Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Luke Connolly, co-founder of Isodate, based in Toronto, Canada. Luke is a trained public speaker; an experienced live/staged presenter/host.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Isodate is rehumanising the dating process through video speed dating. Users have become disconnected and fatigued with our swipe-right culture, and now more than ever, are seeking better connections. After all, dating should be about people, not profiles. So, if you're bored of swiping endlessly or simply feel that you're much better in person, why not try an Isodate event from the comfort of your own home?
Tell us about yourself
With a background in marketing, live events, and human interaction, I'd always been fascinated with dating. I'd worked for Match.com running their live events and loved the nights. Ultimately, my job was to facilitate love (without being too cliché). Roll on March 2020, and my work had been shut down by Covid. A few weeks prior, I had met my now Co-Founder on a job, and I'd expressed an interest in running my own series of dating nights. A phone call later (and more than a few nights of market research into the dating industry as a whole), and Isodate was born. Our idea was simple: to bring a better dating experience to all, and we believe that video allows this. It's what keeps us motivated each day, and seeing the results we've seen (61% female user base, two engagements already, and almost all users coming back for at least one more event) lets us know we're on the right track.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Bootstrapping the project to date. Competing in the Dating Space is difficult; plus, you're coming up against very established companies with millions at their resources. To have been able to grow Isodate as we have - and gain the traction we've seen - with little to no money...it's a very proud achievement.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Making tough decisions. That might sound obvious, but not when so many could make or break the business. As a startup (especially a bootstrapped one), you don't really have the flexibility of 'learning from your mistakes. Instead, you need to be calculated and to overthink just about everything before you do it. Plus, never make the mistake of thinking it's going to be easier than working for someone else. There's more risk, more stress, and I've never worked more hours in my entire life. The saving grace is that if you keep focused, you'll see the light at the end of the tunnel...it just might take a while.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Fully research the market - Make sure there's enough there to make it worth your effort, and know who your competition is (especially other emerging businesses)
- Understand your USP, and drive forward with that - show customers/consumers why they should choose you, your product, your business over the other more established offerings. Shape your marketing around this unique offering, and make sure that if a customer comes across your product/brand for just 5 seconds, they leave with that USP in their mind.
- Be prepared for how hard it is going to be - sleepless nights, longer working weeks than you've ever experienced, your friends/family asking you when 'You're going to get a real job again'... I've experienced them all. But for those moments of success, those glimpses of validation, of growth... it becomes like a drug, something that you'll constantly want. Confucius famously said, "It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop."
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://isodate.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isodate
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isodate.co/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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