Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jennifer Goff, owner and founder of Skip The Line, located in Washington, DC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a Washington, DC-based business with the mission to help people save time. We provide time-saving services so that our clients can spend more time focusing on the things in their lives that are important to them. We offer line-sitting, delivery, and personal assistant services. Our clients are busy individuals of all age groups, who have demanding jobs, families, and who need help juggling personal tasks with everyday life. We are here to help make their lives easier and relieve them of daily stress.
Tell us about yourself
Back in 2016, I had quit my previous job and left with a friend of mine to travel the world for nine months. When I returned, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do next, but I felt whole new energy and confidence that prompted me to go down to a pop-up bar in the city with huge lines of people waiting to get inside. I randomly started going up to people in line, offering services to wait for them while they went to get something to eat/drink and take a break from the summer heat. It took me 3 hours to get my first client, and I kept them updated via text and photos to let them know when I was close to the front of the line to swap spots. I felt so proud. At that time, I didn't have a business plan or name. It was just me soliciting those services to complete strangers.
From there, it started to take off. People would leave reviews on the bar's Yelp page mentioning my name and contact info. I put together a little team. We started waiting in line for restaurant reservations, tourist attractions, tickets, concerts, even Supreme Court cases. It was pretty cool to see something come together from an idea I had just to make some extra money!
When COVID shut everything down in spring 2020, I decided to launch a delivery company since so many people were in need of getting items delivered. We mainly delivered restaurant take-out from restaurants that didn't want to pay big third-party apps major fees (we don't charge the restaurants any fees) and who were new to offering delivery altogether. We also did a lot of grocery shopping and delivery. We worked with different organizations all over the DC area to deliver items to their clients and teams. There wasn't another service like this, and it blew up. We are still doing pretty good business.
From there, we recently launched our newest arm of the business Skip Assist, which is personal assistant services including errands, research, planning, scheduling, and anything else a client may need. This naturally stemmed from the delivery model because we were getting so many requests. We have a great team of people who are here to help make our clients' lives much easier.
I am very passionate about providing a quality service that helps people, and that continues to motivate me each day. I am also motivated by the fact that I was able to start this whole venture and continue to pivot, be creative, and introduce new services. It really blows me away sometimes! I really attribute that from taking time off and "unplugging" myself from the chaotic routine sometimes we get stuck in, traveling the world, finding what makes me happy, and applying that passion to creating a business.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment would be starting a business. Actually, going out and doing it is 90% of the battle. Having the confidence and taking risks to create something from scratch is what holds most people back. I think about what I've been able to accomplish every day, especially pivoting to a new model during a worldwide pandemic.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things is keeping the business alive and growing. As we have seen, things can be so unpredictable. Even though the unknown can be very exciting to me, it's also a huge responsibility. You are responsible for your brand, mission, and, most importantly, your team.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Just do it. Once you do it, you will feel so empowered that you can conquer anything.
- Be prepared for fluctuation and stay motivated. Things might start off great and then slow down, or vice versa. But stay motivated and keep focused on the end goal.
- Be open-minded and accepting of feedback. Surround yourself with people outside of your regular social circle to gain truly helpful feedback.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Starting a business is definitely a challenge, but now that I have started one, I will continue to be an entrepreneur no matter what and no matter how many times a venture might fail. If you're up to the challenge, this is definitely the path. Just keep going.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.skipthelineus.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skipthelineus/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipthelineus/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipthelineus
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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