Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ruha Thurairatnam, Founder of The Designist Studio, located in St. John's, NL, Canada.

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

I work with coaches and consultants who are ready to take their business to the next level with online strategy and website design that helps them attract best-fit clients, raise their rates, and grow their audience.

My clients are typically solopreneurs or have small teams with a few years of experience under their belts. They're committed to serving other small businesses and making a positive impact in the world.

When we start working together, we develop a brand blueprint that gives them the confidence and clarity to make brand and marketing decisions that will help them grow strong, sustainable, and profitable businesses.

Tell us about yourself

I was on a self-imposed sabbatical of sorts, recuperating after years of burnout working at my last job and spending my time learning new skills, rediscovering old ones, and trying to find joy in how I spent my time. I was planning to get a job in programming - a complete pivot from my old job in retail management - but pandemic lockdowns hit us a few months before my year was up. I'd already been building websites for friends and realised many local businesses needed to get online, and quickly, in order to survive this shift in operations. I officially launched my business just a few months later.

My business has shifted since I first started, and my work is more strategic and valuable to my clients now. I'm very fortunate to work with incredibly inspiring people who have big hearts and big missions and who choose to use their businesses and platforms to change the world. They keep me on my toes, challenge me to keep pushing myself to serve them and their communities better and make me excited to get to work every day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Sticking it out through the ups and downs. I've focused on maintaining a learning attitude, listening to my clients and audience, mentoring others, and building community. I invested early in coaching and mentorship and tried to stay flexible, adapting to a fast-changing landscape as nimbly as I could while remaining committed to my values and mission.

Even if my business failed at this point, I have learned so much that I would feel confident picking myself back up and starting a new business all over again.

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

For myself, the uncertainty. It feels like I'm always making decisions, weighing out options, and trying not to get distracted by what someone else says is "The Solution." It's why my services always start with getting clarity about what to do and what NOT to do.

Ultimately, this business is my livelihood, and it can feel like a heavy burden knowing that I might make a wrong move that impacts my ability to support myself. As much as I try to inject fun and joy into my daily work and treat every decision as a hypothesis I'm testing, it can be exhausting.

Fortunately, I've built a strong, supportive community of peers and mentors around me who I can rely on for advice, encouragement, and empathy. This makes all the difference in the world.

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

  1. Build community. Whether they are peers who get the day-to-day experience of entrepreneurship, collaborators, or mentors, these people are your cheerleaders, can introduce you to your next client, and will help you grow faster than you would alone.
  2. Cut a few things off your to-do list. You probably think you need to do much more than is necessary to grow your business and get more clients. Instead, prioritise getting to a place of financial and operational stability.
  3. Treat yourself as your number one client. Make time to work on your business, and practice holding healthy boundaries, so work remains enjoyable and productive, and you still get to have a life outside it.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Focus on taking action, especially if you're an overthinker. Do something every day to move your business forward. Create momentum, and course correct as you go.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://thedesignist.studio/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesigniststudio/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruharatnam/

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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