Today John's business, Sorted Sites is very well
known and has an enviable client base. But how did John get into the
internet business in Tenerife in the first place?
I studied Marketing and Business
Management in South Africa, after which I joined
my brother in Tenerife to help manage his resort, Pearly Grey. It was
while I was overseeing the implementation of their website that I
became intrigued by the marketing possibilities the Internet had to offer
businesses.
In 2001,
I started the company with a partner who now handles the technical and
hosting side. The biggest challenge was getting the right team together.
We deal with specialized fields and found there was a limited supply of
designers and programmers here.
Initially we recruited from the
UK, but the staff that came over never seemed to settle down. After
several staff changes and we finally hit on the right mix and
now we have a great team. I'd say that was
a key factor of running a successful business in Tenerife. You must gather
the best people around you that you can.
Another big challenge was
educating potential clients about the Internet and its possibilities.
We’ve found that many business here aren’t tech savvy and don’t cover the
fundamentals a company should be doing online.
The first two years were tough and
we considered stopping. But, once we progressed through those early years
it became easier through referral business and a happy client base
constantly upgrading.
We personally financed our
business; the major drawback with that was that we could only progress as
fast as our cash flow could allow. It wasn’t difficult to obtain an
opening license - our gestoria was great, they handled every aspect
of registering our company and carrying out all the legal requirements.
My day starts by going through all
emails. As well as mail I receive several marketing and web design
newsletters that keep me in touch with industry updates. We then have a
staff meeting to go through projects. Then I go through our financial
affairs with Carol from accounts. My afternoons are usually taken up with
client meetings. The best part about owning your own business is being
able to make decisions and choose the direction you want your business to
go.