Seems like all these months of hardcore planning, working things out and hard graft have paid off! Looks like I'm close to launching! Decided to launch with a real stripped back version of Sharabang Music and then build the concept over time. It won't be launching with the big bang that I'd originally planned, but at least it's close to having a launch!

I've worked out a time-line for the full vision of Sharabang Music. There's a lot of exciting stuff happening soon, both for the business, our bands and real music and gig lovers. Keep your eyes on my FishBowl to find out more as the Sharabang Adventure unfolds! And trust me, with these new plans it really will be nothing short of an adventure for all who want to get involved!

Labels: fishbowl1, launch plans, matt

Re-doing the business plan has thrown up some pretty big issues. It’s clear that it’s going to take quite a while until I’ll be in a position to launch the business in the way I’ve pictured. The greatest concern being purchasing the bus and having it converted. The big question I’m facing now is do I launch a stripped down version of Sharabang Music as soon as it’s ready, or wait until everything’s in place and launch with a bigger impact, but it won’t be for some time?

A further issue is that I keep on coming up with more ideas of what I’d like to offer with Sharabang. Some of them are great ideas, but the more concepts I come up with, the longer it will take to put everything in place. Perhaps it will be better to launch as soon as I’ve got the basics in place and build the business over time? At least I will then have a business, not just some great ideas and I can start making an income and build the customer base gradually.

I would appreciate any thoughts or advice through Twitter. Thank you!

Labels: business plan, fishbowl1, marketing, matt

Matt talks about chest infections, having space to think about his business proposition and Marina and the Diamonds!

My biggest fear is damaging my ears. I already have a constant ringing and whirling noise in my left ear and it can only get worse. Yet for my business to be successful I have to attend a lot of gigs.

I now wear professional musicians ear plugs whenever I go to a gig. They are individually moulded and cost about £160. It was hard first of all, forgetting to bring them and generally not wanting to wear them, worried about putting them in and not enjoying the gig as much. There's a real nack to putting them in, once I got it, it became easy and the biggest regret in my life is not using these sooner. There's no loss of sound quality you get with the cheaper versions. If anything, the music sounds even better with them in!

My ears have taken a pounding from all the gigs I got to and the worst thing is that once you damage your hearing, it can never get better. To loose my hearing would be thew worst thing I could imagine. Wish I started using these before the damage began.

Labels: fears, fishbowl1, matt

Great week! Got loads done, feeling super motivated and excited! Been reading loads of pretty heavy books on the music industry and working out exactly what how I want Sharabang to operate. Been a bit like being back at Uni, studying the industry, making loads of notes and getting ready to completely re-do the business plan. But this is something I’m so passionate about, it never feels like a chore! As well as the added clarity on the industry, there have been so many developments and refinements to the concept that I'm scrapping the old business plan and starting afresh. Everything's coming together and I'm beginning to see the point where Sharabang will begin to operate really soon. Going to be real hard work, but I can’t wait!

Labels: business plan, fishbowl1, launch plans, matt, update

Matt discusses his ideas for creating and selling artwork specific to each individual track on the albums.

Labels: artwork, fishbowl1, matt, revenue, video diary

Busy! Super busy! Contracts almost sorted, designers working on art work, website in development, different meetings every day. Hard work, but big exciting! Starting to think about raising the money to buy the ol’ Sharabang now!

The plans have always been to buy an open-topped double decker bus to be used as our tour bus, but also a lot, lot more. The top deck will be converted so we can use it as a unique touring venue with gigs on top, the bottom deck will house a touring art gallery showcasing Sharabang’s artwork, hold PR events, launch parties and the like. We also want to help build a ‘scene’ and break down the barriers between fans and artists by offering people lifts on the bus from one date to the next. Think Cliff Richard on his Summer holidays, but perhaps not quite as polished!

Once we’ve got the bus, we’ll be making the most out of it, holding interviews and exclusive Sharabang sessions of established artists that will all be filmed and posted on Sharabang’s website to help drive traffic our way.

So...buying the bus! I will soon start looking for company’s that could be interested in having an advertisement on the side of the bus. The unique nature of what we’ll be using the bus for and the many different places the bus will be seen would make for a great place to advertise a business, especially one that is music/art related. We will soon be looking for potential advertisers who could help cover the initial cost of purchasing the bus. So, if anyone knows any businesses that could be interested or can suggest good ways to go about this, please get in touch!

Labels: brand building, bus, events, fishbowl1, marketing, matt, PR