Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stephen Harvill, President of Creative Ventures, located in Lakeway, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are strategic consultants applying original ideas to business models. We have designed these strategies to apply to all markets and business types.

Tell us about yourself

I launched Creative Ventures 40 years ago after giving a presentation on an idea I developed at a large meeting. I then began a career of writing, presenting, teaching, and applying business strategies that I designed. Dealing with a wide variety of businesses provides a key challenge to the application of ideas. Couple that with writing books, articles, and newsletters, and the creative element gets me out of bed.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The longevity of our successful idea development and application. Not many consulting companies hit the 40-year mark of success. To get there, you need value-based thinking and be able to transfer that to a client's needs.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The constant pressure to perform. For Creative Ventures, this means the development of new ideas and the continued growth and revisions to existing strategic platforms. Ideas need fresh paint jobs and the addition of new thinking.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Go with what you know. It's incredibly difficult to jump into a completely foreign business and expect success.
  2. Plan. Planning is essential to success. Within your planning, add a little play. This means playing with your idea. Create scenarios. Outline processes.
  3. Make simplicity the law of your ideas. Nothing dooms an idea to failure faster than complexity. The art of simplicity is accomplished through an intense commitment and focus on the thoughtful reduction that leads to a customer's ability to engage in your idea.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Successful entrepreneurs score high on the emotional and imagination spectrums. They understand failure as a piece of the journey. They see a future that others miss. Look for help when you need it. No one gets there alone.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.creativeventures.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenharvill/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/creativeventure
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-harvill/

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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