Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Clay Ostrom, Founder of Map & Fire, located in Torrance, CA, USA.

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

Map & Fire is a branding and customer research agency. Our main job is to help businesses create a unique place in their market that they can own. And to get there, we use a mix of brand strategy, research, and market data. We mainly work with small and medium-sized businesses where we can collaborate directly with the company founders and marketing leads. I love working with founders because they're so passionate about the work they do. I also find it satisfying to work with the people who make the decisions around the direction of the business. That's where I feel we can provide the most impact. We have some specialty in direct-to-consumer eCommerce brands, health and wellness, and online saas products, but we've worked with a wide range of business types and industries over the years. That variety is also a very exciting part of the work we do.

Tell us about yourself

I've always had a passion for entrepreneurship. I got my start working in product development and then made my way more into design, UX, and then ultimately, strategy. Having a background across all of those areas is a huge help in working with other entrepreneurs because they're also working to guide all facets of their businesses. What really motivates me is the opportunity to work every day with awesome, talented people on our team and all the passionate, thoughtful people on our client's teams. We get to work on the core direction of these businesses and help them grow. I really believe entrepreneurship is a way to find self-actualization and push progress and innovation, so it's motivating to help people achieve those things.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Creating a thriving business that supports our family and is centered on work that I find fulfilling is probably the biggest overarching accomplishment I've had. As part of that, I've had the chance to have my writing on branding featured in places like Foundr Magazine, and our website content gets consumed by more than ten thousand people every month – so, in addition to our client work, I feel really happy that I have a chance to reach lots of people and help them on their brand journeys.

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

The best part of being a business owner is nobody tells you what to do, and the hardest part is there's nobody to tell you what to do. You have to be extremely comfortable with the unknown and get out of your comfort zone. And have the willingness to stick to your guns even when things get tough (which they will). Success always takes longer than you expect, and it's tough some days to keep that fire going. But again, there's also no other role that, in my opinion, provides this level of fulfillment and satisfaction. Every bit of success you do get will be earned. That feels pretty amazing.

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

  1. Take the time to research your market. Talk to your potential customers. Statistics show that the biggest cause of failure for startups is a lack of market demand. You have to know your audience and what they need above all else.
  2. Think through your position in the market. Define the qualities that make your business unique. What are the 2-3 things within your offering that would help a target customer immediately see the value you provide, remember it, and be able to tell others about it.
  3. Focus on one channel of marketing and put all your energy there at the beginning. This could mean one social channel (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok), or it could be creating written content on your website, or it could be podcast, etc. But pick one and focus your energy on growing that before you expand out. Resources are limited, and having one strong marketing channel is much more valuable than 3-4 weak ones.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://mapandfire.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapandfire/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clayostrom
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayostrom/

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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