Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in web design but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Art Karapetov, founder of Consensus Creative, located in Toronto, Canada.

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

Consensus Creative is an award-winning web design & development agency based in Canada and the US. We help clients generate more leads through conversion-centered website design & development, SEO, and social media services. Consensus is rated 5/5 stars across multiple review platforms and has been recognized as one of the top agencies in Canada by Clutch. On average, our clients get a 78% increase in lead inquiries after working with us. We serve small business clients in Canada and the US, mostly in the healthcare and home services niches.

Tell us about yourself

I started my agency after I had been struggling with web design and marketing myself at my former business. I realized that these skills are essential for any business, and I decided to focus on learning web design, development, SEO, and social media marketing. Eventually, I decided to provide these services to clients. I'm motivated to help clients grow their businesses and provide a better living for their employees and family.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is building a website that helped raise 100 million in market valuation for a startup. This was by far my biggest and most successful project.

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

The hardest part of being a business owner is fighting your own limiting beliefs. It's not about external competition; it's all about fighting your inner mental blocks, believing in yourself, and keeping yourself sane.

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

  1. Have more patience. You will fail multiple times; that is normal. Your time horizon should be years, not weeks or months. Everyone's journey is different, but for most people, it takes years to build a successful business.
  2. You're not working for yourself; you're working for your clients. This means instead of having one boss, you now have a dozen of them. If you want to be an entrepreneur to live on a beach, and barely do any work, you will be disappointed. Passive income is a myth.
  3. You don't have to be "passionate" about your business. Most businesses, aside from a few creative niches, are boring. "Passion" comes after you're successful at what you do and provide value to others.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.consensuscreative.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artkarr33/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/artkarr33
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/artkarapetov

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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