Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dr. Stevens Bonhomme, D.B.A., Founder, and CEO of Feedcoyote, located in Seattle, WA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Feedcoyote is a Business Network Platform augmented with CRM capabilities that equip entrepreneurs, freelancers, and SMBs with the right tools to work more efficiently and collaborate together on various projects to make more money.
The Feedcoyote platform combines an integrated management tool with our lead generation business network, which fosters better collaboration and closed deals for independent workers, all in one place. We use Machine Learning to streamline and automate the collaboration and end-to-end deal flow, which saves time and increases productivity.
Some of the values our platform offers are:
- Meaningful and curated connections
- Better collaboration between independent workers and work automation
- Skill supplement
- Client management tool
- Sub-contract of short-term professional services to speed up project delivery
- Centralized customer communication
- Better relationships management and more deals closed
Tell us about yourself
I'm a survivor of the earthquake of magnitude 7.3 that left more than 300 thousand dead in Haiti in 2010. I migrated to the US from Haiti at age 22 with no English and learned it within months. Despite the challenges, I completed 4 degrees within five years and graduated with a 4.0 GPA, including a Doctorate degree by the age of 28. During my Doctorate, I started working at Microsoft and got three promotions back-to-back. I've become a University Professor at 29, teaching business courses to undergrads. I also wrote a chapter in an academic textbook that is currently used by Freshmen at a university.
I decided to launch a startup as I've dealt with the issue of lack of connectivity personally as an entrepreneur and also worked closely with SMBs as a Customer Success Manager at Microsoft, which gave me more insights into the problem.
Right now, entrepreneurs and freelancers use different platforms for each need. For example, they use network platforms to get leads and CRM platforms to manage those leads, which is time-consuming and inefficient. As I've interviewed other entrepreneurs and freelancers, I've noticed the same trend. Therefore, I decided to assemble a team so we could address the issue and build solutions to help other independent workers collaborate and work more efficiently.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
In just a few months, we were able to launch our MVP, get users, generate revenue, and receive our first external investment. I believe we're on to something big, and as a team, we're committed to building a platform that will provide great value to other independent workers.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Lack of funding for people of color in the tech industry has historically led to fewer or lack of innovation in product development. As a Black founder myself, I've experienced the difficulty of raising capital and getting mentorship from traditional institutions, although we had a product and a solid team. It seems like we always have to do more or go the extra mile to show that we can make it work, although our credentials and expertise show that we have what it takes.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do your research and talk to your target customers. They'll tell you what's their exact problem.
- Listen to your customers, and build the right solutions.
- Iterate and adapt fast to changes so you can keep up.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
At Feedcoyote, we are excited to provide solutions and help independent workers collaborate, manage, and grow their businesses in just a few clicks, all in one place. Sign up today for a 1 Month Free exclusive deal.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://feedcoyote.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FeedcoyoteInc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feedcoyote/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/feedcoyote/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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