Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Bill Voss, Founder of Everest.com, located in Houston, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Everest.com is an online marketplace created to help outdoor enthusiasts find all the quality products they need for their outdoor adventures not only in one place but among a community of like-minded brands and individuals. Everest.com offers products from more than 1,000 US-based merchants and retailers, with plans to expand that number to over 10,000 by 2023. Our customers are fishermen, hunters, boaters, hikers, and everyone else who has an outdoor hobby, whether a daily commitment or a once-a-year family camping trip.
Tell us about yourself
As a Texas native and avid fisherman, I have always been an outdoor enthusiast. Over the years, through my own experience, as well as that of friends and family, I saw a need for an online marketplace to help shoppers (who are passionate about the outdoors like me) find the best recreational gear for their next outdoor adventure. Since then, I have made it my mission to fill the unmet void within an underserved market and founded the first customer-focused, community-driven online marketplace for the outdoor industry, Everest.com.
One thing that keeps me motivated each day is my community. Both my friends and family truly believe in the mission of the brand and inspire me to continue to expand this journey and bring the Everest community to more people.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We've launched something really cool, and I'm very proud of where we are and where we're going. But I think my biggest accomplishment has been pulling together an all-star team who has helped us get to where we are today.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Of course, there are day-to-day hardships - choices that end up wrong, risks that don't pan out, people who let you down. But the biggest hardship that keeps me up at night is just knowing that so many people's livelihoods depend on this idea that I had to start a company. We are a team, and we work as such, but at the end of the day, it boils down to my leadership.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
• For anyone looking to start a business: pay attention every day to what frustrates you. That's where opportunities lie because if it frustrates you, it likely frustrates others. Provide the solution.
• For anyone running a business: pick the right people and then lean on them! You can't (and shouldn't!) do it all on your own, hire people you trust and then trust them to do the job you hired them for.
• For anyone growing a business: pay attention to what your customers tell you. It's not very difficult to figure out what they want. If you pay attention and listen, they will let you know what's working for them and what isn't. Don't be afraid to pivot to deliver them the best.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
We have big things around the corner, so stay tuned!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.everest.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/we.are.everest.outdoors
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_everest_com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_everest_com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/everest-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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