Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joe Bell III, Owner of BellHouse Digital Marketing, located in Baltimore, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
BellHouse Digital Marketing focuses on educating business owners about how to properly use paid advertising to grow their business, even if they have a small budget. My customers are service-based business owners.
Tell us about yourself
I knew I wanted to own my own business, but I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. I had spent the past 12 years doing IT Support but starting an IT company was easier said than done.
I started researching online businesses, and like many others, I was immediately pulled into the stories of overnight success and the vast paydays people were sharing online. I thought it would be easy... It wasn't. I tried a lot of online businesses, and all of them failed early on.
I started to think everyone bragging about their online success was a scam artist, so I stepped away from online business for a while.
One day, I saw a YouTube video from some guys who had their own Google ad agency. They weren't posting about the money they were making. They showed the results they were getting with their ads and advised the rest of us. That's when it hit me and my businesses weren't failing because they were terrible ideas. They were failing because I didn't advertise them properly.
From there, I bought a few courses about how to run Google, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube ads. I got good at it and used it for my junk removal business and a cell phone repair business I had.
From there, I decided to run ads for other businesses instead of doing the labor of junk removal and cell phone repair. I found a few companies that needed my services, and it was great to help them—that lasted for a while.
During my online business journey, I joined many Facebook groups for business owners. I also know a few people who have businesses and are trying to grow them. It became clear that many business owners were in the same boat I was in. They are misinformed about what it takes to get customers online. They're focusing on many things that won't lead to sales.
Because of that, I stopped running my digital marketing agency once the contract for my last client expired, and I put together a course that teaches business owners how to advertise their businesses. I focus on service-based because those are the only businesses I've advertised for successfully.
So aside from being able to take care of my family, my passion is to teach business owners the right way to advertise their business online so they don't have to struggle as I did.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think my biggest accomplishment is not giving up. I failed a lot, and I've seen a lot of other people quit when things got tough for too long.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Getting your first few clients is one of the hardest things about being a business owner. That's if you don't have a proven system in place. Most business owners start a business because they know they are good at what they do. It's not until they get started that they realize customers won't come unless they go out and get them. The hard part is that most business owners don't know how or where to get their ideal customers.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Have a marketing plan and budget before you start your business. Advertising is just as important as any tool or resource you use in your industry.
- Don't quit your day job... yet. I started my business because I was let go from my 9-5 job. I struggled financially for a long time. If I could do it over, I would have found another job and gradually started to phase out of it and into my business.
- Don't ever give up! I have had more businesses fail than I can remember. I've had hundreds of people tell me no. I have had to re-strategize dozens of times. If you want to succeed, you can't give up. You may have to delay some things, and some items may take longer to accomplish than expected. That's normal. If possible, find someone who has already done what you are trying to do and learn from them.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://bellhouseschool.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bellhouse/
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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