 billion in revenue in 2016. It exports to Customers in approximately 100 countries and operates 41 industrial units, located in Brazil, the United States, Germany, and Mexico - the latter in partnership with Mexico-based company Idesa.

About ACE
ACE was considered the Best Startup Accelerator in Latin America by Latam Founders and acts as a complete innovation ecosystem for entrepreneurs, investors, and large companies. It offers an acceleration program with investment, mentoring, networking and a structured methodology especially for each stage of the entrepreneur's journey. Founded as Aceleratech in 2012, in Brazil, ACE has already accelerated over 100 startups in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, and Goiânia, and presents the milestone of eight exits (startups sales).