Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in Web Design and Development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jonathan Sokol, Founder and CEO of Mint Media, located in Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Mint Media is one of North America's leading website and application design & development agencies. We help build remarkable websites and solutions that customers love and love to talk about. Although our clientele consists of numerous niches, we have a strong focus in working with clients in the manufacturing, non-profit, and medical sectors.
Tell us about yourself
I got into design and development while I was still in College. After helping my Uncle's surgical clinic in New York improve its online presence, I realized that I truly enjoyed the bespoke aspect of designing and developing websites. This has also taught me how valuable proper UI/UX can be for a business to achieve their digital goals. Over time, our business has evolved to servicing all kinds of different niches with website and application design and development.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner consists of being able to hire and retain wonderful talent. We have consistently grown over the past two years with very little employee/subcontractor churn. Of course, there are other notable accomplishments, such as acquiring large scale clients, improving our SOPs, etc.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
I have definitely had to learn to manage my time. I actually own two businesses. One of which I actively manage (Mint Media) and one where I play a more passive role. Managing and prioritizing your time is difficult as a business owner but forces you to learn a truly invaluable skill. Also, delegating important tasks as the business grows can be quite difficult as well.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Just start. I see many business owners trying to come up with a bulletproof business plan before even starting. In my opinion, this can be a huge waste of time and testing of the market. Start with an MVP and try to sell it, and get some initial feedback. Once this initial phase is done, you can start assessing how to continue operating the business more efficiently.
- Don't wait too long to execute changes/adjustments. If you have something to do, get it done asap. If it doesn't work, kill the decision asap. Failing fast on certain specific elements within a business can save a growing business. The same goes for hiring the right talent.
- Don't spread yourself too thin by offering many different services. Focus on what you/your business is good at and build immense expertise in this. You will be able to charge more and more for your business expertise. That being said, it's totally ok to offer services that are related to your primary skill set, but just make sure that your primary skillset is striving to be the absolute best in the market.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.mintmediaservices.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EMSFalcon99
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-sokol-a602971a0/
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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