Helping Creatives Build Their Online Presence | Entrepreneur Chronicles #2
So, after the interesting experiment with my "My Frenchy Life" blog in 2017 (š
), I started my next venture around February 2018, after moving to Miami.
A few months before the move, I learned basic web development and saw potential to monetize this skill since many people are looking for an online presence. While brainstorming a name for this potential business, my wife Rosie suggested "27Eleven," which is my birthday and month. I shelved the idea for a bit until a few months later.
I canāt pinpoint exactly how I came to this realization, but I discovered that I really wanted to help people launch their "secret" dreams. Many of us have aspirations like, āI want to sell my art online,ā āI want to use my financial skills to help others,ā or āI want to become a professional photographer.ā I noticed many creatives are excellent at their craft but often struggle with the logistics of starting online. I figured I could help by setting up websites and online stores for them.
So, I launched š„ļø TwentySevenEleven (the website obviously changed since then and is still a work in progress), filled it with the necessary information, created a business email, and started looking for my first clients. I strategically targeted Facebook Groups with French expats in Miami, hoping our common background would facilitate connections.
To my surprise, I secured two clients fairly quickly. I charged a low feeāaround $300 or $400āto gain experience and start building my portfolio.
After those initial clients, I didnāt pursue more. The reasons are mixed: I didnāt really need the extra money, preferred to enjoy my free time in Miami, disliked the constant client hustle, and wasnāt fully passionate about building websites. The main reason, though, was that without financial pressure, I lacked the motivation to push the business further.
However, Iāve kept the name and website, and Iāve turned it into a French business. I still use it to do small jobs now and then when people reach out to me, but I donāt actively seek new clients.
I believe this project will evolve into something significant in the future. Building websites isnāt my passion, but helping people get started with their dream projects truly excites me. My current challenge is that the people I most want to help often can't afford the investment... and I need to make money right now, so that ambition might have to wait until Iām a millionaire š¤£
š This is part of my Entrepreneur Chroniclesāreal stories, real lessons. Dive into the full series here.