A Recap Of All The Things!

On Tuesday June 4th, 2024, Small Town Tech LLC will have officially been in business for one whole month. Time really flies when you’re having fun! I’m learning so much already and it’s been a great journey. Here’s how it all went!

Clients

So far to date, I’ve had six clients. Four paid clients who business has been completed with, and 2 clients that I am in the middle of working with on bigger projects. The Facebook page has grown to 73 followers, and people really seem to be enjoying the daily “Deal Of The Day Discount” posts and challenges. My initial goal is to grow that number up to 100 followers so I can get more analytic tools from Facebook and find out more about my audience and what they’re into.

Biggest Hurdle - The Ask

I wrote an article a while ago about how simply asking will get you so much in life that you never thought possible. I still live by that statement, and it still holds true, but with starting my business it has got increasingly more difficult to do. One of the biggest hurdles for new entrepreneurs and business owners is “The Ask”. For most of us, it deals with asking for payment and getting paid what you truly want to be paid.

In this situation, many people lack confidence to ask and do not value their time as high as others think they should. Usually it comes from a fear of rejection. Either you price too high and customers aren’t interested, or you price too low and everyone is interested but you face ridicule from other business owners for not being paid what you’re worth.

I deal mostly with small businesses so far and one thing that has helped immensely recently is the realization that a lot of small businesses bring in way more money then you may think. I’ve been in many situations where I struggle to ask for a few hundred dollars only for them to say “Sure! Whatever you think is fair! Just let me know!” I also realized that most small businesses will simply use the transaction as a write off so really, the bigger the charge, the better off they are come tax season.

Building Relationships

I’m starting to do business with more and more familiar faces around town. Some people are just as surprised to see me working somewhere for my small business after work as I am to see them also working somewhere after work. One thing I love about working with Longwood is that the employees make up a good chunk of Farmville’s general population. It’s not often that I go out in town and don’t see someone from Longwood.

I’m forming some good relationships with a lot of the other new up and coming businesses around the area as well. It’s kind of cool that we’re all starting this “thing”, our dreams, together at the same time. In my head I call us the freshman class of 2024. Just some fresh new little businesses making their way in the world!

Dream Big

Some other major connections that continue to be beneficial is that of my mentor, and also my connections and meeting with the Longwood Small Business Development Center.

They both have so much passion and excitement for my new business and are connecting me with people and groups I would never known existed. It really is all about who you know vs what you know. It would have taken me years to do some of the things I may potentially be doing in the near future if it wasn’t from a simple introduction to some high profile people in the entrepreneur world.

Your network truly is your net worth. With these connections and all the connections I will make as the business grows, I have no doubts of the success of Small Town Tech. The sky is the limit.

A Million Dollars & Attention

If anyone out there reading this is thinking of starting a business, or already has a business and wants some cool business tips, I’d highly recommend these two books.