Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in branding and marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alex Morse, CEO, and Co-Founder of side•sea, located in Portland, ME, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
side•sea designs custom WordPress websites and progressive web apps for nonprofits across the globe. We also operate a Fundraising Application called Hopsie, enabling nonprofits to accept donations, run fundraising campaigns, and automate post-gift communications.
Tell us about yourself
I helped launch a nonprofit back in 2012 which crowdfunded micropayments for tuition to educate a group of children in a small town in Ghana. We white-labeled the technology we developed and launched Hopsie in 2013, then side•sea was launched in 2014 to expand upon the services we could offer to nonprofits. From the very beginning, we were, and continue to be, mission-focused. Our mission is to equip all nonprofits, regardless of size, with the digital tools and know-how to enable mission expansion. We feel that those dedicating their time, earning potential, and opportunities towards making the world a better place deserve more support than those trying purely to maximize profits.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
There are too many to count. From standing up fundraisers in hours to support global disasters (Like the earthquake in Kathmandu in 2015), solving fundraising problems experienced by international groups around currencies and language, and building an in-house team of humanitarian-centric designers, copywriters, developers, and marketers are a few.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The amount of responsibility you feel towards your team and clients, especially when your clients are fighting uphill battles at every turn, and their causes are incredible. This leads to long hours, lots of pro bono work, working at odd hours, etc. It's worth it, of course. I wouldn't want it any other way.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Persistence and patience are critical in entrepreneurship. Always being in the game means the opportunities that will come eventually find you. Focus on a mission and do really good work, and the money will come. Lastly, take advantage of the fact that, as a business owner, you choose what you build. It doesn't have to follow the roadmaps or structures established by books or highly experienced 'experts.' You can create whatever you want, so put a lot of thought into that question.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://sidesea.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sideseaagency
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideseaagency/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hopsie/
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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