Interested in starting your entrepreneurial journey in business development, but not sure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Harsh Pujara, founder, and CEO of Rewardly, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Tell us all about your business...
We are building Canada's first social cashback platform by turning social media sharing of everyday customers into rewards and helping small, medium-sized businesses automate Loyalty, Social Media Engagement, and Advertising.
What's your background and motivation to grow as a solopreneur?
I am passionate about solving significant issues. I co-founded a platform in India, where we worked closely with small businesses and helped them maximize their growth with a limited budget and connected them with local youth.
We started this business by noticing how local and small businesses in Canada were impacted due to the pandemic and the lockdowns. We talked to them to understand their pain points. And understanding their challenges gave us an idea of what we can build to help these struggling small businesses with their limited budget.
Over 97% of businesses in Canada are SMBs. What motivates us every day is that we are building something that could significantly help these small businesses, which are a vital part of our local economy.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
One of my accomplishments as a solo founder and a business owner has been able to form a strong team of individuals from companies like Starbucks and Flipp. Being able to convince these highly accomplished executives not just to love the idea but have their involvement and input in building and forming this business has been incredible.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a solopreneur?
One of the hardest things being a business owner is understanding and executing every aspect of your business by yourself. Handling sales, marketing, hiring, making sure development is running smoothly, making foolproof go-to-market strategy is solid, finding and pitching to investors to raise capital, and ensuring it all falls in place at the right moment.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run or grow a small business today?
- Take care of your mental health; you will face many challenges and issues; make sure to take some rest and spend time with loved ones and take care of your mental health.
- Talk to your customers; talking to your customers will give you tremendous insights and allow you to build a business that genuinely adds value to your customers.
- Ask for help, surround yourself with other founders and business owners, and don't hesitate to reach out for help.
Where can people find you?
Website: https://rewardly.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myrewardly/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myrewardly
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myrewardly
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rewardly/
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.