Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lori Osborne, founder of BizBolster Web Solutions, LLC., located in Yulee, FL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I give small business owners what they need to be seen and bring in new business consistently! I design websites and set up tools that not only attract new prospects but also start building the know, like, and trust factors for those prospects when they hit the website.
Through exceptional websites and targeted SEO, my clients are not only found online but can also convey their area of expertise as well as the WIFM (What’s In It For Me?) to their prospects. Ultimately, my goal is to increase sales for small business owners while taking the technology woes off their plate, allowing them to do what they love while I do what I love!
Tell us about yourself
In 2015, after 20+ years in technology, I was a project manager for a small company in Denver, CO, and found out I had a meningioma – a benign brain tumor. It could not be completely removed because it has become part of my carotid artery, but I did have two surgeries and radiation to reduce it as much as possible. The surgeries resulted in losing most of the vision in my left eye, causing double-vision, awful headaches, issues with my speech, and a very low tolerance for stress. With all of this, I was certain I would never return to the high-stress corporate world of IT and started looking at options to try to be productive without working for someone else. And that’s when I discovered building websites!
I had project-managed website development and had done website testing but had never actually built sites before. Nor had I ever been in a role that used both sides of my brain – the analytical and creative side…and that’s when I discovered my PASSION for designing and building websites! Once my health started improving, I realized this could really be a business – and that is how BizBolster was born!
After moving to Florida in 2017 and discovering some amazing solutions for my pain, I got serious about growing my business and expanding my knowledge of marketing and SEO, realizing how important this was for websites to truly be a marketing tool. And now, I design solutions that work FOR small businesses, generating leads and new clients through their websites!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My 6-figure business has been built solely through referrals, which I feel sets me apart as exceptional in my field. One of my largest projects, which I am very proud of, was for our local county (Nassau County, FL) Department of Health. It is a drug prevention site built through the national opioid crisis and is used by local drug prevention and rehabilitation providers as well as those battling drug addiction or living with someone who is addicted. The site is fully ADA-compliant, has amazing local video stories and professional photography, and was built through a collaboration of several local business affiliates. The site can be found here.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
When you are a business owner, especially in the beginning, you have to do it ALL... even the things you know nothing about. Even harder is not knowing what you don't know. Through time, though, you realize you need help and start building a network of resources to fill in the holes and take some of the load off! Patience, resilience, and commitment are key!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Get a business coach as soon as possible - to help you learn what you don't know that you don't know - it's KEY!
- Be SEEN - network, speak in public, get on podcasts, be active on social media, and make sure your website represents you and is FOUND when people search for what you do!
- Build a tribe! Find a group of other business owners you can share and grow with, learn from, brainstorm with, and collaborate with. You don't have to do it alone!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Remember - people do business with people they know, like, and trust! That means you won't likely get sales the first time you meet someone or the first time a prospect goes to your website. You have to build a relationship. On your website, start with an opt-in - something FREE that your target audience and the typical client will WANT, something of true value that gets them to your website and entices them to leave their email address. (Something more than a free call or newsletter signup!)
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.bizbolster.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bizbolster
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bizbolsterlori/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loriaosborne/
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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