Maximizing profits, minimizing expenses and finding talented staff to keep things moving seem to be top challenges for both SMBs and large corporations. We have been interviewing companies from around the world to discover what challenges they are facing in their businesses. We also asked each company to share business advice they would give to a younger version of themselves.
Below is our interview with Inna Semenyuk, Co-Founder and CEO at InnavationLabs:
What does your company do?
InnavationLabs is a marketing communications consultancy based in San Francisco that helps companies find their voice and tell their story in a way that resonates with their customers. We do it through content development, design and marketing, social media marketing, media relations, partnerships and direct outreach.
We work with successful startups, as well as small and medium businesses that have a mission to change people’s lives for the better. Our client portfolio includes Calm, Nua Group HR consulting firm, Tribe VR, DevNetwork and Scale By The Bay events, as well as solo entrepreneurs.
What is your role? What do you enjoy most about your role?
I’m a Co-founder and CEO of the company, looking after key aspects of the business, including advising clients on their marketing communications strategy, developing and delivering campaigns for clients, as well as working with potential clients and sharing my expertise at conferences and events. What I love most about my job is being able to work with companies and help them make a positive impact on people’s lives through finding the best ways for them to connect with their customers. Social media can be a powerful tool and I’m proud that my work helps companies use it wisely and achieve the best results for their businesses.
What are the biggest challenges in your business right now?
Social media creates an overwhelming amount of noise that makes it harder for people to process information and make weighed decisions. Companies are competing for their customers’ time, money and, most importantly, their attention, meaning that if you’re a meditation app you’re not only competing with other meditation apps but with all the other ways customers might choose to spend their time. It’s more important than ever to know who your customers are, where you can find them, how you can serve their needs best and how you can communicate your story and your value to them in the most appealing way. In my day-to-day work, I do my best to help companies do that.
If you could go back in time, what business advice would you give to a younger version of yourself?
I would say “Go for it and do not be afraid of failure. Weigh your options and choose carefully whom you trust and when you find people whom you do trust, develop the relationship and support each other, as entrepreneurship can be lonely and confusing. Also, keep your eyes peeled and keep your mind open to new ideas and concepts. Listen to people with an open heart and learn from every person and every day that presents you an opportunity to learn. Finally, do not stop learning!
