Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joseph Szadvari, Owner of C-Sunshine, located in Bratislava, Slovakia.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We help clients achieve their goals and grow through IT outsourcing and building projects from scratch or upgrading their functionality/features. What we stand out in is innovative thinking tailored to your business. That's why we usually get feedback from clients like "We never looked at this problem from this perspective" or "Nobody showed us such insights." That is mostly because we trained our skills in different IT competitions, and we use cross-industry approaches to solve problems. Many ideas and projects went through our hands. If you want to, check out this case study as one of the examples of what we do on this link.
Tell us about yourself
It was simple, I didn't think of starting a company, but I was challenged by a friend who told me: "You have done this for quite a long time; why don't you start a company here?" (in NYC) So I did. :) What's fun in this business is the challenges you meet daily. Every day you have to solve something different, sometimes it is something completely new, sometimes just a different approach for a different industry, and sometimes it's just regular stuff like integrations between systems or analytics and business insights or notification systems which can save a lot of time for employees of our clients and increase their revenue.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think it was getting a solid team together and building a network of like-minded companies. When you have that, it is easier to build anything for clients, and it gives you more flexibility and durability. Though what really makes me happy is one project in the eHealth sector we launched recently. It helps doctors and nurses currently fighting multiple sclerosis save about 40% of their time, which they can dedicate to working with their patients. It is still a small project, but I see a lot of value in it because healthcare technology can save many lives and make patients' lives easier and more fulfilling, if not help cure the problem completely. That depends on the character of the disease you are dealing with.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Once you build a good team and keep it for quite a long time, it is business flow so that you can grow, pay everyone needed, and create a good vibe so that you can constantly move forward. Times are challenging, and nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. Flexibility and attitude is something that is always a differentiator. And that is built by people on the team. So keeping that flow is the hardest thing that can be easily challenged by outside circumstances or unexpected events.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start doing it, and see if you can do it every day, even if the day is hard. Is there enough motivation for you? You can do it as a sidekick to see if there is enough business for you in that industry. Sometimes getting hired and working your ass from the bottom up that way is the easiest way to do it because if people who work with you will like your work, they will be more willing to work with you further. It builds trust too.
- Is it a hobby, or is there more value behind it for you? Business can kill hobbies, which may not be enough to get the business going. Think about your motivations, your skills, and your talents, and challenge it, try it, and give it enough time and energy to see if it is a fit for you and the market (you can always build your own market around your niche if it is big enough or if your potential clients see the value).
- Iterate - use business canvas to validate your ideas, do it as fast as possible, try different approaches, and don't be afraid to fail; it is just another step to getting it right if you can learn from your mistakes, evaluate them, incorporate changes, and grow in a better direction.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://c-sunshine.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CSunshineCompany
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JozefSzadvari
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c-sunshine/
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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