It has been more than a half-century since Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee created Spider-Man, but the superhero’s following is as strong as it has ever been with the movie series cumulatively generating over $4 billion at the box office worldwide.
The latest installment of the Marvel Comics’ franchise, Spider-Man: Homecoming, brought in $117 million domestically and more than a quarter billion dollars in sales globally on its opening weekend, according to the-numbers.com.
While the action-packed movie drew positive reviews from both critics and fans, Spider-Man: Homecoming offered several lessons for enterpreneurs to learn from, including how to:
Harness Your Super Powers
It is common knowledge to fans of the Spider-Man series that Peter Parker was your average high school student before he was bit by a genetically altered spider on a field trip to Oscorp Lab. Soon after he was bitten, Parker developed his signature superhero powers and abilities to fight super villains. It took some time, but he ultimately mastered those skills to use to the public good.
While chances are that most small business owners haven’t experienced such a life-altering event, many entrepreneurs have experienced their “a-ha moment” when they identify a particular area in which they excel. Whether it is graphic design, developing technology, or photography, like Parker’s character, it is important to harness that skillset that gives your company a distinct advantage. While Spider-Man has mastered his superhero powers to defend the city from evil, entrepreneurs must invest and double-up on their own abilities to generate profits for their companies.
Network
In Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man developed a bond with Tony Stark, the alter ego of another Marvel superhero, Iron Man. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Stark provide Parker with a next-generation costume equipped with advanced gadgets to battle villains. Even superheroes need help sometimes!
Regardless of the industry, one of the keys to building a successful empire is through networking. Combining forces with other businesses or professionals can take a company to the next level. Whether the partnership provides a greater volume of leads or an opportunity to work together on projects, it can be of tremendous value to a company. Partnerships can increase a business’s visibility and profit margins while putting a company on the fast track to success.
Beat the Competition
Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes, a recently displaced blue-collar worker, is Parker’s chief adversary in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Toomes, a former electronics engineer, leverages his special abilities as The Vulture to provide for his family through unethical and dangerous activities. Defending the city from evil, Spider-Man takes on The Vulture.
Having tough competition can bring out the best in an entrepreneur’s game. Never get too comfortable in your skin and always continue to focus on honing your craft.
If you are losing ground to your competition, think of areas that you can improve on and why consumers prefer their product/services over yours. Once you identify those reasons, come up with a game plan of attack and follow through on it. Don’t be afraid to take the leap and make a long-term investment if it makes business sense.
As the saying goes, ‘it takes a village’ to succeed. For any company meet long-term goals, it must be firing on all cylinders. For entrepreneurs, applying the principles above can put them on a fast track to that success.
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