Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey advertising services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Gary Sigman, Owner of sem[c], located in Chicago, IL, USA.

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

My current business is called sem[c], a short form for Search Engine Marketing Chicago, Inc. This accurately describes what we do. Our customers are small to medium-sized businesses. They consist of a mixture of B2B and B2C companies.

Tell us about yourself

I have evolved my businesses over time. My first business was commercial photography. I had a BFA in Photography, a pursuit for which I had a lot of passion. I built the business successfully by doing location photography for magazines and corporate communications. Along the way, my promotional materials on the Internet led to a successful transition into online marketing. I get a great deal of personal satisfaction from elevating my clients to prominence on Google and other online sources. Every day gives me the opportunity to help more businesses.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

One of my businesses was a spa in the Northside of Chicago. I wrote the business plan, got a Small Business Administration loan, project managed the $1M buildout, and managed the business from nothing to over $50K per month in less than a year. While this isn't the highest dollar amount earned by any of my businesses, the complexity of the process qualifies this as the biggest.

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

The hardest thing a business owner needs to do is to come back from the next inevitable setback.

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

  1. Know your passion.
  2. Practice it passionately.
  3. Get paid.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://searchenginemarketingchicago.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/semchicago/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gary_sigman/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GarySigman
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/40nlj22

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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