About 2 years ago, I decided to launch my own eCommerce agency. The need came about when I was being asked numerous times after speaking engagements if I’m willing to help businesses improve their online presence.
At first, I was ignoring the whole idea. I honestly felt it was a waste of time since there were already many agencies out there. Why would anyone want to hire me? (I’m sure you’ve told yourself the same thing)
As the years passed and the fact that I was speaking more often at eCommerce conferences, I started considering the idea.
First, Here’s How I Realized I Needed A Website
I really had no idea what I was doing since this was my first attempt at launching a service based company rather than the typical online retailer that I’m used to (similar to what I currently do at iNetVideo.com).
I needed a website simply to showcase myself and my services.
Nonetheless, nothing would stop me from doing what I felt was the right thing to do. I got excited and immediately launched a website under the name of Troolyworks.com (still points to an inactive account on Hubpsot).
I decided to create a simple page where I offered my services in terms of eCommerce consulting, development and online marketing.
I was able to get my first 2 clients (friends of mine) within days. It was a great way to test out what I was planning on offering to businesses. Didn’t charge much since it was a valuable learning experience and obviously, those clients would benefit from my work as well.
From there, I simply started using that site as my hub and sent all new prospects to it. But here was the problem: My agency website sucked big time!
How can I possibly help companies improve their online business if I wasn’t able to do it for myself?
Here are 3 mistakes you should avoid making
1) Never Launch a Website Without An Online Strategy
Yup, I made that mistake and I learned the hard way. I went too fast and made some bad decisions in terms of investing in the wrong software, advertising on the wrong channels and simply not able to target the right clients. You need to sit down and write things down! I’m not talking about a business plan.
2) Stop Jumping & Take One Step at A Time (Don’t Lose Focus)
I decided to stop for a moment and re-evaluate exactly what I was trying to accomplish. I was wasting time, money and most importantly, losing interest in what I was doing. I was skipping crucial steps that would improve my chances of succeeding thinking that it won’t affect me. Your strategy should be implemented and must be followed.
3) Never Stop Getting Inspired
Launching your own business is stressful and requires a lot of patience. I had to continuously get motivated. I started following numerous people that have been successful & read their blogs for inspiration. You will be surprised to see how many people are sharing their experience online.
I also decided to attend events not as a speaker but as an attendee. Something different, something not related to eCommerce, somewhere new & some event where I can meet new people.
That’s when I decided to attend Inbound Conference Hubspot. That was indeed a life changing event in my business career. Also, that’s where I met head of eCommerce at Hubspot Sam Mallikarjunan – what an amazing person!
What happened next?
I plan on blogging about this experience. Stay tuned!