This coming year will mark 10 years of doing business in Urbandale and 15 years of working on the business of Webspec Design. I was honored and humbled this past week to receive recognition as “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” by Des Moines Community College (DMACC). I enjoy sharing ideas with new entrepreneurs, and when I get a chance to, here are a few things that I tell them:
Enjoy What You Do
When starting a business, it should be about something you’re passionate for. When I first began Webspec Design, I faced many of the common struggles that most entrepreneurs encounter at the outset of their business: finding customers, developing a solid team, establishing a profitable business model and gaining credibility in my industry (which, since I was sixteen, meant getting people to take me seriously). Fortunately, I was extremely interested in the technology behind developing websites so I was able to enjoy the work while overcoming the challenges. Starting a business just because it’s an idea you think can turn a profit is not a great strategy. Being profitable is important, but you should be passionate about what you are doing or you will burn out quickly.
Start Local
As I am visiting with entrepreneurs that have an idea they want to build, it is often a big concept that is focused on national or world domination. I personally like to start small and think local. If the idea isn’t going to be successful with people you can interact with in person, it’s not going to be successful on a larger scale. While we’ve grown to have clients around the US, most of these have started from either a specialization that began in working with a client locally or a referral from someone we met in our area. Get some business going in your backyard and then think about expanding to bigger markets.
What’s in it for your customers?
I’m always focused on the value we’re returning to clients. My service should be an investment for the client that easily pays for itself. You need to be just as concerned about your customers as for yourself. Learn everything you can about them, what they need, and how you can be the best at meeting their needs. At Webspec Design, this means working with our clients to identify specific goals they can achieve through creative marketing or software development. Look at leaders in your industry and become one of the best at what you do to launch your business successfully.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
At the initial stage, I had to learn everything I could about not only developing sites & software, but also about running it as a business. This is where I turned to others for advice. I am always asking our customers what works well for them in their businesses to gain insight into my own. As your business grows, find other experts to join your team. Trust them and their ability to work together for success.
Aim High, and Learn from Setbacks
It’s important to think big and set lofty goals, but I find it helpful to set small targets for each day, then each week, each month, each quarter and each year. I write them down and then mark them off as they are accomplished. When you have challenges (and you will have challenges), don’t sit and worry, stay on track and keep moving, focusing not on what you can’t control, but on the areas that you can.
Whatever you’re doing in business, it should be both fun and rewarding. I love what we do, the team that I get to work with each day, and our customers. Every day is a new challenge, but that’s what makes things exciting! If you’d like to hear a little more about the story of Webspec, check out the video below that DMACC produced about us.
