Give Your Business a Competitive Edge - JLT Web Solutions

Team Subkit -

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeff Thungc, President of JLT Web Solutions, located in Kent, WA, USA.

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

JLT Web Solutions provides digital solutions to local small businesses to help them gain a competitive edge in the digital marketplace. Our services include Website Design, Website Hosting, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Social Media Management, Online Reputation Management, Digital Business Cards, Online Directory Listing, and Website Accessibility.

The four cornerstones that make us stand out are:

  1. Ultra-user-friendly website platform
  2. Affordable price
  3. Accessibility
  4. 24/7 customer care support

We stay true to our unique value proposition, so we can sleep well each night knowing that our clients are getting the value they deserve and the resources they need to stay competitive in the global economy.

Tell us about yourself

About 16 years ago, my wife and I started a restaurant business. It was during the mid-2000s when technology was booming and digital marketing was the frontier. I bought a website from a company, and they couldn't get the website the way I wanted and know it could be done. I looked around and noticed that other small business owners struggled with similar challenges. I asked myself, "what if I go to school and learn how to do this? I could help many people solve their problems to allow them to focus on their core business." That was exactly what I did.

I worked full-time as a social worker, ran my restaurant, and went to school full-time. After I left school, I found nobody wanted to hire me because I lacked experience. I took on a job with a school district managing various departments, such as digital media, website and application development, and digital learning. I was doing side hustles in this field while working for the school.

When the pandemic hit, I noticed an increased demand for digital solutions in the small business community. The pandemic created this virtual space where prospects and consumers hang out, and small businesses need a solution to meet their prospective customers online. Traditional marketing companies tend to omit small businesses, solopreneurs, and small non-profits. I saw a niche there and want to provide services to fill this gap. We are very passionate about helping small businesses thrive. This is why we structured our business with the four unique value propositions to make us stand out among our competitors.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Our biggest accomplishment is that we built a community. JLT Web Solutions is very active in philanthropy and community services. I model this practice. Outside of work, I work on community service projects for the various organizations to which I volunteer to. In 2017, I launched and served as the President of the Mien International Enrichment Network (MIEN). This non-profit organization helps the Iu Mien people advance in society by providing access to literacy resources, health education, and resources and preserving history and culture.

Since 2017, I've served on the board of the Southeast Asian Pacific Islander Health Education Summit (SEAPI), a consortium formed to provide equitable access to health education and resources to disadvantaged communities. In 2018, MIEN and SEAPI partnered with public agencies and community-based organizations to launch one of its kind health education summit, which provided:
· health screening,
· workshops on chronic illness prevention,
· healthy eating recipes and cooking, and
· supplementation education.

In 2019, I served on the founding board of United Communities of Laos, a coalition of minority communities from Laos living in Washington state. This coalition unites the minority communities from Laos to pool resources and have one voice for advocacy at local and state governments.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, disinformation and misinformation about the virus and vaccines spread in the Iu Mien community due to community isolation and the language barrier. JLT Web Solutions partnered with the Washington State Department of Health to provide culturally and linguistically relevant COVID-19 communications, information, and personal protective equipment to this community. In addition, the pandemic locked down brought on food scarcity and inequitable access to information and resources, especially for families who worked multiple low-paying jobs.

JLT Web Solutions partnered with USDA, public health agencies, and community-based organizations to provide these communities with emergency food, digital equity, and mobile vaccination clinics. In 2022, the high inflation rate raised food costs, and food scarcity became a reality for many families. We rounded up our partner organizations to work with Food Lifeline to launch a food bank serving 50-75 families weekly.

At JLT Web Solutions, we believe community and business are interconnected and inseparable. Companies in the community are what build the community. The community is what supports the businesses. When businesses thrive, the community thrives, and vice versa. Grounded on this principle, we encouraged our employees and partners to engage in community service initiatives that are impactful in our community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I helped launch a brand new BNI chapter called Auburn Movers and Shakers. I led this chapter to grow from zero to 32 members to help local business owners lock arms together to weather the economic storm brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, I have been volunteering to host workshops for the Kent Chamber of Commerce monthly and the Women In Business Expo Group Youth Entrepreneurialship.

I was awarded the Local Businessperson of 2021 and 2022 and Local Main Street Mentor of 2021 by the local business community of Alignable. Alignable awarded JLT Web Solutions the 2022 Community Supporter. The Better Business Bureau nominated JLT Web Solutions as one of four Torch Award finalists in the state of Washington in 2022. These accolades are evidence that the business community recognized the contribution and effort that JLT Web Solutions is making a positive impact on the local communities.

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

The hardest part of being a business owner is giving up doing everything yourself. We become business owners instead of working for someone because we feel/think we can do better than others or that others can't perform the tasks to our expectations. Because of this perception makes us try to do everything, which is not the best practice.

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

These three tips helped my business grow tremendously.

  1. Learn to leverage the expertise of others. You can only be good at some things. If you try to do everything, you become a generalist and do mediocre on everything instead of being a specialist.
  2. Add value to others - they should become better (happier and more insightful) after they meet you. This will attract more positive people and trust from others, resulting in more sales and revenue.
  3. Give back to the community. It's the community that supports your business, and your business will build the community. Both are interconnected and dependent on each other. So, don't disown the community.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.jltwebsolutions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JLTWebSolutions
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enterprise4jlt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlt_web
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jlt-web-solutions/

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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