mhovingh
03-17-2012, 09:04 PM
I have been browsing this forum for a little while now and decided it was time to register and start contributing.
A little history, the first "business" I did was a partnership DBA with a friend, back when I was 16, doing web design. Business was in quotes there because it was really just something fun to do. We both liked the idea of making some money, and didn't take it seriously. At that time, I had no idea what it really took to make a business work, but we did do a few jobs and made some money from it over a few months time.
The second business I started in 2005 was just a sole-proprietorship, and ran it for a little over 5 years. I sold software for two overseas companies, handling their European and North American sales and customer service. It was a small niche market, but I made a small living doing it and it gave me a chance to really get into web technology again. I learned a whole lot about customer service and how to use technology effectively, both to provide better customer service and to reduce labor cost. I still didn't really have a good grasp on running a business though, recognizing that while I was doing some things right, I was missing out on a lot of knowledge and experience still in some areas.
I started doing some consulting for businesses in the areas I excelled in, and spent the rest of my time self-educating in the areas where I wanted to be more comprehensive. I decided in January of this year that I wanted to offer more than just consulting, having multiple related services under one roof that a business would normally would have to hire multiple employees or contractors to do. I want to make some things easier for businesses, help them make better decisions through information, and take care of work that is much easier for someone who specializes in it and knows which common mistakes to avoid making.
That is where I am now, having a business plan in place, with most of the preparation work done, for a business that I believe I will enjoy. I am looking forward to getting to know some of you, gain more knowledge, and am really interested in picking the brains of some of you business owners to help my business deliver its services in ways that are best suited to the needs of businesses like yours.
A little history, the first "business" I did was a partnership DBA with a friend, back when I was 16, doing web design. Business was in quotes there because it was really just something fun to do. We both liked the idea of making some money, and didn't take it seriously. At that time, I had no idea what it really took to make a business work, but we did do a few jobs and made some money from it over a few months time.
The second business I started in 2005 was just a sole-proprietorship, and ran it for a little over 5 years. I sold software for two overseas companies, handling their European and North American sales and customer service. It was a small niche market, but I made a small living doing it and it gave me a chance to really get into web technology again. I learned a whole lot about customer service and how to use technology effectively, both to provide better customer service and to reduce labor cost. I still didn't really have a good grasp on running a business though, recognizing that while I was doing some things right, I was missing out on a lot of knowledge and experience still in some areas.
I started doing some consulting for businesses in the areas I excelled in, and spent the rest of my time self-educating in the areas where I wanted to be more comprehensive. I decided in January of this year that I wanted to offer more than just consulting, having multiple related services under one roof that a business would normally would have to hire multiple employees or contractors to do. I want to make some things easier for businesses, help them make better decisions through information, and take care of work that is much easier for someone who specializes in it and knows which common mistakes to avoid making.
That is where I am now, having a business plan in place, with most of the preparation work done, for a business that I believe I will enjoy. I am looking forward to getting to know some of you, gain more knowledge, and am really interested in picking the brains of some of you business owners to help my business deliver its services in ways that are best suited to the needs of businesses like yours.