Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in sports and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dwain Kinghorn, Founder of Alta View Golf, located in Highland, UT, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Alta View Golf is an online and in-person golf training company. We provide training for golfers via online content as well as in-person lessons.
Tell us about yourself
Golf is a passion of mine, and after a successful career as a software executive, I decided to pivot to the golf industry to help people use technology to be better golfers. I am a firm believer in the oft-quoted business advice, "If you don't measure it, you won't improve it." With the advent of high-speed portable cameras as well as golf launch monitors, golfers now have access to a wealth of data that, if used properly, can be used to drive better performance. So I decided to leverage my background in software and use that technical foundation to build a state of the art golf training facility.
I am driven to help other people succeed in improving their skills at golf, just like I have been able to improve using state of the art technology. Golf is a great recreational activity for people of all ages and abilities. It is one of the few sports where you can continue to improve beyond your 30s. It is highly motivational to talk to our customers and hear them express how our services have helped them improve their game. We've made people happy by helping them enjoy their hobby even more.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My best accomplishment is driving great month-over-month cash flow with a business model that has worked from day one while being able to provide great service to our customers. Ultimately any business is only going to work if there is a real value proposition for the customers and there is a financial model that generates appropriate profit. We have been able to do both at Alta View Golf - we have happy customers, and we generate month-over-month and quarter-over-quarter profits.
You have to pay close attention to what customers are saying and the relevant broader market conditions and build goods and services that will build a sustainable model. It is easy to invest in a business, but it is much harder to generate the actual ROI. We continue to do that quarter after quarter.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Ultimately you have to take ownership of everything. It is easy to blame the lack of customer revenue on outside factors. You have to be willing to take ownership of all elements of the business. If one of your employees or partners is not getting their job done, that is your issue. If broader market conditions change, you have to own how to adapt. As a business owner, the responsibility is yours to make it work. If there is an issue, sort out now how to attack it and put things in motion, and get it done. Nothing in business is easy.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be realistic in terms of your capital needs to get to a level of profitability. Don't go down the path of building something and then realize you don't have anywhere near enough capital to make it work.
- Run fast and iterate on your successes. It is rarely the case that you are not going to have to make adjustments in your business as you move forward. Don't be so hung up on an initial idea that you fail to solicit input critically and review and look for how to iterate and make things better. Adjustments to plans are not failures, the lack of realistically responding to what is happening is a failure.
- Know your customer. It is all too easy to make false assumptions about how your customers are finding out about you and how they engage with your company. Understanding the customer personas and then really getting feedback on their experience that they have with your organization is so important.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.altaviewgolf.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/altaviewgolf/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altaviewgolf/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/altaviewgolf
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwainkinghorn/
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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