Starting a business is always a nerve-wracking feat. Not only does it entail more responsibility but it also means that you have to face fierce competition from other existing brands or companies in the market.
Jennifer Nicholson, the CEO of HAVA Colombia, a virtual assistance agency, knows how hard this can be because it was one of the first challenges that she had to deal with when she started her business.
“My greatest obstacle was when I lost all my clients to a cheaper competitor in the same month after launching my business. I was faced with a decision; give up or get to work,” she said.
It took her a few moments of fear, sadness, and self-pity before she remembered that if she could build it once, then she can build it twice! That realization wiped out all her fear and she virtually “pounded the pavement” to rebuild her client list.
She began hiring agents to begin e-commerce outreach and combed through Shopify stores and Instagram boutiques to share their services and how they can promote their growth.
We ended up onboarding about 10 clients in one month and that momentum propelled us into constant referrals and potential clients reaching out to us daily.
This occurred in 2018, and now in 2021, Jennifer’s company supports over 50 clients!
Building Her Team
As an entrepreneur, Jennifer avoids stress and burnout by building a team and learning to share the responsibilities.
“Delegation is the secret ingredient to productivity and balance. This is one of the reasons why I created HAVA; to see the entrepreneur’s vision and then begin building it,” she said.
Jennifer added that entrepreneurs are thinkers, innovators, and creators. To be successful, one must pair those intangible ideals with implementers and executors or else nothing will ever get done.
Encouraging Individualism
For those who want to follow in her footsteps, Jennifer encourages the power of individualism and creativity because today’s age is filled with opportunities for those who know how to appreciate them.
“I encourage people to put their personal touch on their business and let their unique characteristics shine through,” she said.
She also said that people are attracted to people, not services. The most important aspect of building a business on a path similar to mine is cultivating relationships and nurturing them by being a person of integrity, reliability, and respect.
Through this approach, entrepreneurs can maintain a long-term relationship with their business, clients, and customers.
For more information on Jennifer, visit her Instagram account.