One-Stop Shop for All Things Digital Marketing

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Pat Williams, Founder of CyberCletch LLC., located in Livingston, TX, USA.

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

CyberCletch is a boutique agency with over 20 years of hands-on experience… We create and manage websites that bring traffic, leads, and sales to your business. We work with small to medium-sized businesses looking for a partner to help achieve their online goals.

Tell us about yourself

I fell into my business. I worked as a counselor focused on the Behavioral Sciences, but when I moved to the USA in 1999, I wasn't allowed to work, so I taught myself to build websites. My Realtor saw the website and asked me to build her one. Then someone saw her site, and the referrals snowballed into a business that officially opened in 2002. What motivates me personally is exploration. I love to explore the online world on behalf of my clients so I can keep them ahead of their competitors. When not working, I explore the world as a digital nomad. I've been traveling full-time since 2016 and am very grateful to have built a company that allows me to do so.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think my biggest accomplishment as a business owner is the level of customer service offered. The average client lifespan for my business is eight years in an industry where it's typically eight months. We just finished building a 4th website for a client who has been with us for 20 years. And that first client from 1999? She still works with us monthly, although she's moved from being an agent and is a real estate broker now.

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

Knowing which high-priority task is the task that will move your business forward. As business owners, we tend to give our attention to the thing that is on fire right now. But if that is not what your business needs to move forward, we find ourselves stuck in a groundhog day scenario. Working our tails off without seeing significant growth. That's why I became a certified Fix This Next Advisor. It really helps during conversations with my client about what they should be focusing on next in their business... which in turn tells me how I can best help them online.

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

Set processes up from the beginning. When you get busy, it's harder to do then, and it makes your company more valuable should you decide to sell one day.
Start with your Mission Statement, Goals, Ideal Customer Avatar, and Branding. It will be hard if you don't have any clients, but you can always model it after yourself/your likes until you have more data. Update this file as appropriate. Continuously referring back to these things will help you stay focused on what is most important. From media opportunities to website builds, review the file before saying "yes" to remind you who you are serving and why. It's much easier than we think to get off-track, forget your purpose, and put scattered branding out into the world.
Give yourself time to succeed but realize this is your business; it is meant to serve you, too.

When I began my business, I did so because I had two young sons at home. That's why my business is called Cyber (a big word at the inception of the internet!) and Cletch (which means nest of eggs). I wanted to be present for my children, and I have upscaled and downscaled my business based on life's demands. Now, it allows me to be location independent, and my 4-year-old son, who peered over my desk while I built that first website, is now my lead developer. We've worked on projects together in Thailand, Puerto Rico, all over the USA, and Canada. He's now a traveler too. I love my business because of the freedom it has afforded my life and family. I share my travels on my IG profile as well.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.cybercletch.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cybercletch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pat_cletch/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cletch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patwilliams/

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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