Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in web design but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jay Eckert, Founder of Parachute Design Group Inc., located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Parachute focuses on hand-crafted web design and branding to help customers of all shapes and sizes around the world grow their businesses.
Tell us about yourself
I started Parachute in 2003 as a small freelance graphic design business. In 2009, we went virtual and were able to grow our team by extending. Over the last 20 years, Parachute has grown into a boutique agency with a team of 14 across Canada and the US. After 20 years, we're still excited each time a new opportunity lands in our inbox to get in on the ground floor and help businesses revamp their brand image and create a website that truly transforms their business by converting visitors into customers.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Over the years, Parachute has won a number of awards. I've been featured in a few publications, most recently Swagger Magazine, as part of the "Self-made" series. But, what I consider my biggest accomplishment as a business owner is celebrating our 20th year in business in 2023. That means we really are delivering the success for our clients that we strive for, and that makes everything along this journey worth it.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Finding time to take a vacation! As a small business owner, you're never really off the clock or off the grid for too long. This is a challenge I've been trying to find a solution to for many years, but I haven't quite found the right solution yet.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be willing to put the work in – it's a necessity to survive and grow.
- Be flexible. Things will change rapidly and sometimes without warning, so it's important to be able to adapt and go with the flow to stay relevant and keep your business moving forward.
- If you can, go virtual. By expanding your hiring radius to an entire country or continent, you're not limited to a talent pool within an hour's drive of your office.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://parachutedesign.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParachuteDesignCanada
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parachutedesigngroup/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParachuteDesign
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parachute-design/
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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