Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Micro Weld is a welding service business with one location in Maple Grove, MN. We do micro laser and tig welding under microscopes. Micro Weld works with medical, industrial, defense, aerospace and general industries.
Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
I come from a welding background. After completing my AWS degree, I went into welding manufacturing which led me to business and management after getting the experience in the field. Now I work on the management side of Micro Weld with the welding knowledge and experience.
What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
The changes that have come about for Micro Weld were due to the possibility of growth that wasn’t being taken advantage of. The previous owners took the company as far as they could but there was still room for growth. Now with the current changes and plans in play we are excited to see how far we can take the company and grow.
What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Take calculated risk, build your network because your network is your net worth, don’t be afraid of trying new things trial and error.
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Communication, Leadership, and creativity.
How many hours do you work a day on average?
10 hours.
To what do you most attribute your success?
Traits learned from family, hard work and leadership along with mentors that have come along on the way.
How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Cold calling, trade shows, and website traffic. Website traffic has so far proven to be the best for conversions.
Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Personal capital, no other outside investors.
What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Be consistent, your customers are a priority make sure you are working for your customers and giving them value. Treat your team well and keep a good culture within your business. Adapt to new ways of business and marketing as time goes on.
Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Bigger than we currently are. We are looking for constant growth over the next few years.
Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Any successful business in the service industry. It is a difficult task to make sure all clients are happy and taken care of with a high retention rate. I admire any service business that gives their clients high value and retains their customers
How important have good employees been to your success?
The employees are what makes the business function. Treating your team well with a good culture is a must.
How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Depends on the idea or the goal. More times than not you don’t give up unless there is no other option or it doesn’t make sense to continue.
What motivates you?
Family is a big driver for motivation along with setting goals and making sure the goal is met with measurable progress.
How do you generate new ideas?
Research and personal thinking along with networking with others with the same goals.
How do you define success?
Everyone has a different definition as to what success is but overall if you have personally come to a point of being happy in life no matter what that might look like.
How do you build a successful customer base?
Retention is the main focus. If you’re not able to retain repeatable customers then your base will fall apart. Once the base is established with solid customers it compounds from there.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Establishing new relationships with other companies and collaborating.
What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Entrepreneurs have a producer mentality while people who work for a company typically have a consumer mindset.
What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Small family like culture. This was put in play mainly because of the size of the company, we are able to keep the culture easily. The team enjoys being flexible and keeping personal life a priority. Company events and festivities keep the atmosphere fun and enjoyable to be at.
In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Ongoing.
If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Go directly into sales and marketing.
What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
Not becoming my fullest potential. I work on that by making goals and progress measurable and calculated.
How did you decide on the location for your business?
It is within the majority of all client’s general area.
Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Be willing to take calculated risk and do plenty of trial and error.
Who has been your greatest inspiration?
Watching my father build different businesses from the ground up.
What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
“Traction” by Gino Wickman. Favorite book.
How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
Have a team or network of people.
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
Spend time on the water boating or fishing also traveling.
What makes you happy?
Seeing other people happy or helping others get to that point.