Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nev Lapwood, Owner of Snowboard Addiction, located in Whistler, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Snowboard Addiction is the world leader in snowboard training equipment and educational videos for snowboarders. Our customers are anyone who loves Snowboarding and wants to improve their skills year-round on or off the snow.
Tell us about yourself
I have been addicted to Snowboarding for pretty much my entire life. After finishing school in NZ, I moved to Whistler, Canada, one of the best winter resorts in the world, to fully immerse myself in snowboarding. I became a successful coach training many elite snowboard organizations and clubs, including training the Snowboard instructors at Whistler Blackcomb and qualifying Snowboard Instructors for the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors. I identified a gap in the market that would allow me to leverage the internet to train an unlimited amount of people simultaneously. Snowboard Addiction was born on this idea to help as many snowboarders as possible, and we have helped millions of snowboarders improve their riding.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The way I know Snowboard Addiction has been a success is from the hundreds of people who approach me while snowboarding, thanking me for what we do as a business. It is amazing to hear from our customers and fans about how much our training videos and training equipment has helped them. It is rare for me to have a day on the mountain when someone does not recognize me for the work we do. I am enormously grateful for the customers we have worldwide and am excited to continue serving them. The feedback we get lets us know we continue to be on the right track.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Surviving the ups and downs of business and continuing to operate a profitable business is more difficult than it seems. There have been several times over our 15-year history when we may have ceased to exist. Keeping on top of all the different elements of running a business is very challenging. It's difficult but rewarding.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start early. When you are young, you have more energy and time. Both of those were very helpful for me in getting Snowboard Addiction going.
- Keep revenue higher than expenses at all times. This is a simple formula and is absolutely essential to running a business. If your expenses become higher than your revenue, you will find yourself out of business very quickly.
- Look for a way that you can serve others and then scale that. Find something people are willing to pay for, provide it to them, then duplicate and scale that as much as you can.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://snowboardaddiction.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snowboardaddiction/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snowboard_addiction/
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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