Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jonathan Mark, Founder of Spiffster Tie Club, located in Minneapolis, MN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our business is a tie subscription box that includes regular ties, skinny ties, bow ties, and socks. Our customers are anyone who wants to build a tie collection, whether it's a recent graduate going to job interviews, men in the classic corporate world, teachers, community leaders, etc.
Tell us about yourself
I was working at a SaaS (software as a service with a monthly subscription) company but had a personal dream of running my own business. I enjoyed wearing ties during work and formal occasions and developed a knack for mixing and matching shirts and ties. So I thought, why not create a subscription box out of it? It's perfect because ties are light, so shipping wouldn't be terribly expensive. I laid out a game plan in late 2015 and haven't looked back since. What motivates me are the customers that email me and tell me that they love the product, along with those that go to social media and take pictures of themselves with our ties because they like the product. It's a pretty awesome feeling!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think the biggest accomplishment is our care for our loyal customers. As the competition for subscription boxes increases, we are able to keep our subscribers happy with our subscription box, from our curation to the style of ties.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Uncertainty of the future. An increase in competition, a slower economy, and higher inflation make it tougher to market our product. However, we will always keep our business running though!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Execution is key. Don't overthink or overanalyze, or else you may end up never getting off the ground.
- Find motivation every day. Since you're not working for a company, you have nobody to report to but yourself. Sometimes that may make it tough to motivate yourself to do things.
- Find a product that people want. Now that there are many subscription boxes in many categories, it may be difficult to compete against more established boxes. New owners would need to differentiate themselves by creating a box that is different from the pack.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.spiffster.club/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spiffsterclub
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiffsterclub/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpiffsterClub
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spiffster-tie-club/
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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