Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jess Azure, Founder of Spadesso, located in Fargo, ND, USA.

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

Spadesso is your last-minute salon and spa appointment destination. We help consumers find last-minute appointments while helping salon and spa providers FILL their available appointments. Our unique search and booking approach makes it faster and easier for consumers to connect with local providers in their area.

As a marketplace, we serve two customers: consumers looking for salon and spa appointments and (salon and spa) providers looking to grow their business. Our platform launched its MVP (Minimum Viable Platform) in April 2022. We currently serve one market, the greater Fargo-Moorhead area. We will expand that geographical footprint to more cities with time and success.

Tell us about yourself

Hi, I'm Jess Azure, the Founder of Spadesso. I spent eight years working as a massage therapist and master esthetician. My first years in the business were as a solo entrepreneur, and later in my career, I moved into a traditional salon setting. So, you could say I did it all backward.

I've come a long way from those early days and have done other fun things within my career, but my spa days hold a lot of nostalgia. From those early days, new in my career and in a new community, I drew inspiration for Spadesso. My experiences as a spa provider were from a time before social media. Still, if we look at the landscape now, those platforms have grown noisy, making it hard to connect with the right consumers.

When I set out to create Spadesso, I wanted to make a space just for salon and spa professionals, and I wanted to make it easier for them to find consumers who are also seeking their services. When you choose a career as a provider, your focus and interest aren't usually in marketing and sales. You love the craft, and you love helping people. That’s your passion.

When working on our platform, I’m always trying to put myself in the shoes of that newer provider looking to establish their career, the one that’s recently moved to a new location, or the one that has leaped to go out on their own as a solo-entrepreneur. The industry is built on these exceptional providers that help people look and feel their best—and we strive to help their business be the best it can be.

If you had told me five years ago that I would be the founder of a tech platform, I would have laughed you out of the room. I never in a million years would have thought of myself as someone capable of such a thing. But here I am, and it all started with my passion for solving a problem. I wake up each day excited about the challenges of growing and improving our platform.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

It’s funny, you’d think the process of creating and launching an MVP would count as a huge accomplishment, and indeed, it is. I am enormously grateful for our development and design team that helped make our MVP a success. But when I think of Spadesso and what we do, I feel most accomplished by the revenue we have helped our providers generate. Knowing we can help them fill their schedules and take a task off their plate fills my bucket.

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

I have a seven-year-old, and we’ve been watching “The Lego Movie: The Second Part” a lot lately. I chuckle whenever we reach the scene where Rex says, “A tough guy doesn’t ask where to go. Just pick any of them and act like you’re sure.

That’s called leadership.” There are so many decisions to make with your business, and there usually isn’t just one correct answer when you’re releasing a new concept, there sometimes is no road map for where you’re heading.

Making those decisions can feel like you’re choosing between absolute success or the demise of your company. One of the most complex parts is staying out of your way and avoiding the traps of over-analyzing your options and strategy. Making and executing the decision is often more important than the 'right' or 'wrong' decision.

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

It might sound cliché, but one of the most important things I could tell an aspiring entrepreneur is to put yourself out there and be ‘open.’ The more you approach life with this mindset, the more opportunity will flow your way, the more relationships you’ll build, and it’s more likely you’ll find success creating your vision.

I’d also recommend jumping headfirst into your niche or industry (if you aren’t already). The community will keep you motivated and engaged when things get tough. Running a marketplace, I sometimes feel like we have at least three different communities, but the variety keeps it interesting.

Adding a sub-point to the community, I think it’s beneficial to find a mentor. For the longest time, I had never understood why people were obsessed with finding mentors. It turns out that I just hadn’t found the right one. I’ve been fortunate to find great mentors, which has made all the difference in our growth as a company. Find someone with whom you can share your concerns, who you can trust, and who’s been in your shoes before.

Finally, I’d add-- when you realize that your ‘financials’ are just another way of storytelling within your business, the second part of your life as a business owner begins. Many founders and business owners don’t necessarily love to look at the financials. Maybe you see it as a snooze fest or a source of stress. Still, when you view it as another way to tell your ‘story,’ you realize it’s a wonderful communication tool at your disposal.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If there’s one last piece of advice I can share, it’s to manage your expectations around time. I think most entrepreneurs want to move at the speed of light. It’s just part of the way we are built. When channeled, it can help us push ourselves (and our team) to reach the (perpetual) finish line.

But when you’re first getting started, I think it’s important to remember, much like an infant or a child, that we must also learn while doing these ‘firsts’ and build upon that knowledge. Speed and ease will come later as we accumulate more experience.

I know in my first year, I constantly judged the pace and speed of the project (the self-talk of, I’m not moving fast enough, or someone else would have done so much more by now). The foundational work of your startup can seem slow at first, and I’d love to reassure you that you’re on pace. Just keep going. One project becomes two, and suddenly, you find yourself at ten. It’s all about building incrementally.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://spadesso.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Spadesso/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spadesso/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spadesso/


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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