Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Eric Martindale, Founder of Suburban Street Trading Company, LLC, located in Quakertown, PA, USA.

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

We're a technology-powered E-Commerce Management Agency. Through human expertise and proprietary software, we grow brands on Amazon, Walmart.com, and other digital Marketplaces.

Tell us about yourself

After spending 20 years as a Marine Corps officer, I needed a new mission. I had spent my adult life fighting for my country, and I couldn't handle the idea of spending the rest of my life saving for retirement. While involved in an import contract, I turned to Amazon to increase sales volume to meet the contract terms. I was intrigued by the technical complexity and slowly evolved to focus all of my efforts there. 24 team members later, and we are one of the premier digital Marketplace companies in the country.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We have outward-facing core values, but when the rubber meets the road, we fight for real people every day. Our clients aren't International corporations; they're startups and scaleups that are fighting with everything they have to grow a brand and achieve their dreams. They're staking their claim in this world through something they love. We get to fight for them, and we have built a culture around that.

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

If you operate at any kind of scale, the financial responsibility becomes incredible. The moment you realize that your company is bigger than you, that it isn't just a matter of out-hustling anymore, it can be incredibly heavy at times. The bigger the company, the heavier the anchor that will drag you to the bottom if you don't stay focused and competitive.

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

  1. Don't enrich yourself until you've earned it. You can take money from it when the business doesn't know the difference, not before.
  2. Forget the movies, and ignore the Instagram accounts. If you want to do anything big, prepare to suffer at times. Prepare to work more than you've ever worked before.
  3. Someone in your business MUST be an internal operator. Someone MUST be able to manage projects and people in detail and to completion. If that isn't you, find someone who is.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Fight. Fight when it's easy. Fight when it's hard. Successful companies generally endured and endured until they had built a competitive mote around their business. That won't come without a lot of work.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.suburbanstreettrading.com/
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3PK2YpX
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3PVNEX8


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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