Year Zero; Complete.
Posted on 31. Dec, 2009 by andy in About
Year Zero? Isn’t that a Nine Inch Nails album? Yeah. That’s not at all what this update is about. This past year for Ninth Division has not been the first year of business. It’s been the incubation time for the company. 2010 is a time for true birth and growth. Year Zero was an album from a band that I truly admire… and Ninth Division is as much a business as it is a band.
Being in a band to make it somewhere is just like running a business that you want to carry into the years to come. When I look at how I run Ninth Division, I think about it as if it were a band. When you are in a band you want to get more fans, make more albums, play more shows and make more money… to repeat the first three things all over again. In a business your fans are your customers, your albums are your products and your shows are your marketing efforts.
In 2009 Ninth Division started out a journey of bootstrapping a business; which is the core starting places of many businesses. Just like a business, all bands start somewhere and have a story. When either of the two start out, there are many things you need to get rolling. At the start of 2009 I had a few measurable goals.
When your band/business is starting out one of things you need is exposure. Getting the name out so people know what you are and who you are is key to both businesses and a band. One goal for this last year was just that: exposure. I spoke at three conferences this year, had some notable web articles and saw many great faces. Was it a success? Web site hits, feed subscriptions and calls have all picked up. That includes you reading this site. So yes, it went well.
Bands need money to buy new equipment, record new albums, go on tour, etc. No different than a company. Ninth Division needs new/more hardware, make more products and go out and get more exposure. Which brings me to goal number two of becoming profitable as being a success.
While this year Ninth Division didn’t produce any major products, 9D did release a few iPhone apps with limited usage: BigOmaha, Flight Sites (a client’s app). Those apps are like a demo (or EP releases) for Ninth Division. The idea of a demo or an EP is to give a feel to your listeners what you are like. These apps have netted a good understanding of whats possible and what is coming.
I love music and I know you do too. Putting the notion of running a business in context of being in a band is a crystal clear illustration where to go. Plus, its more exciting then the typical – marketing, products, planning, projects… blah, blah, blah. Being in a band is cool and so is running a business. I recommend you try one or the other at some point.
I am particularly excited for 2010. The year where the business will grow, expand and find new fans. I am excited to have all listening… I hope your possibilities for 2010 are as exciting as 9D’s.
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