Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nathan Stuck, Founder and CEO of Profitable Purpose Consulting, located in Athens, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We work with small and medium-sized businesses to help them develop and implement their culture and impact strategies. We are also the southeast's leading expert on B Corp certification, so we have a lot of clients that are seeking assistance navigating the B Impact Assessment (the necessary documentation to apply) and everything that comes with it.
Tell us about yourself
I worked at the state's largest B Corporation and was there for over six years. As I built out B Local Georgia, a nonprofit community organization for Georgia's B Corps, my reputation as Mr. B Corp started to grow, and people started asking if they could pay me to help them with their certifications. My former CEO actually encouraged me to take the leap into entrepreneurship, and I went a full-time founder in mid-2022.
It may sound cheesy, but I love what I do. I help good companies become great, enhancing their employee experience and maximizing their community impact. It's amazingly rewarding and makes Mondays pretty easy to get out of bed for.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Certifying as a B Corp was a big milestone for us, but my favorite moment was getting one of my first clients through their final audit and getting the email that they were now a certified B Corp. It validated that I knew what I was doing, but it also validated why I was doing what I was doing. They were so excited when they got the news, and their CEO sent me a lovely, handwritten note expressing his gratitude and explaining how important it was to the future of the company.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The anxiety. At any other job, revenue was the job of the sales team, and I played whatever role I was assigned to. As a business owner, you're the salesperson (along with 27 other hats) and have to develop the pipeline and feed yourself. But closing a deal for your own company is a rush unlike any other, so it is also one of the more rewarding things.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- If you have the freedom to do so, start it on the side. Keeping my day job while starting the company on the side gave me the freedom to do a lot of business development over the first 18 months. I even spent the first half of 2022 (before going full-time) reinvesting 2021 revenue into a revamped website.
- Spend time in your early career developing the skills needed to run a business. Work in operations, take a promotion onto the sales team, and collaborate with the marketing department. As a small business owner, you will play all of these roles.
- Collect mentors and advisors like a kid collects baseball cards. Not only do most successful entrepreneurs love to help, but they also make great potential clients. They also know the stress and anxiety that comes with business ownership, so they can provide excellent mental and emotional support.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.profitablepurposeconsulting.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanastuck/
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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