Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in design services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sunil Sarwal, Creative Director of the Small Monsters, located in Halifax, NS, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a branding consultant in the Canadian food industry. When food and drink companies are looking to launch a new product, expand their markets, or increase sales, they might turn to someone like me. I help them identify their target consumers, craft a story around their product that gets them noticed, and build a brand for them, including product naming, brand guidelines, graphic style guides, packaging, and marketing campaigns.
Tell us about yourself
It had always been my dream to have my own business. I started it in 2009 when I got laid off from my job, going one contract at a time, eventually renting a small office, hiring my first employee, getting a bigger office, and another employee, and so on. Shortly before the pandemic, I scaled things back and moved back to my hometown to take care of my family. I've been working independently ever since. I love my job – I get to spend all day working with words and images, drawing and sketching and writing, and it's all about my favourite obsession: food.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My two proudest accomplishments are:
- Running a successful and respected design agency in Montreal for 10 years.
- Creating some very successful and award-winning brands and wonderful relationships with clients over the years.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things is balancing the time to manage every aspect of the business. It's fun and easy to get lost in a design for days, but I have to leave time to respond to client emails, send out invoices, pay my bills, and all the other things that go with being responsible and successful.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
One of the best pieces of advice I received when I was starting is that there will also be slow times. Don't panic: enjoy the downtime, rest, work on your portfolio, pitch to potentials, and know that you'll be busy again soon enough.
Another important thing I learned over the years is that clients work with people they enjoy working with. Your relationship with your clients is more important even than the quality of your work or how much you charge. People will call you back if they like working with you, and they'll like working with you as long as you make their job easier: be prompt, friendly, and reliable.
That said, here's my third piece of advice: don't be afraid to set boundaries. I never give my cell phone number to clients (I have a second line for the office), and I don't check my work email outside work hours. It's okay to have a balanced life; just make that clear to your clients from the beginning, and few will mind.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thesmallmonsters.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesmallmonsters
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesmallmonstersbranding/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesmallmonster
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-small-monsters/
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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