When you’re looking for a job, often times the last thing you want to do is read about the success of others, particularly in a multimillion-dollar business sphere. You can learn some valuable lessons from studying successful businesses, however. Take, for example, Ticketbis.
Ticketbis is a company with an innovative business model. The idea is to buy and sell tickets to sporting events, concerts and other events all over the world. The site connects people interested in the tickets other people have, and takes a commission on each sale. They provide extra value with secure payments and guaranteed deliveries, eliminating the issues with ticket scalpers and scammers. Over the last four years, they have exploded from a start-up to a multinational company with a presence in more than 15 countries. They have completed several waves of funding, bringing in investments to be used in further expansion and growth of the scale of their business. All of this, out of a simple idea in a few markets that hadn’t otherwise been exploited by another company.
There’s Always a Need for Local Experience
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The Business: Ticketbis cites in early 2013, as part of their success, the local teams of employees they put together in every country into which they expand. They put together teams of local people who know the interests, trends and pitfalls of ticket sales. This also gives users access to local, native customer service.
The Takeaway: You always have something going for you as a potential employee. Ticketbis doesn’t swoop in with a team of Ph.D.s from business colleges to expand into a new market. They find local people with the knowledge necessary to form a valuable team. You’re a unique person with a unique background, unique interests and skills not found in the same combination anywhere else. Something as simple as your geographic location can be the deciding factor in the hiring process. Don’t discount your hobbies, interests or personality when searching for jobs.
You can Beat Those with Better Qualifications
The Business: When Ticketbis was starting, they had to complete with other companies in the market to fill the role for millions of people. Even in the face of such opposition, Ticketbis pulled it off and became one of the fastest growing businesses in Europe and Latin America.
The Takeaway: Everyone hears the stories about the barista with the graduate degree, or the industry veteran with 30 years of experience applying for entry-level jobs. It’s demoralizing and it seems like an impossible amount of opposition for job seekers. Just like Ticketbis, you can beat out those with better on-paper qualifications. The right place, the right time and an opportunity to display your skills are all ways to get your foot in the door.
Look in Unorthodox Locations
The Business: Ticketbis is based in Spain, and started out with an outlook seldom seen among American and British companies. Rather than focus on the American market to establish their business, they explored Latin America and other European countries. Many companies would either focus entirely on a Spanish market or use it as a gateway into the American markets. Ticketbis has been making inroads with country after country.
The Takeaway: Look for jobs in unorthodox locations. An IT degree and skill set, for example, qualifies you for the IT departments of every major company in your area. It also gives you leeway to join up with smaller companies, create your own freelance IT contracting firm or expand into information management. Look beyond the top 50 employers in your city, into the smaller companies more willing to work with you on your terms. Niche markets have great growth potential, and most applicants won’t think to look.
Ambition is the Key to Success
The Business: Ander Michelena, the Ticketbis’ CEO, states that their aim in 2014 is to improve the quality of their service by offering a personalised service and increasing support that would resolve any doubts in a timely manner, as well as the ambition in the international markets as the fuel for their expansion and growth. With their revenue coming almost equally from Latin America and Europe (€14million of nearly €30million was made in the European market), it’s easy to see how this plan is working out for them. Ambition drives their success throughout the world.
The Takeaway: Ambition is the driving force that gets things done. Be ambitious. Ambition helps you see opportunities where others see deterrents. Ambition to expand and grow into new markets lets you get your foot in the door. Ambition comes naturally to some people, but to many, it’s a learned skill. It’s a difficult habit to form, but acting ambitious will eventually transition into genuine ambition.
Ticketbis is just one of many companies with lessons to teach the individual job seeker. Any time you’re thinking about how you can improve your situation, you can look at the headlines and examine a few rising companies. What lessons can you take away from their performance? The same things that make a business successful are roads to success as a person.
