Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stephanie Gupana, President and Co-Founder of Ruoom Inc., located in Austin, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Ruoom® is an all-in-one customer management platform for growing teams, complete with scheduling tools, payment integrations, task management, and more. Our product is primarily crafted for the fitness, service, and hospitality industries, but it can be used for any business that manages in-person or virtual events. Our company is based in the US, but we recently reached a massive milestone by establishing a branch in South Korea, we officially entered the international market.

Tell us about yourself

At first, Ruoom® consisted of just myself and my co-founder, Kevin. In 2019, we started this company out of a little apartment in Brooklyn, NY; now, we're based in Austin, TX, with a global team of close to 30. When running a startup, motivation varies depending on where you are in the company's growth. Currently, my motivation is expanding within our two markets, increasing our service offerings, and - perhaps most importantly - giving our team agency and leadership opportunities to help us do that.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

  • Driving a product to full release with a bootstrapped budget and limited resources.
  • Providing consistent work to a small team through tumultuous economic and global events.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Patience. In order to grow, it's imperative that decisions are made strategically, with the long game in mind. As a result, it can be difficult to feel satisfied or accomplished, especially in a world where instant gratification is so prevalent, and accomplishment is so public.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Start. A lot of people have extensive lists of ideas, myself included, but it's the execution of these ideas that matter. So start, adjust, and learn as you go.
  2. Find a good team of trustworthy, diverse minds that vary in background and skill. In my experience, this can make up for areas where you may need a skillset or perspective. You can't do everything, and recognizing this sooner rather than later will be crucial to long-term growth.
  3. Don't compare your day 1 to someone else's day 10,000. In our day and age, I know that's easier said than done. However, you can achieve big goals, and the process becomes simpler when you don't let comparison games live rent-free in your brain. As Tony Robbins' famous quote goes, "Where focus goes, energy flows." As a business owner and leader, your mindset is the key to success– so take good care of yourself and monitor your mental health along the way.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.ruoomsoftware.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruoomsoftware
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruoomsoftware/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruoomsoftware
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ruoom-inc/

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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