Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alex Warren, owner of Sinopia, located in Palm Springs, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is a niche art supply company that specializes in pigments for paints, milk paint for house and furniture painting, as well as a clay ground for gold leaf application techniques.
Tell us about yourself
Started learning about pigments while studying painting at the San Francisco Art Institute. Later did extensive research into the field of classic art materials on trips to Europe before opening Sinopia in 1995.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Learning how to pivot with ever-changing tastes and market conditions. Over the past 15 years, I developed a lineup of products that services the novice and professional markets, which allows my company to adapt to trends in the market. For example, during COVID, the crafts market exploded, which made our milk paint very popular. Now, however, we are catering to professionals who work with gold leaf, and we are working our way to the top supplier position in the clay grounds market for gold leaf.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Procurement. Our suppliers keep changing their offerings and/or are bought by other companies, which then change the purchasing conditions.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be passionate about your product or trade.
- Be involved in every facet of your business.
- Learn how to create a work-life balance to avoid burnout.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: http://www.sinopia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SinopiaPigments/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sinopia_pigments/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-warren-3154b819/
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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