Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in sports, but not sure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kris McCarthy, the founder of FanSaves, a sports engagement service in Canada.

Tell us all about your business...

FanSaves is a digital platform that offers fans, discounts and deals from the sponsors of their favourite teams! Think Instagram meets Groupon but for sports teams. We are a B2B SaaS company that works with professional sports teams and organizations as our customers.

What's your background and motivation to grow as a business owner?

Back in 2017 my Co-Founder and I were managing the sales and marketing for two minor professional hockey teams and in the summertime we'd be out selling sponsorship but we kept running into the same problem where business owners didn't think they were going to get enough out of the traditional sports sponsorship inventory we were selling. Instead what they wanted was something that could digitally activate our fans, allow them to collect customer analytics while being able to measure ROI.

We didn't have anything like that so a lot of deals ended up being left on the table. We got so tired of this problem that we set out to solve it! Our daily motivation comes from our current partners and prospects who all express running into the same problem we did. Our platform is bringing sponsorship into the digital age while helping teams and organizations increase fan engagement!

As an entrepreneur, what does success ultimately mean to you?

For me, success is getting to wake up every morning to do something meaningful that I am passionate about. When people think of me, I'd like to be known as and remembered as someone who always made time for others and worked tirelessly to make this world a better place.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being an entrepreneur?

I would say getting used to the roller-coaster that is startup life. There are a lot of ups and a lot of downs along the way. It's easy to burn out and get overwhelmed trying to grow your business. Things will go wrong and sometimes you will fail.

What's important to realize is that most founders are going through similar challenges and struggles. Making mistakes is inevitable but being able to fail forward is important. Always learn from your mistakes and don't be afraid to seek out help to be able to improve!

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

Just start. There is misconception out there that you have to be in a certain position in your life to start a business. We started FanSaves with no savings in our bank accounts. We were extremely resourceful in getting to this point in our business having bootstrapped close to $400,000 to date.

Having a solid Co-Founder is a huge advantage. I can't imagine this journey without my Co-Founder Shannon. We share all the wins and losses and never let each other get to high or too low!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Being a startup founder can be stressful and you often make a lot of sacrifices during the early years to grow your venture. A quote that has always stuck with me is “Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.” Having said that you don't need fancy cars or a mansion to be happy. Success isn't defined by your financial achievements, everyone has a different perspective on what success means to them.

Where can people find you online?

https://www.fansaves.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/krismccarthy8/
https://soundcloud.com/livingthestartuppodcast

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as an entrepreneur or business coach that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.