Nearly every start-up makes some changes in its original business plan, and investors expect that, Taetle said. Finding the right niche, or niches, is important. We were in a position to offer a valid service. By Griffin's count, about a dozen companies have elbowed into the same area. While metamorphosis can be the right decision, it's not easy.
New directions Changing directions almost always affects staffing in some way.
The company now boasts its staff has more than 200 years of experience in apparel, along with a team of cutting-edge programmers. At Planet Jam, some of the very consumer-oriented employees had to be let go as the company changed its focus, Bell said. The music-fan Web site, by the way, is still operating because it costs almost nothing to run. While change isn't easy, it can be good for the bottom line. Planet Jam, poised to launch two new services in 2001, hopes to reach a profit in the first quarter of next year.