By Matt Murray - Founder/CEO
A lot of people like to talk about entrepreneurs as “fearless” and how the best ones have great “vision.” And to be sure, many represent themselves this way and some are, in fact, true visionaries blind to the risk around them.
There is, however, another side of starting your own business that is rarely talked about publicly. Something generally shared with the closest group of people around the entrepreneur. Perhaps only shared with family in some cases. It’s the very real and ever present fear that comes with stepping out on the ledge - knowing that success or failure is truly in your hands. There’s no one to blame but YOU.
For me, starting Widewail with my wife is both the realization of a dream and the most daunting task I’ve ever faced. My family depends on me as the provider. Angi and I are taking on this opportunity while also juggling a nine month old and two older kids. Try switching from common core math to baby talk some time, it’s a trip.
I can’t speak for Angi, but I can tell you this - There are only two things that satisfy me at the present time, three months into the launch of our new venture. The first is proof. Proof that our foundational theories are correct. Proof that there is an enormous amount of direct and indirect value in the service we provide to our customers. Proof that we deliver more than our clients pay for.
The second is growth. Which might seem like a no-brainer, but growth is not a given. It’s scratched out every day with each phone call or email, each presentation and report delivered. Growth in a technology or service company is akin to gardening or farming. There are zero days off. There are no breaks. You either want to find yourself reaping the benefits at harvest season or you’re okay with mediocrity (or worse). And clearly, finding proof can also be the key that unlocks growth. These two are intrinsically linked and always will be.
For Widewail, proof is just now starting to show itself and it’s absolutely exhilarating. The “What” behind Widewail is easy to explain - We manage review response for local businesses. The “Why” becomes more difficult - Increased customer engagement, loyalty and improved search engine ranking. There are a lot of companies out there peddling SEO snake-oil. Vendors have beaten SMBs over the head with fear-based pitches that sounds like “You either rank- well or your competition is going to take all of your customers tomorrow and you’ll go out of business”. The result? True value is sometimes hidden in the wings with the less in-your-face providers who are working on their craft every single day, taking care of their highly-valued customers and dialing-in their software, service and business processes.
We are one of those providers. We’re in the wings, sharpening our skills and focusing in on what matters to our current and prospective clients. We are and will continue to be the very best at what we do in the reputation management industry. And proof? Proof is in the pudding - our clients are showing 50-70% increases in GMB referrals over their first eight weeks with us. One of our newest clients shows a 25% increase in their first 3 weeks. Time to go reap the reward.