Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joe James, Founder, and CEO of The Dice Guys, located in London, UK.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I create one-of-a-kind, personalized board games. My customers are everyone who enjoys playing board games.
Tell us about yourself
I have always been entrepreneurial and did not study any further education. I was a musician for ten years, the lead singer of a band. We toured all over the world and had a great time. When we'd decided it was time to call it a day, I went to work in a pub to pay the bills and started coming up with ideas for businesses I could start. It was coming up to Christmas, and I hadn't bought anything for my girlfriend. We played a lot of board games back then as we didn't have a lot of money to go out and live in London. So I made her a custom monopoly. It was a big hit, and my friends said I should sell them. That's where it started.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I am proud to say that I made a custom monopoly board game for Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. His management company got in touch and had it made for his birthday.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It is difficult to switch off from work mode. Especially when you are working from home. Because as much as you are always at home, you are also always in the office. So making sure you have a cut-off time for working on the business and for personal time is important for your mental health. It is also difficult when you start out because you usually don't get a lot of orders right away. You need to build the momentum gradually.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don't wait until you have absolutely everything perfect; it never will be. Just start the thing and solve the problems / develop as you go.
- Don't waste money on marketing until you are making regular organic sales. Reinvest these profits to grow your business further. Don't rush right into the red by overspending on ads.
- Don't get caught up with where you want the business to be eventually; just focus on the positive things you can do right now to push it forward. As long as you are doing one positive thing per day to push it forward, the day will come when you have built what you were hoping to. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thediceguys.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thediceguys/
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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