Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Adam Vagley, CEO of Runner Consulting, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Runner Consulting is a management consulting firm providing program and project management, project recovery, business strategy, business analysis, and business process design services. We primarily serve enterprise customers in the financial services industry and help clients successfully deliver their most important initiatives.
Tell us about yourself
My career has been a fun mix of building startups and consulting for established companies. My consulting background started with Accenture, which exposed me to many different projects and allowed my wife and I to live in Australia, but the travel became a grind. I then spent six years at another consulting company that was a better lifestyle fit. After a stint building another software startup during Covid, I decided to start my own consulting company, leveraging the expertise and network I'd built up over my career.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The goal of consulting is to create happy clients by solving their problems. The best compliment for a consultant — and especially for a leader of a consulting firm — is having repeat clients. It shows that you're delivering real value to their business.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The buck stops with you: that means that when things go wrong, it's on you to fix, and it can feel like you have to make tough decisions alone. That certainly can be true sometimes, but it's important to have others to talk to: someone else in the business, a spouse, a friend, etc. I often find that it gives me clarity of mind on what I need to do.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Pick your niche - it's easier to start with a specific focus and expand from there as your business and capabilities grow. Don't try to do it all at once.
- Test and learn - as a business owner, it's important not to get stuck in decision paralysis. Keep an agile mindset, try things out, and quickly adapt if the result isn't what you expected.
- Use your network - Even entrepreneurs going through it alone shouldn't do it alone. You'll need a network to learn from, commiserate with, share ideas, etc. If you don't have one, build one: alumni networks or communities of practice relevant to your business are a great place to start.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.runner-consulting.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/runner-consulting/
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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