Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jack Jose, Founder of The Best Words LLC, located in Cincinnati, OH, USA.

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

I save busy business owners time while increasing web traffic and driving new sales. I do this by writing regular blog posts, expert anchor posts, and advertising copy that informs and entertains customers and clients. I also do editing and proofreading for clients who self-publish or are working on grants or advanced degrees.

Tell us about yourself

During my 25 years as a high school English teacher and principal, I co-authored a book that was published by Rowman and Littlefield. This writing and publishing experience served me well in my second career as a writer. I found that large and small companies needed someone who could write clearly and understand their client's needs.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

It's funny that my biggest accomplishment didn't help me directly. I wrote an article for copywriters about refunds available in the COVID relief package. It was just an informational item I had come across that seemed like a great opportunity for people in my business but didn't apply to me. Several readers applied and got money. One told me it may have helped save his business. Another got significant support and later took me out to lunch to thank me. That I helped others this way - by giving business advice - was a pleasant surprise!

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

Keeping myself and my family insured. I found that I initially struggled to make enough money to support paying for insurance, so I took a full-time job as a 9-1-1 Operator. That is rewarding work that contributes to a pension and insurance, but I still love to write and have been able to carry my corporate clients.

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

I think everyone's path is different, but here is what worked for me:

  1. Start doing the work however you can. My first paid work was a series of $5 articles on Upwork and Fiverr. I then focused on getting work through Upwork (a large number of "offers" I got on Fiverr to sell my identity, so I left that platform pretty fast.) Quickly I got a series of positive ratings, and soon I had a 100% satisfaction rating, and I was able to earn more and more for doing the same work but with clients who would pay more to make sure they got a quality product the first time.
  2. Talk to all of your friends about the work you're doing, and share successes on social media. Almost half the work I did during my first two years was from friends. Today (year 4), almost all of my clients are recommendations from friends and former clients. You build your service by doing a good job.
  3. Understand that, at times, it is a grind. You just have to get up and do the work, whether it is spending 6-7 hours a day writing proposals on Upwork or re-writing an article you thought was done because a client didn't like the final product or it conflicted with their brand or best practices. That's just the work. And there is not really an audience.
  4. Bonus tip: as you get better at your work, you can charge more for the work. Every time I raised my hourly charge with a new client, I held my breath. But most of the time the new client, who knew my successful track record, agreed. Often without hesitation. My skill set and work were worth it to them - and I was the one who did not understand that I was asking too little.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://thebestwordsllc.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebestwords5

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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