Interview at delpino.net

Time for a bit of shameless self-promotion.
Delpino.net, a newly created website to share insights in the world of small entrepreneurs and online business owners, just published an interview about Omega Racer.

You can read the full interview here, but I suggest you check out their website if you want to learn more about the ups and downs of starting your own business.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your company!

My name is Markus and I’m a motorcycle enthusiast, specifically classic bikes. 5 years ago I bought a Yamaha SR400 and I fell in love with it. So much so, that I started a blog about it and riding in Thailand in general. Soon, people started asking me to find parts for this bike and not long afterwards, I started my website. I sell all kinds of aftermarket parts for the Yamaha SR, Kawasaki W650 and Triumph Bonneville.

What is your daily routine of running your business?

In the morning I usually answer emails and get the parts ready for shipment. In the afternoon I go to the post office and the rest of the day I either ride or work on my bikes.

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

The best part is that I can be my own boss. The worst part is having to accept that not everybody has my work ethics.

Does your business generate enough money to support you?

Thankfully it does.

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

I sometimes listen to Tony Robbins. He’s an excellent motivational speaker.

What keeps you motivated to keep working on your business?

My main motivation is my passion for motorcycles. Making other riders happy with cool new parts is the cherry on top of the cake.

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

For me, passion is the most important ingredient. It will give you the necessary drive to overcome all obstacles. When you love what you do, others will sense it and trust you automatically. Also, become an expert in your field. If you have passion and knowledge in your work, nothing will stop you.

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

There are many kinds of talents: some people are great communicators, others are good at organizing, there are those with a creative mindset, great leaders and so forth. We are mostly a mix of different talents that are more or less developed. The important thing is to identify our strengths, cultivate them and at the same time work on our weaknesses.

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

Difficult to say. The workload tends to spread out across the whole day and week.

Any books about entrepreneurship you can recommend?

I’ve read a book that helped me immensely when I started. It gives you an excellent perspective of what success and wealth really are and how you can co-create your future to attract them both. Check it out, it’s called “A happy pocket full of money” by David Cameron Gikandi. (free PDF)

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

Dealing with complaints. I take them very personal, which is probably not the best way to handle them.

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

Don’t doubt yourself. Take that first step, then another and another one. Things will fall into place by themselves.

What should you take into account when starting a business?

You will learn a lot about yourself….the good, the bad and the ugly. Deal with it.

What was your experience setting up your company website?

It was very exciting. A friend of mine did all the technical stuff, while I had fun designing the logo and the website layout. All in all, it was much easier than I thought it would be.

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

After my friend gathered a lot of experience by building my website and doing the SEO work, I pushed him to build his own business. He is now a very successful SEO specialist. Find him here: SEOpie

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

Good question! The bike I fell in love with is called SR. If you put both letters together, with a bit of creativity you’ll get something resembling an Omega. The Omega is not only the last letter in the Greek alphabet, but also a spiritual symbol for the ultimate converging point of all there is. That resonated with me and I thought it would make for a great business name.

How do you stay productive and not get distracted?

Usually people get distracted from their work because they’d rather do something more fun. There’s nothing more fun than bikes, so I don’t get distracted.

Can you recommend a webhost?

I use Create and I’m very happy with their service and excellent customer service.

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

Whenever I feel low on energy, I go for a ride, explore the countryside on my bike or play with my cats.

Do you think that anybody could start a business?

With the right motivation, why not?

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

I’m not much into Twitter, but I do quite a lot of business through Facebook.

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

I think it’s a good idea to find the right balance between following our hearts and to using our minds.

Where is the best place to find freelancers?

I found some good people on fiverr when I was looking for t-shirt designers.

You know you’re an entrepreneur when …

you start seeing business opportunities everywhere.