Cristian: Hi Bryan and welcome. You’re just 19 and already started your own business. What is it about?

Bryan: Hey Cristian, Thanks for taking an interest in myself and my business. Yes, I’m only 19 but my entrepreneurial ventures started many years ago when I was a sophomore in high school. I started taking an interest in graphic design when I was 15 and sold one of my first designs when I was 16. I tried my hand in the clothing line business but couldn’t find my niche or  identify a target market so I took what I knew with graphic design and began working with small clothing lines to help build their brands with creative and original designs. Now we work with Small Businesses, Independent Clothing lines, Independent Artists, Professional Athletes, and Fortune 100-300 companies, providing them with graphic design services for advertising, business stationery, logos, branding & identity, and much more.

Cristian: I think there is a lot of competition in your field. Who is your typical customer and how do you find them?

Bryan: There is definitely a lot of competition in my field, it seems nowadays that everyone and their brother is a freelance designer.  Since there are so many freelance designers and design firms our there it’s not like my phone is ringing of the hook, so I have take the initiative and make cold calls to potential clients that feel could utilize my services. A typical client for me would be a new or already established small business that never really put any time into graphic design or branding for their business.

Cristian: What makes your services different?

Bryan: I can’t say we’re different from any other company that provides services like ours because at the end of the day logos are logos and business cards are business cards. What I like to think gives us our niche is that we work closely with our clients, we are always in constant contact with them making sure that we bring their ideas and thoughts to life! Because our network of designers are so young one of our advantages is that creativity is always flowing!

Cristian: What is your most appreciated package?

Bryan: One of our most appreciated packages is the “Start Up Package” which can be found under the packages tab on our website at www.empoweredmediagroup.com. This package includes a logo design with 4 concepts to choose from, business card design, letterhead design, envelope design for only $699.00 and it includes 1,000 Gloss business cards full color front and back print. We have many more packages on there and we also encourage business owners to mix and match and let us create a custom package to fit their needs.

Cristian: Do you already have a portfolio? How did you get your first client?

Bryan: Yes I have a portfolio that I continue to add work to every week! I’m still building it and adding work but you can view some of my work at www.bryanangelodesigns.com. I got my first big client back in december of 2009 I was only a junior in high school at the time and I entered a design in the shirt design competition for our high school “Milkcan Game” and the company printing it liked my design and brought me on as a graphic designer, this company is Destination Athlete LLC. Since i’ve worked for them i’ve probably done over 200 designs and worked with them as they’ve gone from a local business to 10 franchises nation wide! Here are some samples of our work:

Cristian: Did you considered taking a job or how come you started a business?

Bryan: I worked a couple other jobs but I would always ask myself, “how is this helping me in the long run of life?” I never understood why I was working a meaningless job when I could be using my talents to help business owners bring creativity and design to their business. I started my business after selling designs to clothing lines as a high school student, I then started my own clothing line and it did alright and I won the Amazing Kids In Business Award from my local chamber of commerce. I then realized the clothing line business wasn’t working out and it’s not that I quit because it was hard, it really just wasn’t for me. I re-thought what I wanted to do and began writing the business plan for my business. The business plan is always changing and we always reach our goals and have to create new ones but I love using my talent to help small businesses grow and would give it up for anything!

Cristian: I believe you also have a partner? How important is to have a partner when you start-up?

Bryan: Yes I have a silent partner right now Blake Meacham. I got introduced to Blake over a year ago by one of my friends and clients David Leonard who owns a property management company in south Florida. It seems that I surround my self with business owners which is great for networking purposes. Blake owns a company called Perfect Shine Auto Management in Florida and works with high profile clients and top of the line expensive cars. For some people having a partner isn’t necessary but for Blake and I it really works out, We’re great friends and can handle business together with out any problems.

Cristian: And what would be the most important aspects of running a partnership like yours? Mutual understanding? Different skills that put together work better?

Bryan: With Blake and I, our partnership is like, E and Scott Lavin from Entourage haha! We joke around but have a mutual understanding of what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by and also which clients we need to approach. Blake has a great business sense and can work with clients to give them the necessary details to close deals which is great because then I  have more time to focus on design work, focus groups, creative planning and working with current clients on their projects.

Cristian: Most young entrepreneurs have a hard time finding funding for their ideas. How important is funding? 

Bryan: We never had any outside funding, We started everything with our own money, every dollar we make gets invested right back into the business. It would be nice to have a venture capitalist invest some money into the business to help with advertising, but other than advertising expenses, we don’t have many over head costs. We will be seeking funding and investors for a project we have been working on and building but we are currently keeping that under wraps until everything is set up.

Cristian: Do your customers have an issue with you being so young? What would be your advice for other young entrepreneurs

Bryan: So far none of my clients have had a problem with my age… as far as I know at least. When I meet with my clients face to face my age always comes up but luckily enough my portfolio and references are enough for them to take me seriously. I mean i’m only 19 and luckily my good friends over at www.Aphillyated.com hooked me up with Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies! Not many 19 year old designers can say that in a interview! I’ve worked with a lot of other entrepreneurs who are just starting out, and it’s great to see kids starting so young and my advice to them would be, if you have a dream, pursue it, don’t let anyone or anything stop you from pursuing your dream. You only live once and the only want to succeed is to do something no one has ever succeeded doing nothing!

Cristian: After the initial thought of starting a business, what were the next steps? Where did you get legal and business advices?

Bryan: Luckily my mom is a paralegal for a law firm and can help me immensely with any legal questions I may have. I never even took my business seriously until I started getting a huge influx of clients and needed to actually “work”! I started my business because I just loved graphic design and the appreciation businesses and clients gave me for my work was worth more to me than any check, but last year I got a lot of referrals and the clients started coming at a faster rate so I knew it was time to educate myself on business and graphic design so I read this book called Freelance Design in Practice “Dont Start Work Without It” and boy were they right it lists out everything you need to know about running a freelance design businesses! Books have been my main source of business advice you can ask any of my family members or friends I’m the last person to just read a book for fun, but I have really taken an interest in reading and I’m currently reading 3 books all based around graphic design and business.

Cristian: What do your friends think about your business? I guess you have less “party” time than them.

Bryan: My friends have been really supportive, My best friend Jake Sujansky- the one who set up this interview, has been my friend since 4rd grade and has always been very supportive of my business and helps in any way he can, as well as my friend Mark Warner who reaches our to potential clients and helps us find new jobs. My friend Conor who is finishing up his enlistment in the Marine Corps will soon be joining our team to help with advances in new technology to help our new project get off the ground. I surround my self with good people and it brings positivity to our businesses outlook. I definitely don’t get to party at college like my friends. I went to Bloomsburg University for a semester and hated the environment I was in and had nowhere and no one to network with so I’m at community right now and will be transferring next semester to a 4 year college. I have to say the lack of partying is probably what  has helped me stay focused and on track. It’s great to go out and have a good time with my friends but I really have no interest in “keggers” and “house parties” I honestly would rather work and find new business or further my knowledge of Graphic Design than party.

Cristian: I have a couple of more technical questions. When a small company needs some design (maybe for a site, maybe for the business cards) how can they decide on the colors and branding?

Bryan: There are many types of factors that would go into deciding a color, like what type of business are they, would a warm color describe their business or would a bright vibrant color be a better fit. There are so many factors I could never list them all. As for branding and logos we would educate ourselves on their business and what types of products or services they provide and create different logo concepts that we think would fit their business.

Cristian: And for websites, what should come first, the looks or the usability?

Bryan: Both! A design can look AWESOME but if the users get there and are like “ uhhh okay now what” because there is so much going on it will be completely ineffective and wont help business! My personal style is creative, but sleek, just enough design accents to catch the users attention but also easy to manage.

Cristian: What are the most important mistakes businesses do when working on their designs with a design company?

Bryan: A lot of design companies are so big that they aren’t able to work one on one with a client to meet their needs or put in their creative opinion. The client doesn’t always know what they want so sometimes they work with a company that has pre made templates that they use on multiple clients, this doesn’t allow the client to have a competitive edge and an original design. So many people go through Vista Print. I don’t want to take a shot at Vista Print but the reason they can give away business cards for so cheap is because they have pre-made templates, that multiple businesses probably have!

Cristian: How should a small business promote itself? Online? Stationery? What do you think?

Bryan: Honestly both can be very effective!  If your business is run mostly online I would have to say that online advertising an promotion would be your best bet there are many outlets to use to promote your business online you have to find the right ones to make it the most effective. Now i’m not saying stationery is a bad idea, we have been implementing business card marketing which has been very effective for clients. A lot of potential clients will just discard brochures and flyers because of how big they are, but with a business card you can put necessary information on them and they can go right in the wallet of your potential client.

Cristian: By the way, you told me you also help other young entrepreneurs. How is that?

Bryan: Yes, I didn’t start my business for the money, I started my business to help entrepreneurs  and small business owners bring a creative edge to their company. Nothing is better then a satisfied customer that appreciates what you do for them! I have a couple “pro bono” clients like right now I’m working with Tom Boyd, Sean Bond, and Brain Bangley, the owners of See Me Apparel www.seemesawyou.com They invest all their profits back into their business, but I work with them to bring new designs and creative planning to their business. My goal is to help small businesses thrive in their market. If I can make a living off helping people do what they love while I do what I love then I will feel like I have reached success.

Cristian: Hi David and welcome. You’re a young entrepreneur that started an online business. What is it about?

David: Hi Christian, thanks for giving me the interview opportunity! CastleCasino.com is an online live casino which provides over 60 games, both for free and real-money. The mission behind the business was to create an online experience which is as close to the real life thing as possible, it has been an arduous task but we are definitely getting there!

Cristian: What makes yours different? Are there any special ingredients?

David: Yes, we have plenty of special ingredients! Our table games (roulette, blackjack and baccarat) are all streamed live with real dealers, 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, from a television studio. Players can do anything from tip the dealers, to talk with them about how their days were. It makes the experience a lot more real for the player and brings in a new dimension.
We’re also using the only live casino provider offering which broadcasts roulette from both a studio and a real casino (The Sporting Emporium, Dublin) – which gives us another different angle for players.

Cristian: Who is your typical customer?

David: Our typical customer is generally a male between the ages of 25-35 with a small disposable income. I think that being a young company definitely helps us identify and relate to our the needs and wants of our players.

Cristian: And what are the most appreciated games?

David: Roulette is by a long way the most appreciated game at CastleCasino.com, following that I’d say blackjack and then the video poker and slot machines. It is not too dissimilar from my experiences in real casinos.

Cristian: Previously you have worked for a SEO company? How did you decide to take life in your own hands and start your own business?

David: It definitely wasn’t an overnight decision, founding a successful business and making money is something which I’ve strived to do ever since I can remember. I still remember the days of buying a little Cadbury’s chocolate dispenser with my paper round money then charging my brothers and sisters and making a profit. Even when I finishing school I was buying and selling domains to get extra cash to go out with while working as a carpenters apprentice – crazy times!
I think the turning point for me was when I realised that the income I was getting in wasn’t just luck, it was constant and higher than my full-time salary. I was also waking up at 5AM and going to bed at 2AM just to fit in enough time to work on my projects, which wasn’t healthy. I came into the office one day after considering it the night before and then just decided to hand in my notice and go for it full throttle, all or nothing. I love working on my own projects and with the greatest respect to my old SEO Company, who helped me out a lot and I still regularly meet with, I wasn’t happy there because I wanted more.

Cristian: How old were you when you started the biz?

David: I was 20 when I started buying casino related domains and the plans for both businesses were realised and written, although by the time it was all complete and officially launched I was mid-way through being 21.
In fact, one of my strongest memories was on my 21st birthday; I got an email from my investor while I was celebrating with my friends in a bar saying that the funds for the purchase of the CastleCasino.com domain had been released. I remember it hitting me at that moment that this was actually going ahead and I couldn’t turn back!

Cristian: What does it take to start an online business nowadays? An innovative idea? Long work hours? Specialized know-how?

David: I’d say a combination of all three! The thing I love about being involved online is that a marketing budget can only get you so far, with enough work the small guys can challenge the mammoths. I’d say one of the biggest factors in our success has simply been predictions on how the market is going to go and the flexibility we have in developing in that direction. We can get 5 sites live by the time some of the larger companies have scheduled a meeting to discuss starting a future project.

Cristian: How did you get legal advice? Legal advice is expensive for start-ups that’s why I ask.

David: I’ve been quite fortunate in this area, not only do I have a number of people within the legal area in my family, but I’ve got a great company in the form of Visionary iGaming, who power the main software, standing beside me and always helping with when potential legal issues arise.

Cristian: A little after starting your first business, you started a second one. What is that about?

David: Right Casino Media is in short a company which provides online advertising solutions for online casinos, which is why it ties in great with CastleCasino.com.
It all started in the live industry with liveroulette.co.uk, and nowadays has around 10 large sites, 50 small sites and 100’s of domains. The wheels which set Right Casino Media going actually started before CastleCasino.com and ultimately generated the entire idea behind it. Although I didn’t consider it a full-time business operation until I looked into advertising solutions for CastleCasino.com and realised the costs and efforts of others could be replicated, at which point I got my brother and good friend Michael Charalambous in too help it grow into its own entity. Neither company would be around today if it weren’t for each other and I’m glad it panned out that way.

Cristian: You’re also work with affiliates. What exactly are affiliates?

David: Yes I am both an affiliate, with Right Casino Media, and work directly with affiliates with CastleCasino.com. An affiliate is someone who promotes a product or service to potential customers, in exchange for a commission on the sale when one occurs.
The simplest example in the casino world would be if you built a website and then put one of the CastleCasino.com adverts on it, anyone who came to your site and then clicked through to CastleCasino.com from the advert would be tracked and marked in our system as your player. We would either pay you a one-off fee for that player or you could take the option of making 35% of what that player lost at the casino. It is a lucrative market in the casino world, especially when players lose 1000’s in one night!

Cristian: Could they work for any type of business?

David: Yes the affiliate world can work for nearly any type of online business; the beauty of the affiliate industry is that it only works when both partners deliver results, so neither can end up out of pocket. There are affiliate programs for electrical; dating sites, kitchen appliances, cups, food, hair dye… you get the picture! Nearly anything which can be sold has an affiliate program.

Cristian: What is most important when working with affiliates?

David: I think the most important thing when working with affiliates definitely understanding that it has to be a partnership to work at 100% capacity. A lot of merchants (the side which sells the product) treat affiliates simply as casual advertisers; simply because if they don’t sell they don’t pay.
A true merchant provides them with the right materials to market their products, will always pay affiliates on time and fairly and will always work on improving their site to convert customers further. Helping an affiliate help you is crucial in my opinion.

Cristian: Any big mistakes you did and could advice other young entrepreneurs how to avoid?

David: As a young entrepreneur my advice would be don’t get carried away with your previous successes and keep your feet on the ground. After one success I felt like a maverick which could take the world with my eyes closed, but you quickly realise after losing money that it is not the case.
I became involved with the formation of a building company, a fireworks company and also a leisure company which specialised in physical slot machines. These ate months out of my schedule and in the end I overstretched myself trying to juggle everything and literally couldn’t sleep at night for a period. I had to let a lot of people down and leave the opportunities which I’d created on the table, something I’d never done previously. This enabled me to focus on what I have now and continue growing Right Casino Media and CastleCasino.com – something I am very glad I did in the end!

Cristian: Any plans for the future?

David:  I’m enjoying working at expanding the companies at the moment and don’t really see myself anywhere different in the next 5 years. I’d love to be retired from full-time business by the time I’m 30 and purely be an investor of some sorts living in the Cayman Islands, as always, I’m thinking big!

Cristian: What makes it different from other online marketplaces?
Daniel: There are similar websites out there, but we try to be as helpful and fair as we can, and we do this by charging a low membership price and no costs at all on top of this. We also offer high levels of customer service.

Cristian: Who is the typical customer?
Luke: Our customers are tradespeople who pay a small annual fee to be registered and included in our database. However, our other target customer is home owners that are looking to improve or repair areas in their home. We don’t take a fee from the site customers, but we still view them just as importantly.

Cristian: Are you targeted on a specific business area?
Daniel: No, not really, we want to be as open as we can. We currently target 42 different trade areas and are aiming to expand as opportunities arise.

Cristian: What’s the process of starting a business for young entrepreneurs like yourselves?  How do you find out how things work in the business world if you never worked before?
Luke: I actually started a small web design business just before we started ManyQuotes, but this opportunity was too good to turn down so I quickly moved on. I guess it is hard as everyone can be taught business theories and there are guides to setting up online, but you don’t actually understand it until you actually go out and do it. Obviously, there will always be things you don’t understand – but if you just go ahead and try then there will be someone who points out how to correct where you have gone wrong in setting up.
Daniel: For me, it’s good to have Luke that studied Business at school and knows where to find what we need to know on the Internet.

Cristian: How did you find the partnership and make sure it’s the right fit? Is it solely based on personal relationship when you are young?
Daniel: Having worked together before in a part-time job we both know that we get on well and work together. We both share similar aims and aspirations for the future, so that definitely helps.
Luke: I think as long as you know that you can get along with the partner and that you share the same passion to succeed as each other, any partnership can work.

Cristian: How did you outline the technical requirements for the marketplace? Did you make a list of features, or looked around at the competition?
Luke: A bit of both really. I had planned the website on paper, and then looked at what competitors were doing. We wanted to improve things that we believed the competitors were doing wrong, or could be doing better.

Cristian: And how did you get to the development of the platform? Did you pay someone to build it for you or you made it yourself?
Daniel: As Luke said earlier, he already worked with the web design for a short period so he just got on and made the site. As time progresses we will try to improve the site where we see fit.

Cristian: You told me you first had to convince your family. How did this go?
Luke: I think families are always skeptical especially when it comes to taking risks such as ignoring further education and spending large sums of money. However, when you produce realistic or even pessimistic goals for the income of the company – they are soon convinced and even suggest ways to improve or expand.

Cristian: What if something goes wrong and you fail on the long term. Any disaster plans?
Daniel: Failure is not an option. No, no, I’m joking – but seriously, we can’t see this failing. If things do go wrong then we have to work ten times harder to put it right again. We aim to grow organically so we shouldn’t get in too much trouble financially – unless a venture capitalist offers us a ridiculous amount of money for a small share in the business!

Cristian: What about the legal part? How did you learn about the requirements to run a business?
Luke: The Internet is pretty useful – you can usually find what you are looking for somewhere. Sometimes it can be frustrating looking and getting nowhere, but eventually if you are persistent you can find what you are after.

Cristian: You quit school to have the business running. Do you think this is the best way to do it for every teen wanting to start a business, or that’s just the best way for you?
Luke: It’s not that I quit school – I just chose not to take up my place at University. I think getting an education is always important which is why I stayed in education until I was 18 and got some good qualifications. For me, spending a lot of money on University fees was not an option when I knew I wanted to start a business and knew that I needed the money for that. I believe that you are born with the qualities to run a successful business – it’s just time to find out if I have those qualities.
Daniel: I still have a few months left at school, so for the minute my input is limited but we both know that education is important. Once I’m finished, the commitment level can go up.

Cristian: What’s your typical working schedule and how a work day goes?
Luke: At the moment, work schedules are extremely varied. I sort of take each day as it comes, what we’re finding is that a lot of people sign up after they finish work and have eaten – so most days I work for about five hours in the morning, and then return to work at about 7.30pm and work until 10 or 11 o’clock. Most days at the moment I am looking for marketing opportunities, and working out how much each advertising campaign would cost per view. I contact Daniel if I have concerns or something that needs more than one of us to do and he is usually available and we can get it sorted.

Cristian: What is the most difficult part of starting a business at your age?
Daniel: Like any business, it’s cash flow meaning that we can’t go getting into debt. As we’re younger, it’s making people understand that it is a serious business because it doesn’t look like we have the experience and we are out to prove them wrong. Raising capital has been a lot harder as well because we are young – we don’t have savings and can’t take out loans. Luckily, our biggest expenses at the moment are petrol and car insurance and don’t have a mortgage to look after.
Luke: I think firstly it is money. However, if you have a good business idea and can prove it will work then you will find ways around it eventually. We had a very small start-up budget of £2,500 and needed to buy a good laptop for this, design a website and get web hosting and domains, and get our name out there. It’s all about being innovative and using your money wisely. Another difficulty I think is what people say, there are always going to be people who criticize you – especially people of the same age. We’ve learned to deal with it as we know that we are getting further than them at the moment.

Cristian: Any plans for the future?
Luke: We have some ideas for expanding the business and diversifying, but we are keeping that secret!
Daniel: We both share similar ideas for businesses in the future – I think we will work together on more projects and also do a few on our own. Overall, success is our main plan for the future.

Cristian: Hi Tim and welcome on board. Tell us a few things about yourself.
Tim: I founded

Cristian: So you have an online business, tell us more about it.
Tim: www.clearbooks.co.uk is online accounting software with a simple goal: to free your time. Businesses are required to maintain accounting records and www.clearbooks.co.uk helps them do that.

Cristian: How does it work exactly, what is the workflow?
Tim: Accounting is inherently complicated. Our goal is to make accounting for small businesses clear and simple. You can be creating your first invoice in minutes. Business owners don’t want to waste time on the bookkeeping. They want to run their business and generate revenue instead and that is what we help them do.

Cristian: Probably it works best for small businesses? What is your target customer?
Tim: Our target market is the small business and we currently have 1,200 subscribed to the system. They range from one man bands, startups, freelancers and sole traders right up to multi-million pound companies with 20+ employees. The ability to toggle on advanced features, such as Payroll, provides the necessary power required by larger companies.

Cristian: Can it be used outside UK?
Tim: Clear Books has customers in the US, Canada, France, Tunisia, India, China, South Africa and Germany to name a few. The ability to set custom tax rates and our multi-currency reporting means that businesses around the world are able to use the system.

Cristian: What are the most important benefits?
Tim: It’s easy to use, saves time, saves money, helps you analyze your business more efficiently and has a fantastic business community.

Cristian: Aren’t people afraid to keep their private information online? How secure is the system?
Tim: Security is our top priority. We have a dedicated server center on site at our partner company, Fubra. This allows us to monitor all aspects of security extremely closely.

Cristian: And how much does it cost?
Tim: Pricing is very competitive with plans at £5 / £10 / £15 per month depending on the size of your business.

Cristian: How did you come up with the idea?
Tim: Outside of my day job I had developed a simple web based double entry accounting system to maintain the accounts for a small web development company I ran in my spare time. A good friend of mine, who is a director at Fubra, had developed an invoicing system for his brother’s construction business. When we realised we were working on complementary projects the idea to merge them was a no brainer.

Cristian: What was the exact process from having the idea to say, writing the first line of code?
Tim: At the time I was still in full time work. To concentrate fully on merging the two projects Fubra and I decided to form a new joint venture which gave me the opportunity to quit my job and focus my efforts fully on www.clearbooks.co.uk.

Cristian: Did you make a business plan before, surveyed the market to see if the need for such an online service could have enough potential paying customers to sustain a business?
Tim: We knew that at least 3 businesses would use the application: My small web development company, the construction business and Fubra. Our goal was to establish an app that worked for these three businesses. If we could do that then we knew it would work for any small business.

When we first started we thought we had hit on a fantastic idea that no one else had thought of. We soon noticed a few online accounting competitors, however, as our industry was in its infancy, there has been plenty of room for us to make our mark.

Cristian: My own experience says that as soon as you have a business idea you try to get the opinion of the family and close friends to see if it’s holding water. Was it the same in your case and if it did, how did it go?
Tim: Quitting my job to pursue an idea was a risk. However, the idea was a good one which made the difference. I’ve pursued lots of ideas in the past, but this was the one idea that my (very sensible) partner agreed might actually work. That was the green light to collect my P45.

Cristian: A lot of entrepreneurs bootstrap their start-up – don’t have a lot of money to invest and put a lot of personal work in the new business. How do you know when is time to hire?
Tim: For the first year and half I developed Clear Books from the spare room to keep costs down to a minimum. The reason we moved into our first office was because the need to hire arose and therefore somewhere was needed to accommodate our first employee.

The time was right because we had paying customers and could afford to hire. That is important.

You know the need to hire someone when your development time is getting impacted by other considerations such as supporting customers and marketing the website.

Cristian: Coming back to the service, what makes it unique?
Tim: Our service makes us unique. We interact heavily with our users on our customer satisfaction site which is invaluable for gaining feedback and iterating over the code to improve existing features. We love our customers and they love us. We set up www.weloveclearbooks.com to show this.

Cristian: What are the most time saving features of the platform?
Tim: Compared to dinosaur accounting systems like Sage which are typically installed on only one desktop, the time saving really kicks in due to the flexibility of being online. You have flexible access and can dip in and out of the accounts as you need from anywhere rather than only at one computer.

There are lots of features we have in the system that aim to save time such as direct VAT filing to HMRC, automatic chasing of late payers, recurring invoices, a super fast bank import tool, but  most important is the simple layout and design which makes the system easy to navigate.

Cristian: How did you feel when you got your first customer?
Tim: Knowing that someone is willing to pay for a service you have created is pretty special. In our first month out of beta we ran a promotion and converted about 50 users into customers. It’s a small number now, but at the time it felt huge.

A big fear for startups is no one will buy your product. As soon as possible you should stick a price on your product and see what happens!

Cristian:You told me you have a very special deal for start-up businesses, what is it?
Tim: It takes time and dedication for startups to establish their business. This is why Clear Books offers completely free accounting software to these businesses for as long as they remain small. Startups will typically process only a few transactions per month and Clear Books will remain free during this time.

We also offer all businesses a 30 day free trial of www.clearbooks.co.uk. It’s essential for SMEs and start-ups to explore software for their business before they buy. We encourage companies to sign up for a free trial so that they can experience Clear books and make a decision based upon this.

Cristian: Talking about start-ups, what would you do different if you were to start all over again?
Tim: We made some mistakes using freelancers on a couple of projects. If you are building an application that is going to need updating and extending then it makes sense to do it all in house.

Cristian: Did you have thoughts about failure along the way? How should an entrepreneur deal with the fear of failure?
Tim: I had always envisaged running my own company and that is part of the reason I trained as a Chartered Accountant at KPMG. I wanted a backup career I could fall back on (the other reason is I wanted the business grounding). For me failure wasn’t really on the agenda. I knew we had a good idea, I knew I had the mix of skills to develop the system and I am a motivated person. I was also in partnership with an established company who I could always turn to for help.

As long as you have a great idea, ability and desire then you will succeed.

Cristian: Was there a tipping point when you realized you are on the right track?
Tim: There have been various rewarding milestones along the way. The first customer, moving into an office, being able to afford and take on your first employee, but reaching 1,000 customers was the milestone that felt like we had traction.

Cristian: Any advice for start-ups regarding the accounting process?
Tim: If you don’t keep on top of your finances then accounting can become an administrative nightmare. Start as you mean to go on and get organised with a good accounting application that works for you. With a good system you can produce smart invoices to look professional and you can automatically chase late payers which will help your cash flow.

Cristian: Hi Taylor and welcome to www.entrepreneurship-interviews.com Tell us a bit yourself.

Taylor: Hi Cristian. I’m Taylor Mingos, founder and CEO of Shoeboxed.com. While studying at Duke University, I spent some time in Germany, joining the initial team that started studiVZ.net, which is now one of the most popular social networking websites in Europe. I then founded Shoeboxed which has been growing rapidly since early 2007.

Cristian: You’re running an interesting business, what is it about?

Taylor: Shoeboxed digitizes paper documents, extracts data from the page and organizes everything in a secure online account. From the online account, users can view, print, email and download their data or export information to other tools that they already use, like Salesforce, QuickBooks, BatchBook, Google Contacts, Outlook, Evernote, Constant Contact and many others.

Cristian: So basically people send you documents and you make them easily available online?

Taylor: Yes, and then some! The online Shoeboxed account comes with features like automatic categorization, easy export functions and integrations with other platforms, and in general a level of usability and efficiency unmatched by do-it-yourself document digitization and organization systems like scanners.

Cristian: First question when I saw your site was: Aren’t people afraid to send over confidential information?

Taylor: Security is Shoeboxed’s highest priority, and we employ strict industry regulations to protect user data. We use SSL encryption just like online banks and medical record providers, and our operations facility is incredibly locked down including key card access, 24/7 video surveillance, and highly trained employees who all pass background checks and rigorous interviewing. And in general, Shoeboxed is commonly used for receipts, business cards and bills, none of which typically contain sensitive personal information (like credit card numbers or social security numbers).

Cristian: What would be the main benefits of your service?

Taylor: With all of your documents securely organized online, all administrative business tasks including tax prep, accounting, expense reporting and contact management are simplified and streamlined. Bookkeepers and accountants love Shoeboxed because they can take on more clients and serve their customers better by providing Shoeboxed to their clients.

Cristian: How did you come up with the idea?

Taylor: I have always been an entrepreneur. I owned a video production company in high school and developed some social networking websites during my early college years. Entrepreneurship is exciting and very fulfilling, but my least favorite thing about running a business was dealing with paperwork. I wanted a way to get rid of dealing with paper clutter and that’s how I came up with the idea of Shoeboxed.

Cristian: Who is the typical user of your service?

Taylor: Typically, Shoeboxed users are small business owners, business travelers, corporate executives, professional organizers, sales representatives, accountants, bookkeepers and lawyers.

Cristian: How are things done so they don’t mess up? What’s the typical workflow?

Taylor: Shoeboxed is the leading online receipt and business card management service. We are the industry experts at scanning, digitizing and extracting data accurately and efficiently. And on top of that we are constantly optimizing and improving our operations to further increase data accuracy and processing time.

Cristian: You are integrated with a number of related services. Can you name a few?

Taylor: Shoeboxed is integrated with many great companies, including but not limited to Salesforce, FreshBooks, Evernote, Outright.com, Bill.com, BatchBook, Constant Contact, Teaspiller and others.

Cristian: You’re doing a lot of online advertising and run sales through affiliates as well. How do these marketing techniques work nowadays?

Taylor: CPC advertising and affiliate marketing are extremely useful and effective tools for targeting and reaching prospective users. We love to build relationships with web advertisers, affiliate publishers and bloggers to spread the word about Shoeboxed.

Cristian: How many employees do you have now?

Taylor: I can’t give exact numbers, but we’ve quadrupled our team size in the past year and the growth in hiring will continue for the foreseeable future. We also have a second office in Sydney, Australia that provides the same great service to the AU market.

Cristian: What is important when hiring the first employees?

Taylor: You always want to hire people who complement and expand on your skillsets and are extremely passionate and dedicated. Since my background is heavily in technology, marketing, and development, the first partners I looked to bring to Shoeboxed were skilled in finance, law, HR and sales. In general, you always want to hire people who believe in your vision. Starting a company is not easy, but it’s nearly impossible to get something off the ground if your teammates don’t share your passion and vision.

Cristian: How do you find out if a business idea is feasible and get past the “fear of entrepreneurship”

Taylor: All business ideas need to be tested. It’s important not be afraid of making mistakes. Just follow your plan through, release an early prototype of your product or service, get some feedback and improve, improve, improve. You’ll quickly learn some extremely valuable lessons that will help you determine which ways to go in your business. I would also encourage all budding entrepreneurs to seek help from successful entrepreneurs. You need to build your contact network and find great advisors. The more people you have on your side, the easier the entrepreneurship route may be for you.

Cristian: Any thoughts on the crisis and starting a new business?

Taylor: Entrepreneurs and small businesses really are the engine of the economy. The only way the world economy can reach back to productivity levels before the recession is through the alacrity, creativity and hard work of entrepreneurs.

Cristian: What can go wrong when starting young?

Taylor: Everything in starting a company is trial and error to a certain extent. It’s a constant learning process. The crucial building blocks are putting together the right team and getting your finances in order. Here’s where some outside help is not a bad option. Shoeboxed has always benefited from great investors, advisors and attorneys since our early days.

Cristian: What if everything seems to be done before and there is no idea for something new?

Taylor: As long as there are problems in the world, creative entrepreneurs will continue to come up with new and different solutions.

Cristian: What are the most important characteristics of a successful entrepreneur?

Taylor: a) Have a vision; b) Surround yourself by smart, dedicated people; c) Always take and listen to feedback; d) and of course have a solid business model and revenue plan.

Cristian: And what are the plans for the future?

Taylor: Shoeboxed will continue to ramp up sales and marketing as well as consider other international expansion opportunities. We just released our Shoeboxed Business Card Reader and Scanner iPhone App and will continue to expand our mobile service offerings.