Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in branding and marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nora DiNuzzo, Founder and President of Pitcher, located in Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Pitcher is a growth consultancy for small businesses (<$25mm annual revenue) that are feeling a bit stuck. Sometimes founders of these businesses know why they aren't growing - But many times, they're having trouble diagnosing the exact reason. In either case, we can offer a 3rd party neutral perspective - and then have the skills and the network to support their turnaround through brand, business, and comms strategy implementation. We also help startups and new-to-market businesses with their concepts and pitch to investors and other strategic partners.
Tell us about yourself
I spent my entire career in advertising agencies before starting my own consultancy. I started in account management but moved into growth/business development roles 12 years ago. I always worked for independent agencies and most of that time with small ones (<$10mm). I loved that I had the ability to support entrepreneurs with their business health and growth. But as I helped them grow - I was also pitching bigger and bigger brands. During the pandemic, I felt like supporting the Fortune 500 was no longer my calling. I wanted to help small businesses survive and thrive post-pandemic - not help the rich get richer! So that was really the reason I started Pitcher in October 2021.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I consider my biggest accomplishment to be the number of founders and small businesses I've supported. There aren't a lot of agencies or consultancies helping small business owners - so that's an impact I'm proud to be making. I have an audacious goal as a solopreneur to support 100 small businesses per year with their growth. While I didn't get there in Year 1 (because starting a new business is hard, it turns out!) I have had the pleasure of supporting 40 founders across 28 businesses so far. In 2023, I'm expanding my offering to include coaching sessions for founders, so I can hopefully get to that magic number of 100 - and double my impact. Growth looks different for every small business - they are as unique as fingerprints. So I've been learning a lot and meeting so many incredible people. It's been fun to play a small role in their success.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Having enough time to do all the things you want to do! I have tried to outsource everything I'm not good at or don't enjoy doing (finance, legal, operations, etc.) so I can put the majority of my time into my clients and what I'm good at doing for them - strategy, business development, and marketing.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find a market gap you can address with your skills. For me, that was knowing that small businesses can't afford to work with agencies and vice versa. If you can address a gap, you'll always have clients that need your help.
- Treat your business the way a big brand would. If you don't have the skills to do this yourself, invest in naming strategy, quality graphic design, and copywriting. You'll stand out and be more memorable to prospective clients if they can connect your skills with a name and identity that's easy to pronounce, remember and repeat.
- Make sure you have a significant financial runway before you start. The money never comes in as fast as you expect it to! I think cash flow is the #1 thing that keeps most entrepreneurs up at night and prevents them from investing and advancing.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.pitchergrowth.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitchergrowth/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pitchergrowth/
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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