Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in training and development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hans Schrynemakers, Founder of PLC Skill Tree, located in Lochau, Austria.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am selling online training courses in the field of PLC programming. PLC stands for Programmable Logical Controllers and is used in all types of industries to automate production processes. They are used, for example, to run chocolate production lines or in a car manufacturing assembly line. The courses that I sell teach people how to program structured PLC applications. I sell my courses using the Kajabi platform, which is an all-in-one platform for selling and marketing your courses, subscription websites, coaching, community, and much more. The people who end up buying my courses are typically technicians, engineers, or electricians with some basic knowledge of PLCs.
Tell us about yourself
I am originally from Belgium, 44 years young, and I lived ten years in Denmark before moving to Austria 8 years ago. I finished my education in Belgium as an automation engineer, and I worked for 11 years in different machine-building companies before starting my own company as a freelancer. This freelance programming is my normal day job. The courses that I sell on www.plcskilltree.com is my side job. The reason I created these courses is to help people get better at better PLC programming and to create a passive income from myself. The aim is that, at some point, my online business (selling courses) can take over my active work as a freelancer.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
When I first started out with my online courses, I was selling them through Udemy, which is a marketplace for online courses. This was an easy way to start because you don't need to do any marketing yourself (the marketplace itself has search options to find the perfect course for you).
Last year, I moved my courses to my own website www.plcskilltree.com, and I started to do my own marketing. I created a YouTube channel where I uploaded around 20 videos worth of PLC training tutorials, and I started a LinkedIn page where I write posts once in a while. Furthermore, I created an opt-in page on my website with a lead magnet (free pdf-guide), with which I am building my own email list.
My biggest accomplishment is that I did not only survive this switch from an online marketplace (Udemy) to my own website (plcskilltree.com), but I thrived. I built my own audience, and I started doing my own marketing, small steps every day, and it really paid off in the end.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Getting motivated every day to make small steps towards creating new content while trying to raise two kids at the same time. My wife and I have two wonderful kids, but they can sometimes drain all the energy out of us. So it can be challenging for me in the late hours - after the kids are asleep - to take out my laptop and work on new material instead of something more passive like watching a movie.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- START SMALL! Don't try to build an amazon-size company straight from the get-go. Start with a small online bookstore, and build it from there.
- SMALL, CONSISTENT STEPS EVERY DAY. You don't need to make huge progress all the time; all you need are small incremental changes every day. I have times as well when I am just out of energy and cannot do much more than watch Netflix before going to bed, but I try to keep a goal in mind and work consistently in small steps toward this goal.
- Try to follow some people on YouTube who have made this journey already and who are sharing their experiences through their videos. You can skip a lot of pitfalls and setbacks by listening to how other people have accomplished things. I follow, for example, Graham Cochrane, who gives excellent advice on online courses and how to start your own business (https://www.youtube.com/@GrahamCochrane).
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.plcskilltree.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HansRockSolid
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/tia-portal-courses/
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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