Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Robert Knop, CEO of Assist You Today, located in Southern California, United States.

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

We help companies avoid becoming the next Sears by modernizing the way companies do marketing and sales. Think LESS cold calling, blast emailing, gut-based decision-making, “one size fits all” approaches, MORE social media, digital, data-driven decision-making, and customer-centric experiences. Our three main focus areas are strategy, training, and content for sales, marketing, and social media.

Tell us about yourself

Helping people. That's why I started this business; whether it's big companies, small companies, B2B, B2C, Fortune 100s, non-profits, mom-and-pop shops, startups. Helping people is the driving force behind everything we do.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Helping clients gain and retain clients on a daily basis and helping friends (and sometimes) strangers find new gigs.

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

All the different hats you wear every day and the endless shifting between each one. It's easy to get burnt out, so you have to remember to take breaks (and not work every weekend!)

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

  1. Run your business model by your target audience before you launch. When I put my offerings, pricing, approach, set up together, I met with three senior leaders who were good friends and trusted advisors in roles that would be my target audience. I walked them through everything front to back, and they gave me candid feedback on what to add/subtract/alter. Invaluable advice.
  2. Outsource things that are not your specialty. I've outsourced my accounting since the 2nd year of my business. And I've saved a ton of time as a result.
  3. The only one you are competing with is yourself. Cut yourself a break, and make sure you make time for your family - they are far more important than your business!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Play the long game. So many companies are all about the hard sell and the need to make $$$ now. As I got off the ground, a large majority of my revenue came in from friends, peers, and former colleagues in the first two years.

Now, we have clients from everywhere, but BECAUSE we didn't aggressively pitch them and form transactional relationships. From day one, we were true consultants - adding value, helping, and becoming trusted partners for many companies. That's the ideal relationship.

Where can people find you and your business?

Best place to find me is on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertknop/

I give away free advice on sales, marketing, recruiting, leadership, communication, entrepreneurship, and social media every day.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/assistyoutoday

Website: https://assistyoutoday.com/

But all the good content comes out on LinkedIn first.

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.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.