Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rebecca Pan, Founder of Trellis, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Trellis is a coworking and event space in downtown San Francisco. Entrepreneurs from y-combinator companies to non-profits to freelancers call Trellis home, and the community family.
Tell us about yourself
I got excited about coworking in 2009 and opened my first space the following year. I love the connective device of collaborative space and how it helps each individual reach a higher potential. I love learning about our members, their successes and struggles, and introducing them to other rad humans and resources to help them thrive.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I've opened 13 coworking spaces in 12 years, supported thousands of entrepreneurs, hosted over 500 events, and influenced community change for good.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
You can control what you can control, but you can't control everything. Sometimes the best idea happens at the wrong time, or market forces take control. It's hard to see something you created and lavished love on collapse from the pandemic.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
A lot of people want to have all their ducks in a row before they take a leap—I get that because taking a leap is scary! This often means, however, that you never leap, miss the opportunity, or lose out on ideal timing. I think it's crucial to take the first tiny step forward and then take another one. Action of any size or sort, perfect or imperfect, is infinitely more productive than waiting.
I also encourage people to aim for 93% of perfection. Trying for 100% is exhausting and impossible. 93% is a solid A and means you can feel good about your efforts without putting in that last huge chunk to get closer to perfection. It lets you off the hook and allows you to get on with things more quickly and efficiently.
My last tip is to try things and see what works. Some things work for a time and then stop. Others are worth attempting but don't bring the return you want. I try to have two different marketing initiatives going on at any given time. Google ads is a good example. I run two ads at the same time and change up the wording, see what works best, keep that one, and try something new. That way, I can make frequent small improvements to ads, member events, promotions, etc.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.trellis.social/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trellissocialllc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trellisworkspace/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccabrianpan/
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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