How Entrepreneur Alexandra John achieved success online

What is your industry and please tell us how did you get started as an entrepreneur?

I first started as an entrepreneur online at the age of 23, when I launched a job portal. Then I held management positions in marketing and sales after which I started to do consulting which I still do today. Together with my husband, I founded an internationally successful company, Meriglobe Capital House, based in London, which is focused on consulting for businesses. Every day I solve business issues for our clients and I noticed that the same issues reoccur constantly. So I decided to help women who want to start their own business and launched Meriglobe Women Club.

How did you come up with the idea to create your website and what purpose does it serve?

I’ve been inspired by my clients whom I encounter in my consulting activities. Many of them seek help with the same business issues, from founding a company, through sales, marketing, looking for an investor or running into trouble with the company. And although women are equally capable entrepreneurs as men, they approach entrepreneurship from a slightly different angle and tend to do things differently. That’s why I decided to focus on women, whom I want to support in running their business. My site is therefore tailor-made for women as a place where they can get inspired, where they can learn something new, get valuable tools for business, come seek advice or find an opportunity to promote their business.

What have been the most effective marketing initiatives or programs you have used to promote your business?

There are really many options and tools in marketing and something different works for everyone. But what I found to be the most proven technique is certainly direct communication – not only is it effective but also perfectly measurable and flexible. Another advantage is financing, where accurate targeting gets you a lot of bang for your buck. Of course, in this age you cannot forget the power of social networks and PR associated with them.

Where do you see your business heading in the next 3-5 years?

Our vision is a website where a woman who would like to start a business will find inspiration, learn something new about business, create a business plan which she may consult with mentors and then can get marketing support for her products and even sell them in our store. It is therefore a comprehensive platform for entrepreneurs offering them education, visibility for their business, a place to acquire contacts and get direct support to their business. We have many ideas that we’ve already started to prepare for implementation, so the goal is constant development, of course.

Within 3 to 5 years we would have many members, ideally in the thousands, and especially those whom we have actually helped to start a business, with whom we’ll have built a strong relationship and whom we’ll still have much to offer, so they’ll have a reason to keep coming back to our website.

If you could leave our readers with one last piece of business advice, what would it be?

Do what you enjoy doing. Do not waste time doing things that don’t have a meaning for you and do not fulfill you. If you want to start a business, do not wait for the right time. It might never come.