Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Edward Skira, Owner of UrbanToronto, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
UrbanToronto is a website that tracks real estate development across the Greater Toronto Area.
The website consists of four areas:
- The Daily News. 5-7 stories a day that tracks development across Toronto.
- The Development Database. It currently contains 3,700+ active development projects and 6,600+ companies that are involved in these projects.
- Development map that shows where all these projects are located.
- Discussion forum, which currently has about 40,000 registered members. They can discuss and upload photo updates.
UrbanToronto averages 300,000 unique visitors per month, with 1/3rd involved in the development industry. We average 2 million page views per month.
We are a data-driven organization that allows our audience to track all the development that is taking place in the Toronto region. UrbanToronto Pro (https://urbantoronto.ca/Pro/) is an important part of our service. It gives clients full access to our development database to allow them to track development, do analysis and generate leads.
Our customers are companies in the development industry. This includes developers, architects, planners, suppliers, brokers, financial services, government organizations, and more.
Tell us about yourself
UrbanToronto was started as a hobby while I worked in the publishing industry. Architecture and urban development have always been my personal passion. Toronto has been booming development-wise for many years now, and we saw a fit with what we developed with UrbanToronto. Older vehicles such as print were the main way to disseminate information when we started as an online publication. We changed the development industry significantly when we started. What motivates me? I enjoy it, and it certainly doesn't feel like a job. It still feels like a hobby, even though the stakes have increased tremendously.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Creating something brand new. Something that has had a major impact on the Toronto development industry.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
There is really no time off. It's all-encompassing. While we do have a great staff, I have to keep my fingers in many pies. Ultimately it all falls on my shoulders.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- It won't be easy, so be prepared to devote a lot of time and effort. Overnight success is rare. It takes tenacity, so make sure you are driven to succeed. And make sure you are enjoying what you are doing. Otherwise, it will be pure torture.
- Make sure you are well-funded and have a good business plan. There will be many bumps on the road, so be prepared. Just because you have opened the doors don't mean people will be flocking in. It will take time.
- Start something that doesn't have a lot of competition or is different enough to stand out. Trying to create something that others are already doing will be incredibly difficult to compete with. UrbanToronto was the first in Toronto to do what we are doing. Others tried to follow to no avail. We also had some luck. Toronto is booming real estate-wise. Had we started in a city that wasn't growing, we would never be able to do what we are currently doing.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://urbantoronto.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbantoronto
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urban_toronto/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Urban_Toronto/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/urbantoronto-ca/
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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