Entrepreneurship is thrilling — enjoyable, humble, gratifying, boring, and entertaining all at once. It makes you work longer hours than you had planned, but it also gives you the freedom to live life to the fullest.(online business Singapore)
WooCommerce extends WordPress’ ambition to democratise publishing to those who run online stores, giving everyone the chance to follow their passions and make a living from them. But every business owner has things they wish they had known before opening their doors, things they would have done differently, and lessons they would have shared to prevent others from making the same errors.
We took a moment to speak with three business owners from four different industries who all left lucrative employment to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. We questioned them about their internet business’s beginnings, motivations, and lessons learnt.
Joe Niemann: Co-owner and president of Acoustical Solutions, a manufacturer and international distributor of goods that address problems with noise management in places including hospitals, manufacturing plants, outdoor venues, and churches. They raise privacy levels, boost productivity, and make speech more understandable.
Katie Thomson, a licenced dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition, is the company’s founder. For infants of all ages and stages of growth, they provide fully personalised feeding regimens.
Ivan Rivera is a co-founder of Little Giants – Giant Shorties, a clothing line that creates high-quality, contemporary items for kids with inspiration from both historical and contemporary youth cultures. The clothing for tomorrow’s leaders is “excellent enough for grownups, but made solely for the little g’s,” so this isn’t your typical brand.
How did you begin, and why?(online business Singapore)
All three of the entrepreneurs we spoke with believed they could accomplish more despite having solid corporate backgrounds.
Joe Niemann adopted a different strategy, teaming up with other people to invest in an already-existing business. He worked for huge industrial firms for 25 years in corporate positions, some of which were focused on mergers and acquisitions, but he was ready to use his skills to take over a smaller company that he and his partners could grow in their own unique way. However, his initial intention wasn’t Acoustical Solutions:
“Buying an industrial manufacturing company was our main objective. Thankfully, we instead came across this organisation, which specialises in national B2B distribution.
When he bought the business in 2014, it was generating about $10,000 in monthly internet sales. It now approximates $450,000.
In order to give her own children the proper nutrients, Katie Thomson founded Square Baby:
“In 2008, I became a mother, and while I browsed the aisle looking for food options, I grew weary of what I discovered. Did you know that a lot of baby food pouches have the same number of sugar grammes as a serving of Lucky Charms? Mind. Blown.”
Katie was working as Starbucks’ senior dietitian at the time. In addition to providing strategy and nutrition counselling for goods like Perfect Oatmeal, Skinny Lattes, and Frappuccino Light, she is in charge of many of the brand’s advancements in healthy options over the years. She also worked as a consultant and joined important business leaders on product development trips to Italy, including CEO Howard Shultz. Katie quit her dream job at Starbucks in 2010 and started developing her concept for a personalised meal plan. “I didn’t want the young ones of today to grow up on So. Much. Katie says, “Applesauce.
For Katie, however, things took time to develop. “I spent eight years developing the Square Baby idea and business plan. Sounds absurd, huh? Timing is everything, she says, sometimes. “I’m very appreciative for the opportunity to work this hard on something I’m so passionate about,” the speaker said. “It took a lot of work to get to launch.”
The couple that became Ivan Rivera and his wife were also motivated by the decision to become parents after the birth of their son, Knowledge.
Ivan adds, “We couldn’t find a lot in the childrenswear area that was modern, culturally meaningful to us, and affordable. Everything that was available was extremely expensive, high-end luxury, and didn’t completely reflect the beliefs and ideals of the subcultures we are into. As a result, we initially made Knowledge’s clothing before growing from there.
How has your life changed?(online business Singapore)
Joe Niemann’s role also didn’t pan out the way he had envisioned it, just as Acoustical Solutions wasn’t the kind of company he had intended to purchase:
My business partners and I had no experience managing a small business when we purchased the company, and we knew very little about acoustics. So, we hired a general manager to oversee day-to-day operations, but he quit after only a few months. I was forced to assume the presidency. Although I never meant to hold the position long-term, I’m currently really content in it. I continue to believe that it was the right choice so far.
Ivan Rivera was a successful hip-hop artist and database consultant when he had the idea to launch Little Giants – Giant Shorties. His life was a whirlwind of instant travel, late-night studio sessions, clubs, and other activities associated with professional music.
Life is still active right now. Ivan laughs and continues, “But it’s more about having a boisterous six-year-old and continuously putting out flames in our business. “I juggle a plethora of hats, play a variety of jobs, and experience the everyday ups and downs of business. It’s still exhausting when you add that to being a first-time father; it’s just different.
Katie Thomson concurs with the opinions on balance:(online business Singapore)
I believe I’ve done a good job of keeping a sense of balance in my personal and domestic life. Life for me as a mother of two sons involves carpool, homework, teacher follow-ups, sports practises and games, cooking, and household tasks. . . a startup, and. It’s crazy, but completely possible.
Your motivation to complete the task at hand is higher when you enjoy what you do and view it as a pleasure rather than a job. I’m happy that my two boys can witness how hard I work to achieve my goals. And I’m proud that I can sometimes turn it off so I can give them the attention and affection they require. Daily balancing acts are necessary, but that’s just life, right? ”
What do you regret not knowing when you first started your business?(online business Singapore)
Katie Thomson is fully aware that, while not unusual, her extended time to market isn’t exactly the norm. She is grateful that she just went for it, not realising that her dream wouldn’t come true for many years. “I’m happy because back then, I had no idea how long it would take me to launch. Ten years ago, it might have made me give up,” claims Katie.
When you pose the same query to Joe Niemann, he answers with a series of bullet points. He is fully aware of the courses he would have taken before being put into the position of leadership:
- How Google and Bing’s search engine marketing increases site visitors.
- How to utilise search engine optimization and keywords in content creation to improve placement in search results
- How to grow WooCommerce and reduce costs by making the most of extensions.
- The significance of standardised packaging and more effectively utilising UPS capabilities.
- Prospective consequences of state sales tax.
- Ways to prevent fraud and the ins and outs of credit card processing.
This list not only provides an insight into Joe’s uncomplicated and well-organized management style, but it also offers a helpful framework for anyone wishing to launch their own eCommerce company. Some of the items may be easy for many individuals to understand, but not all. Joe advises either finding partners who are skilled in those areas you are weak in or learning more about those that are foreign to you.
Ivan Rivera, though, gets right into business:(online business Singapore)
“I wish I had much better knowledge of sales, marketing, and business in general. We launched a clothing line without having any prior experience. I wish we had more procedures in place from the start, a particular growth strategy, and a deeper understanding of actual clothes production because there has been so much “trial by fire.”
What advice would you give someone who wanted to open their own business?
Don’t be scared to start small, advises Katie Thomson to business owners: “Don’t invest too much in any specific road before testing it. Recognize that you will eventually need to change course.
Beyond perpetual improvement and change for the sake of change, Katie points out that you must examine the customer journey and base your judgments there.
“Listen to your customers and take their advice. Nothing is more crucial than the client experience, particularly in DTC (Direct to Consumer). Being laser-focused on the consumer is the secret to developing a reputable brand and a devoted following from the minute they land on your site through all of its navigation, questions they ask, purchases they make, receipt of the goods, and requests for help along the way.
There is no better moment than the present, in Ivan Rivera’s opinion: “I’d tell them to do it! However, they try to work as long as they can at their day job and make as much money as they can. I gave up on mine far too soon. And before you become sidetracked by cutting-edge technology, become comfortable with the foundations of marketing, sales, and product creation. When your company starts to grow, if you don’t have the fundamentals down, it may outpace you and be very challenging to rein in.
It all boils down to careful planning, says Joe Niemann:
It makes no difference if you are a first-time entrepreneur or have previously owned an online business. You should create a strategic business plan that takes the competitive environment into account in-depth.
He concurred with the suggestion to start small and put the needs of the client first, though:
“In my opinion, you should launch with a small selection of products and keep your website’s navigation basic. To increase visitors, budget money for search engine marketing; avoid using Amazon; and constantly work to make the purchasing process as simple and fun as you can.
Source: online business Singapore , how do you start your own business online
