14: Interview with copywriter Mish from Mortified Cow

Today we’ll pick the brain of another copywriter! I interviewed Londoner Mish from Mortified Cow who works and lives around the world.

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What kind of business do you run? When did you start it?

I run a two-person copywriting agency called Mortified Cow. (The other person is my husband!) We work while we travel the world as digital nomads. We both have backgrounds in copywriting, but before Mortified Cow we were regular employees at London-based companies. After quitting our jobs in 2012, we started writing for clients on Elance (now Upwork) and worked our way up from there.

What inspired you to start this business?

We were struck by how samey the words on most company websites are: they’re all “focused on your success”, they talk about how they have “the solutions for you” and will “deliver the results you need” – usually “whether you’re a large, medium or small business”. Everyone sounds the same – from lawyers and accountants to web designers and life coaches. More importantly, though, their words feel insincere and meaningless. (No reader ever thinks, “Oh wow… this company says they’re ‘passionate about customer service’. I’ve GOT to hire them!”)

We wanted to help businesses set themselves apart from the competition through personalityful, attention-grabbing text that actually says something meaningful. As a result, we help them reach their dream customers, and we make sure those customers feel like they couldn’t work with or buy from anyone else.

Does your business generate enough money to support you?

Yes. My writing can make all the difference to my clients’ businesses, and what I earn is a reflection of that.

This wasn’t always the case, though! When I started out on Elance, I was charging something like $100 for huge, week-long projects. And then once I came off the Elance platform, I was still charging very little for my work. If I had the chance to go back and do it all again, I don’t think I would (or indeed could) change things: clients were taking a chance by working with a newbie, and I didn’t have the knowledge or writing skills that I have now.

Which resources to run your business do you use most?

Google Docs is the biggie. All my writing is done in Google Docs.

Mixmax is a great little Chrome extension for Gmail. I use it to track email opens (useful for making sure my emails are received!), and to provide an easy way for people to schedule calls with me.

What is your single best non-obvious tip for running a business?

When starting out as a freelancer or entrepreneur, cut out all the “faffing around the edges”. You don’t need a business card, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a website, and you don’t need a plan to handle a zillion customers.

All you need is a clear description of the problem you solve, and your first three customers (by any means necessary).

Don’t worry about scaling, branding, or anything else until you know that people will pay for your product/service.

What would you recommend to generate traffic to the website? Have you tried SEO companies?

Write a book! I recently published a book about business writing called May I Have Your Attention, Please?, and I’ve had so many enquiries as a result of it already.

I’m also a great fan of podcast interviews, blog interviews (like this one!), LinkedIn, forums, Facebook groups, and generally just being “out there” and helpful.

I’ve never used an SEO company for Mortified Cow.

How did you come up with the name of the company?

Unfortunately there’s no hilarious backstory about embarrassed cattle! But we chose the name because of what it says about us.

To a lot of people, it says, “We’re not serious enough for your Very Important Business. Go over there and talk to Platinum Corporate Solutions instead.”

But to a few other people – the ones we want to work with – it says, “We’re going to write something that really puts across the excitement and uniqueness of your business – and we’re going to have fun doing it.”

Do you think that Social Media such as Twitter or Facebook are good marketing tools?

Yes, but they shouldn’t be your only marketing tools: you need to be in many places at once to both increase brand awareness and reach as many people as possible. Yes – be on social media. But be in other places, too.

How competitive is your industry?

Extremely competitive! The problem with copywriting is that too many people think they can do it. They fail to realise that copywriting is very different from “being able to write a sentence on a page”!

The upside is that it’s fairly easy to differentiate yourself from these kinds of writers and charge far more money than them. Not everyone will want to pay your fees, but that’s OK: the ones who gasp at your prices probably won’t appreciate your skills and expertise. The right clients will know you’re worth it, and they’ll be willing to pay a premium to work with you.

What is the best way to publish a book in your view? What do you think of Lulu?

I’ve published a few books around the topics of digital nomadism and business writing, and I’ve always used CreateSpace for paperbacks (and Kindle Direct Publishing for Kindle books).

CreateSpace royalties are the most generous to self-publishers (compared to other self-publishing platforms), and the process of uploading a book and having it available on Amazon is pretty seamless. It’s been a while since I looked into Lulu as an option, but I’m happy with CreateSpace at the moment.

Tell us more about being a digital nomad. Pros and Cons? Where are you at the moment?

We’re in rainy old London at the moment! It’s where we’re from originally, and we’re here for boring admin-related reasons before heading off again next month.

We tend to spend between one and two months in a different city before moving somewhere new. It seems like a lot of effort, but it’s actually pretty easy: we each have a 45L backpack of belongings (clothes, toiletries, tech, etc.), and that’s all we need. It’s an amazing feeling to head off to a new city with everything you could possibly need in a small bag on your back.

We always stay in Airbnb apartments, and yeah… it’s a pretty fun lifestyle! We get to see the world at our own pace, and we’re able to experience living like locals rather than trying to squeeze a ton of attractions into a weekend trip. We have lots of digital nomad friends, so there are always at least a few people we hang out with in each destination.

We haven’t experienced too many downsides to digital nomadism, although we get very broody for puppies and kittens! We do know some people who travel with dogs, but it looks like a whole world of hassle – and not all that fun for the dogs.

Mish’s newest book

Tell us about your other books you wrote.

There’s Travel Like A Pro, which helps digital nomads find flights, book accommodation, and understand their visa and insurance options.

Then there’s also Travel While You Work, which is all about helping digital nomads get settled in a new destination in super-quick time. It also provides heaps of advice and resources for running a business, hiring staff, managing a team, etc. while travelling the world. (We also run a property management agency, so we have a lot of experience in all this!)

My husband and I also wrote Protect Your Tech together, which is a geek-free guide to having a secure and private digital life.

May I Have Your Attention, Please? is my most recent book, and it’s aimed at a completely different market: business writers who want to charm, captivate and convert potential customers through the power of the written word.

There are a few other “fun” books, but those are the main ones!

Do you have a base in London? Where do you pay taxes?

Yes, we have a base in King’s Cross. We’re UK residents, and we pay all our taxes here.

In which countries have you lived so far? Any favorites?

My favourite is and always will be New York: I’m obsessed with the place. Close second (and my husband’s first choice) is Bangkok. The food, the people, the smells, the excitement… it’s a fantastic place. We’re also huge fans of Barcelona.

If someone wants to hire you what would be the process?

Visit Mortifiedcow.com, check us out and send us a message! If you want to see examples of our work, I have a snazzy new portfolio that I’m desperate to share.

mish-and-rob
Rob & Mish

13: Interview with copywriter Ian Chandler

Today we don’t feature a business owner but copywriter Ian Chandler from WritingLaunch.com. I hugely enjoyed this interview and so will you I hope!

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Are there any blogs, podcasts or Facebook Groups about entrepreneurship you follow closely?

Quicksprout is one of my favorite blogs, and it’s the only blog I follow on a regular basis. It’s consistently informative, one of the few blogs I’d describe as “actionable.” Others, like Copyblogger, I read whenever I’m in a rut or want new insights into a certain aspect of copywriting.

Do you read any discussion forums about business?

The Entrepreneur subreddit is an interesting place. It’s a nice assortment of entrepreneurial topics; there’s everything from building email lists to book recommendations. The disadvantage is that you have to self-curate what you read, but there are definitely some diamonds in the rough.

Which resources to run your business do you use most?

I rely on Gmail, Google Docs, Todoist, and Tomato Timer. I could probably eliminate all of my other resources if I had to. Todoist helps me organize my days, and Tomato Timer is a timer for the Pomodoro Technique. All of these tools keep me in a good routine, which is vital for me.

Does your business generate enough money to support you?

Perhaps surprisingly, it does. I’m not exactly sure where I am on the freelancing spectrum, but I do make enough to support myself. It does get tough sometime because I have such an erratic pay schedule. Freelancers talk about feasts and famines, and that’s definitely true for me. Some weeks, I’m getting paid for three articles, and other weeks, I’m waiting anxiously for my next payment. That’s one of the hardest elements of freelancing.

Do you think that social media such as Twitter or Facebook are good marketing tools?

To an extent. I don’t personally use either because, for me, the negatives outweigh the positives. I use Reddit because it has great job opportunities and LinkedIn because it’s a professional network. Reddit is one of the few sites that offer a casual-meets-professional situation. Twitter and Facebook are both extremely casual, and if you’re a businessperson, you won’t be able to match the tone 100% of the time. So that can hurt your engagement. Now, advertising is a different story; I’ve heard Facebook advertising is lucrative. Again, I haven’t done it myself. I like the “network” part of social networks; Twitter and Facebook are social first and a network second.

What would you recommend for new copywriters? How should they get started?

I would recommend researching every aspect of content marketing. That means creating the content itself and then learning how to share it through various channels. This can be any form of social media––Twitter, blogs, Pinterest, etc. Learning how to write the content is only half the battle, as Neil Patel points out. Marshall McLuhan said “the medium is the message,” and that’s spot on. If you share a post on Twitter and LinkedIn, you’ll get drastically different results.

Places like Copyblogger, Moz, BoostBlogTraffic, Quicksprout, and Kissmetrics are all great for the beginning copywriter. Neil Patel and David Ogilvy are two content geniuses that every writer should study. Then, go to blogs you read and study that content. See what makes content great and emulate that.

What is your single best non-obvious tip for working as a copywriter?

Listen to instrumental music while working. I can’t remember the last time I worked in silence. A soft, non-intrusive musical backdrop helps my ideas flow better, and it relaxes me. Classical music is also a wonderful choice.

What would you recommend to generate traffic to the website? Have you tried SEO companies?

I haven’t tried SEO companies, namely because I don’t think SEO is worth pursuing. I do make sure I’m good for basic SEO, but I don’t focus on it. It’s still important, don’t get me wrong, but it’s best used in conjunction with other traffic-generating methods. Sharing content in online communities and keeping a blog are two of the most potent methods of getting traffic, but you have to do it right. Ideas like Seth Godin’s permission marketing come into play here.

How do you stay productive and not get distracted?

I use the Pomodoro Technique, and it’s done wonders for me. For those unfamiliar, you work for 25 minutes, take a 5-10 minute break, and then repeat until you’re done. Most Pomodoro practitioners use it to complete one task at a time, but I use it to refresh myself and make sure I’m not working too much. And I’m disorganized and take a lot of breaks by nature, so going Pomodoro has made me more productive than I had thought I could be.

Where is the best place to find work as a copywriter?

Lots of copywriters go through content mills to find work. Upwork is especially popular right now since it’s taken over Elance and oDesk. Fiverr is also popular. I was on Fiverr for a while. Content mills work, but they’re such a problematic path to continue on. It almost defeats the point of freelancing. You don’t get to set the terms or even what you work on.

I consult job boards and other online communities for jobs. I can talk to the business owner directly instead of going through a recruiter or third party. Countless copywriter are on Upwork or Fiverr as life support, and as a result, they’re undervaluing themselves. I avoid these at all costs, but they can be good if you know what to do.

The Problogger job board is usually a solid place for writing jobs. Reddit has been my number one source of jobs; it’s wonderful. Aside from that, I look at blogs and publications for jobs. Even if I only get one article published somewhere, that’s another connection and another opportunity to grow my business.

What is the best way to get paid?

Nothing beats straight up bank transfers or checks, if your clients are okay with that. I do use PayPal, but I’m phasing it out in favor of bank transfers. If clients want to pay with PayPal, I’ll accept, but the fees have grown to be too much of a loss for me. And since most processors charge fees, I’m not keen on them. That said, there is Dwolla, which I’m also thinking about using.

Do you use WordPress? Any plugins you can recommend?

WordPress and Shopify are the only two CMSs I use. WordPress is by far my most used. I love the MailChimp for WordPress plugin combined with the Top Bar plugin. Together, they can turn your site into a lead generation machine. I use Huge IT Portfolio Gallery for displaying my published work, and I’m really happy with the layouts it provides. Social Locker is another good one; it hides certain content, and you have to share the site or post on a social network to access the hidden content.

What is your experience with LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has a lot of potential energy, but so many people don’t use it. They want to be where their customers are––Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and so forth. And that’s fine, but they overlook LinkedIn as the boring site. It’s wonderful for making professional connections, and more importantly, being seen by thousands of peers. Their publishing platform, Pulse, is amazing and can generate substantial traffic. It’s one of the few free methods of getting page views that works like a charm.

To learn more about Ian please visit his website WritingLaunch.com and his book The No B.S. Guide to Freelance Writing.

12: Interview with Christine Lin from Yun Boutique

Today’s blog post features New Yorker Christine from Yun Boutique who makes hand-made jewelry.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

For nearly 10 years I worked in Arts & Culture journalism before moving on to work on building the jewelry business I share with my neighbor and partner Ariel Tian. Ariel’s background is in production management. Both of us began making jewelry as hobbyists. It seemed to be written in the stars when we met as neighbors. After realizing that we share a similar vision about the power of handcrafting, we decided to go into business together.

What kind of business do you run? When did you start it?

Yun Boutique is our handmade jewelry business. We launched our Shopify store on New Year’s Day this year, but Ariel started Yun Boutique on her own in 2013. After I joined on as partner in the latter half of 2015, the company grew and its brand identity began to rapidly solidify. Working as a partnership rather than a solo entrepreneur injected new energy into the enterprise.

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You design the jewelry, do you also manufacture it?

Everything is handmade with the exception of some metal parts that we source.

What inspired you to start this business?

Both Ariel and I practice Falun Dafa, an ancient Chinese meditation practice. Its core principles are truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, which practitioners hold themselves to in daily life. When Ariel began Yun Boutique in 2013, she had just taken up the practice again after a long hiatus, and wanted badly to share with the world her newfound sense of peace in a beautiful way. Falun Dafa meditation taps into millennia of self-cultivation traditions that existed in ancient China, and millions of practitioners all over the world have experienced the change in outlook and well-being that it brings.

Which resources to run your business do you use most?

We rely on the wonderful experts at Shopify and the third-party developers who designed our shop’s theme. Shopify more like an ecosystem than an e-commerce solutions company—the platform itself is an oak in the forest, supporting a wide array of talented designers, coders, and troubleshooters always ready and willing to help.

Another great resource, which we think is underutilized, is SCORE, the free business coaching arm of the Small Business Administration. Just speaking to a coach is like therapy for an overextended small business owner, not to mention that the coaches are all retired from long careers in their respective fields and harbor a wealth of knowledge.

What keeps you motivated to keep working on your business?

It still astounds us how overwhelmingly positive our customers’ feedback are. Every time we ship out an order, be it a pair of earrings, a necklace, or a hair accessory, in a week they come back with glowing reviews. This proves to us that Chinese culture and aesthetics really resonates with people, and that they feel the positive energy we put into our craft. It heartens us to know that with every order shipped, we’re introducing someone to the spiritual discipline that’s changed our lives for the better.

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What is your single best non-obvious tip for running a business?

When your to-do list is the length of your leg and screaming at you, ignore it. What’s most needed in these instances is perspective, not a jackhammer—especially because you’re responsible for the health of a business. One of the most helpful lessons I’ve learned from Falun Dafa’s teachings is that when you’re met with resistance, the key is to step back. As Master Li Hongzhi said, “when you take a step back in a conflict, you will find the seas and the skies boundless, and it will certainly be another situation.”

Do you have a Unique Selling Point?

We sure do! When we began looking at the market for Chinese jewelry, we noticed that it was divided into two extremes: souvenir-grade items, and fine jewelry made in Chinese ateliers that are actually Western in spirit and style. Nothing we found reflected the best of Chinese culture, which is deeply spiritual. The advice to creatives is to “write the book you wish to read,” right? We decided to make the jewelry we couldn’t find.

How did you come up with the name of the company?

“Yun” means “cloud” in Chinese. Clouds evoke faraway places, the realms high above, dreams and wishes, and the conduits between the earth and the heavens. For those reasons, clouds are also a classic motif in Chinese decorative arts. “Yun” embodies so much of what our brand stands for.

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How do you stay productive and not get distracted?

It’s important to work with, not against your most productive times of day. I find that I’m most creative and effective in the mornings and evenings, so I schedule tasks accordingly. Chinese medicine also says that the mid-afternoon (when you usually hit the slump) is the best time for physical exercise, so that’s when I take a walk and get recharged. To prevent distractions, I work off a daily task list, one’s that’s reasonably challenging so I don’t get overwhelmed and start procrastinating.

What are your future plans for the company?

There seems to be a renaissance of people becoming interested in Chinese culture beyond its relevance for international business. We plan to continue reaching more people who love Chinese culture and the arts. On our blog, we write about Chinese culture, jewelry, and design, and the response has been good so far.

Do you think that anybody could start a business?

We believe that anyone who has the passion and motivation to bring something really valuable to the world and their community could start a business. You can succeed if you really put the benefit of your customers above their own. Because we believe it is part of the principle of the universe: a spirit of generosity and a genuine concern for others are the first conditions for true success.

To learn more about Ariel’s & Christine’s jewelry please visit Yunboutique.com.

11: Interview with Heath Snoek from NetScope

Today we talk to Internet specialist Heath Snoek from NetScope.

What kind of business do you run? When did you start it and where is it based?

I run a business that does Internet & WAN application monitoring and control. It allows you to monitor, guarantee & block any application running across an Internet or WAN link. It is aimed at business. NetScope started development in 2005, but really kicked up a gear in 2014 when version 1.5 was released. NetScope is based in Sydney Australia.

What application would a company want to block? Could you give an example?

A company might want to block bittorrent for example. Bittorrent hides itself by using random ports and is hard to track without using deep packet inspection (which is how NetScope detects it). Skype also uses random ports and a company might want to protect that application so that it doesn’t have delays when other traffic hogs are using the network (such as Windows update, iTunes update for large file transfers).

Do you sell software or a service?

NetScope is sold as both a VMware virtual appliance (software) or a hardware appliance (a tower server or rack mountable server). We also do ‘Network Health Checks’ which we do as a service.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

At the time of this writing. I’m a 36-year-old family man with three young boys. I have been in IT my a large part of my working career, with the exception of four years spent as an emergency department registered nurse. I have particular passion for networking and Linux.

Heath profile picture sitting in front of computer

What inspired you to start this business?

I believe the only true way to be creative and free is to start your own business. As long as it is something you already enjoy, why not turn it into something that could make you a living?

What is your daily routine of running your business?

At the start of the day it usually involves answering emails. I then usually spend the first couple of hours on marketing (unless we have a big marketing drive on and then I spend a few more hours each day on that). I will then move on to sales calls, following up on leads. I used to do a lot more research and development on NetScope but the team is big enough that I don’t need to be involved in that as much.

What are the best and worst parts of running your business?

The best part is easily the freedom and creativity to run things how you like (control freak at heart). The worst is when starting out not knowing if my product will be a hit with people.

Does your business generate enough money to support you?

Yes. I am very lucky in this regard. It not only supports me but a development team, accounting and money for marketing.

Are there any blogs, podcasts or Facebook Groups about entrepreneurship you follow closely?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/
https://www.reddit.com/r/startups/

I used to follow blogs over at HubSpot but I have found that information becomes repetitive. Also, once you have learned quite a bit it becomes hard to find useful information.

Which resources to run your business do you use most?

I use Google Apps for work, Insightly as my CRM, Google Adwords, mainly. There are a couple of other tools I use now and again that probably aren’t worth mentioning.

What keeps you motivated to keep working on your business?

I really enjoy it. NetScope is well loved by all who use it, it is a product that has much more growth potential. I believe in NetScope’s usefulness right now and well into the future and I can only see good things to come.

What would you recommend new entrepreneurs? How to get started?

I would not quit the day job until proper due diligence on your product or idea has been done. There are plenty of ways to see if your product has a market, through market testing. Only when you can see a regular income stream would I recommend going full time. That is just me, though, I’m sure there are a lot of entrepreneurs that proves my example wrong.

Who do you think is the most accomplished entrepreneur you’ve met?

My father. He is my mentor, advice line and teacher. He is also an entrepreneur and has owned a software company called Turbosoft since 1985.

How important do you think is talent when starting a business?

Talent is important, but it is a very broad term. You need to be intelligent, hard-working and lucky to do well. I personally have at least one of those characteristics.

How much time do you spend running your business per day?

I generally do a normal 40 hour week, but I am often tinkering with things over the weekend and in the evening. I do have to juggle three kids with my wife who also works, so I don’t have an endless amount of free time.

You know you’re an entrepreneur when …

… you are sick of following silly ideas and orders from someone. You are willing to put your money where your mouth is and start things on your own.

Any books about entrepreneurship you can recommend?

I can’t say that I had read any outstanding books on entrepreneurship. I find that reading books on particular topics can really help increase your capacity in that area. In terms of categories here is a couple I have recently read and loved:

Smart Calling, The Dollarization Discipline, How to Write Seductive Web Copy, Freakonomics and Think Like a Freak.

What is your single best non-obvious tip for running a business?

I guess it would be make sure you have a toe in the water in every aspect of your business. For example, I got burnt early on by using a freelancer to create artwork for me and to work on my WordPress site. I ended up scrapping everything and learning WordPress, Photoshop & Illustrator and realised I was completely ripped off. So now I know a little too a lot about every aspect of the business, from research and development to marketing and sales.

What should you take into account when starting a business?

You need to make sure that you can commit to making it work. If you fail the lessons you will have learnt are invaluable and moving forward.

What was your experience setting up your company website?

As I mentioned earlier I initially set up a basic WordPress site and commissioned a graphic designer to come up with some artwork and to improve the site. That backfired, I lost time and money and it was all scrapped. I then took it on board myself and learnt that there are some fantastic paid WordPress themes that allow great control over your site look and feel, and that learning Illustrator really isn’t that hard and is incredibly useful for all types of things.

Can you recommend a company or designer who helped you build the website?

No! Especially to begin with. WordPress is so easy to use that it doesn’t make sense to pay someone else to create it for you. Don’t be afraid of paying a small amount for good plug-ins and themes. The professionalism you get from a great looking site will pay you back many times over.

Do you have a Unique Selling Point?

Yes. NetScope has Internet application monitoring and guarantees for business networks that no other competitor can compete with in a side to side comparison. BUT, and it is a big but, we cannot compete with some of the competitors on marketing spend. Our biggest competitor does not have a competing product, yet can outspend us on marketing 1000 to 1 in the same ad-space.

What would you recommend to generate traffic to the website? Have you tried SEO companies?

I have always considered SEO a bit of a black art. There seem to be tried and true methods for pulling traffic to your site, and ranking organically, but they are basically:
1. Having great shareable content that people find useful.
2. Have a lot of referral links from very popular websites.
I don’t know how an SEO company could know your industry intimately. So how could they write meaningful blog posts and drive organic traffic?

Do you think that anybody could start a business?

Of course not. But anybody who wants to start a business, has a useful skill and is willing to constantly learn stands a good chance. Talent, hard work and luck are also important.

Do you think that Social Media such as Twitter or Facebook are good marketing tools?

They haven’t paid off for my business yet. I cover the main social media networks because I think it is important to appear active and communicate with the public. If you are selling consumer goods then I think Facebook would be great (I’ve always wanted to play B2C) but for NetScope it has been a dead end. Of course, this could be because I have not done the marketing correctly.

Do you think making decisions on a gut feeling is a good idea?

Data is always better than gut feeling.

Do you think it is a good idea to start a business with a friend?

Only if you want to lose them as a friend.

Please visit NetScope to learn more about Heath Snoek’s Internet company.

10: Interview with Artiom Vasiliev from Mellis Berry

Today our interview partner is Artiom from Mellis Berry who makes delicious honey products in Estonia.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

I went to school and grew up in Estonia, then studied and worked for some time in Sweden, eventually moved to UK and worked for various companies as a software engineer and security consultant. Most of my life was spent behind the computer screen.

What kind of business do you run? When did you start it?

I am running a food business. I make honey desserts: creamed honey infused with berries and syrup. Something that you would actually enjoy eating rather than just having a single spoon during your illness.

How highly regulated is the food industry in Estonia?

The food industry regulation is pretty high. After all nobody wants to get sick after eating your products. However the requirements are much easier when you’re a small producer working off your flat. It took me roughly four months to get all the paperwork done, but that is because I knew nothing. If I were to do it again today I think I’d get a license if about two weeks.

What inspired you to start this business?

Contrary to seeing a problem in this field and fixing it, I saw a problem in myself – I was spending way too much in front of my screen. Having had a passion for cooking I started experimenting. Eventually ended up working with honey and decided to build a full product out of it. It somewhat worked.

What is your daily routine of running your business?

Marketing. Marketing. Marketing. I have the product ready so I’m looking for ways to sell it now.

What are the best and worst parts of running your business?

I’ll start with the worst. You work 24 hours a day. That is if you believe in your business. As a result everything suffers: relationship, health. Unless you have friends and family that can support you emotionally it’s really tough. Here’s an example: all your friends are gone on a two-week ski trip and you have been working without holidays a year, yet you find the courage and mental strength to stay and continue your work. The best part is when you find your customers. When you see that something you do can make lives better, easier, happier. It’s really cool.

Does your business generate enough money to support you?

No.

Are there any blogs, podcasts or Facebook Groups about entrepreneurship you follow closely?

Apart from books I listen to Four Hour Work Week podcasts by Tim Ferris and spend my time in /r/Entrepreneur on reddit.

Which resources to run your business do you use most?

Books and friends’ advice who already own business. Customers to get feedback on my products and professionals (fellow entrepreneurs, marketers, developers, designers) on the Internet to criticize everything from label design to business plans.

What keeps you motivated to keep working on your business?

Whenever I give someone that hasn’t previously tried my honey desserts their first reaction is I won’t eat it in one go, not even in five. Yet on countless times I’ve seen how as we chat these people finish off the whole jar. That’s the best motivation. I want to see more people do it.

What would you recommend new entrepreneurs? How to get started?

There are so many books written about it, yet I would just say “start”. It’s like with children – there’s no right moment to do it, you just need to make the first step.

Have you ever started a new business and then given up for some reason?

Yes. On multiple occasions.

How important do you think is talent when starting a business?

Do I have a talent for cooking? No. I definitely do it way better than the majority of others. But I have the energy to develop this business to the point when I can hire talented people to help me reach further heights I couldn’t have reached alone.

How much time do you spend running your business per day?

4-8 hours a day and 12-15 hours on weekdays. I still have a full-time job.

You know you’re an entrepreneur when …

I think I’ll have this feeling when I’m able to switch jobs from spending 8 hours in the office and 4 hours on my business to working 15 hours on my business 🙂

Any books about entrepreneurship you can recommend?

The 4-Hour Workweek, The Millionaire Fastlane and How to Win Friends & Influence People.

What would you say is the hardest part about running a business?

Sacrificing your personal life.

What tools do you use to run your business?

Since I’m a software developer I’ve written ERP for myself with very specific requirements. Some generic accounting software, and the Internet.

Do you have a Unique Selling Point?

It’s unusual packaging and combination of tastes. When was the last time you’ve heard about sea buckthorn? What about sea buckthorn with creamed honey? How about labels that hide the lid of a jar? You need to see that in order to undestand. And you absolutely need to taste that to know.

How did you come up with the name of the company?

I was looking for something interesting consisting of two words. Something like Mettle and Poise, April Blush. Completely unrelated to the products I make. Yet a friend suggested to use a related name. Due to the absence of any alternatives I used Mellis Berry.

How many people are involved in your business?

If we don’t consider lots of friends who help me along the way I’m the sole person involved heavily.

Can you recommend a webhost?

If you’re a developer you already know the answer, otherwise it’s easier to go with hosted solution like Shopify or similar.

Outside of business what do you enjoy doing? How do you recharge your batteries?

Sports. You absolutely need to do that. I also enjoy travels and hiking, but I don’t remember the last time I did that for a period longer than a day.

Do you think that anybody could start a business?

I currently live in Estonia, the most “e” country in the world. To start a business you just need 15 minutes and 150 euros to create a company. Done. You can call yourself a businessman or businesswoman. Yet you need balls (also relates to women) to make it profitable and self-sustaining. So no, not everyone can do that.

Do you think that Social Media such as Twitter or Facebook are good marketing tools?

It depends how and which audience you are targeting. If the product is for 60+ people you need to use different tools, more like old school media like TV or newspapers.

Do you think making decisions on a gut feeling is a good idea?

Use all your savings to buy stocks. Use your gut feeling to choose what to invest into. Would you dare to trust it?

Do you think it is a good idea to start a business with a friend?

It depends. That didn’t really work out for me (I’ve tried multiple times, however we still remain very good friends), yet I know people who did build something with their friends or even family. So why not?

To learn more please visit Artiom’s website at Mellisberry.com.