Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Paul Letourneau, CEO of YEG Digital, located in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our business is focused on helping small to medium-sized grow their business through web design and search engine optimization.
Tell us about yourself
I've been in marketing for over 20 years. Working my way up from a junior to a VP. Once I reached the executive level, I quickly realized it wasn't for me and chose to go out on my own and start YEG Digital. That was about 5 years ago. Since then, I've had the opportunity to work with some amazing clients and projects.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
It sounds cliche, but honestly, the freedom and flexibility that comes with being a business owner. I control my time, my income, and what I work on. I can choose who I work with and prefer not to work with—having this freedom is my ultimate accomplishment.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest thing that comes with being a business owner is learning to say no. When you're starting out, you want to be everything to everyone. But as you become a little more seasoned and a little more niche, you learn that you should have started saying no to specific jobs or people a long time ago. Do your best work and refer the rest to people that enjoy doing that work.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Pick a niche that you're good at and become better than anyone else. Niche and stay niched. Of course, you can do more than one thing, and it's tempting when the leads aren't coming in, but niching is the ultimate balance of doing great work and living a balanced life.
- Get a good accountant and bookkeeper. Don't hire just anyone. Get someone that will be real with you and answer your questions (as simple as they may be). A good and knowledgeable accountant is worth their weight in gold.
- Automate and simplify your processes as much as possible. Leverage technology as much as possible to spend less time 'doing the mundane things' and more time doing the things that make you money.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://yegdigital.com/
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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