Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jonathan Bethune, founder, and CEO of Bethune Consulting, located in Plano, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Bethune Consulting is an end-to-end software development and digital services solution provider. At the highest level, what we do is help clients translate a vision into a product and then into software. Whether it is building mobile apps, optimizing cloud infrastructure, leading digital transformation, or just serving as technical advisors to help companies best utilize software tools - Bethune Consulting offers a wide range of expertise to support our customers.
Tell us about yourself
I was a startup programmer for a decade. I specialized in DevOps and cloud infrastructure. I got into consulting after moving to Japan in 2016 and spent three years at Toyota as a senior manager in charge of education and training. I began building out my firm formally in 2018, and since coming back to the United States in 2022, I have grown the company with dozens of new staff and clients. What motivates me each day is the opportunity to have a direct hand in building the technology of the future and to take an active role in shaping the kind of world my sons will inherit.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I'd say our biggest accomplishment to date is signing a multi-million dollar deal with an amazing blockchain startup late last year. Bethune Consulting will be building out a large tech team on their behalf. It was a great vote of confidence in our company and our approach.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Long hours and uncertainty. You never know what the future may hold. It takes a lot of courage and planning to run your own business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Planning is more important than plans. Eisenhower said that. Don't be too rigid in your business roadmap but do take the time to draw up a variety of scenarios and contingency plans.
- Get into a field that you genuinely love. Money is not going to be enough of an extrinsic motivator to push you through the long hours and stressful nights that running a business entails. The best thing is to get some real-world work experience first to understand your interests and strengths.
- Get proper counsel. Once you start getting some traction, make sure you work with a financial advisor, a lawyer, and an accountant. There is a lot of complexity in the business world, and if you try to do everything on your own, you are likely to make costly mistakes.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.bethuneconsulting.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethuneconsult
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-bethune-27ba3331/
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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