Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Connor Gillivan, Founder of AccountsBalance, located in Denver, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
AccountsBalance is a monthly bookkeeping service for agencies, SAAS companies, and online service providers.
Tell us about yourself
I've been an entrepreneur since 2009. My business partner and I started our first company out of our college dorm rooms selling products on Amazon. We scaled that company to 7 figures in yearly revenue. It led us into our second venture, FreeUp, which we scaled to 8 figures per year with an exit in 2019. Since then, we've been building a portfolio of companies together in the B2B space, one of which is AccountsBalance. The other two are EcomBalance and Outsource School. I'm motivated each day by the outputs we're able to create for our customers. I love solving old problems in new, unique ways and creating a high-touch customer experience.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Helping 10s of 1,000s of business owners grow their companies with my business products and services.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Managing the finances of the business and being a positive leader for the people that you hire. There's always pressure to make more profits and to make your team happier with their work in the company. Both have always been a big goal of mine as an entrepreneur.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Tip #1: Build a Personal Brand
Choose one social media channel (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok) and post daily about your area of expertise. Connect with others and build real relationships. It will benefit any business you start.
Tip #2: Optimize for Profits, Not Sales
Growing sales rapidly is cool, but increasing profits every year is much cooler. Don't get caught up in the growth numbers unless it's your profits.
Tip #3: Validate Before You Start
With any business idea, go out and interview 50+ potential customers about the idea, get their feedback, and validate that your idea is actually wanted by your target customer. If it is, go ahead full steam. If it's not, have humility and look for another idea.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://accountsbalance.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/connorgillivan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connorgillivan/
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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