Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kyle Reed, Owner of TimberLion, located in Cabot, AR, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
TimberLion is a CRM development company that builds custom CRMs and automation to help home service-based companies save time and make more money. Our solution is to install custom sales, customer success, and retention/ascension pipelines.
Tell us about yourself
I am from a small farm town in SE Colorado, went to college for an engineering degree, and worked in corporate for 7 years before exiting. I knew several years before my exit that I wanted something more, something bigger, and to have more of a personal impact. My last year was at a company where I saw a major lack of technology in the field and started implementing solutions for them. Then it clicked. I can do it here. Therefore, I can do this in my own company and serve others.
My motivation actually comes from my desire to help others experience more than where they are in life. When I was in corporate in my 20s, I had a luxurious lifestyle that allowed me to have experiences. While taking a cut to start my own business and cut out that luxury temporarily, I now understand what it's like to live a life many cannot do.
Therefore, I can reflect on that and help our clients do at least one of the following: make more money or get their time back. Oftentimes, both occur by nature of the systems doing the work.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Helping many smaller home service companies grow their businesses while having a tool to save them time, allowing them to spend more time with family.
Growing to a maturity point where I understand not every prospect is a fit for us, I sometimes refer them to someone who can better help create the solution.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The uncertainty of what's next. We can plan as much as possible. However, with us being the ones in the leadership, we are the ones that face the unexpected.
A client may have issues—one that may be unhappy, systems being down, etc. The fact that we attempt to plan everything and still be exposed to the things that throw us off can be challenging to navigate on occasion.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Understand the power of social media and networking. It may take longer to grow the base of the business, but organic growth through social media and networking will prove to serve you long-term because you have a community of people who trust you.
- Understand why and how to use Google Business. An enormous amount of traffic goes through Google every day, so it makes sense for us to utilize it. It's free.
- Don't wait until it's perfect to launch, because you'll never launch. Instead, launch and let the data tell you where tweaks need to be made.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://timberlion.io/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyle.reed.16
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylegarretreed/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kyreed23
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylegarretreed/
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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