Be the Original, Buy the Original, and Benefit more from the Original.
Bought, borrowed even downloaded, we might have had our fair share of pirated stuff, but incorporating pirated software into our business operations is a big NO-NO.
Startups often seed the foundation of mistakes starting operations with pirated versions of Windows, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Antivirus, and all those platforms necessary. Wagering with pirated stuff transforms your approach to areas to invest, leaving you either confused or negligent.
When your peers are running the show with pirated and cracked tools, you take it as a thumb rule that being a startup, neither should you. Trust us when we say it, if you continue with your mindset to leverage pirated stuff, you are sure to land in deep waters once you become a registered entity. Till now you were catering to freelancing projects from your local connections who turned a blind eye. Suddenly being a company means your clients now expect you to be ethical. Being accustomed to pirated stuff, you now find it difficult to manage the situation. You should have inculcated a mindset — professional and ethical and of course should have used authorized tools and software, right from the day of inception.
Once you start growing, there comes a point where you gain recognition, and with recognition comes the opportunity to work with bigger and better clients. Eventually, you are on the verge of cracking that important deal with an industry giant and that day the realization of your mistake dawns on you. More than the value proposition that you are communicating, the vendor compliances that you need to adhere to, worry you deeply. You dread the prospect of losing this multi-dollar deal, just because you operate on pirated software.
If you are happy in that puddle of your startup universe, you can ignore these words. But if are looking to grow and be an extension of established brands, you should get things right from day one. Transform your mindset to ‘charge less and spend less’ by depending on cracked versions of Photoshop, windows, CRM tools, etc. Be original, buy original and this will bring more benefits — you can charge more from your clients and simultaneously rest easy with no lawsuit breathing behind your back.
Spend wisely but spend more today to earn more tomorrow — that should be the mantra of a startup looking to become an established enterprise. And if you still feel that somewhere, somehow you could do better, let’s discuss and help you work out the best way to plan your business roadmap.
