Meet Joseph Yonke

How did you start your business?

I started my business by developing my art and body of work; then, I created a website to demonstrate myself as an artist comprehensively.

What are some mistakes you wish you could have avoided?

I wish I could have avoided investing money into unnecessary marketing tactics. Marketing is essential to the success of any artist; however, there are plenty of effective and ineffective ways to do so.

Also, surrounding myself with the right people as soon as possible would have been beneficial. I, unfortunately, stuck around too many unsupportive people for longer than I should have. Once I curated a group of people who were not hindrances but catalysts to my success, everything changed.

What advice would you give to starting entrepreneurs?

Focus and work hard. Focusing and working hard is not cutting corners; instead, it is doing your due diligence. Taking the path of least resistance will always cheapen your overall efforts. Once you fully believe in yourself and what you are trying to build, you will be compelled to take the route of most resistance, as you know the temporary struggle is worth it.

How can I come up with a great name for my company?

To come up with a great name for your business, think about your mission and values. If you find a name that is aligned with your mission, values, and brand, then your business will have a great name.

How do you come up with business ideas?

Experimentation. Especially when starting a new business, you need to experiment in every aspect and see what works. The "guess and check" concept relates to this where when I've made the most progress are the times when I make an educated guess on what would work well, then I take action towards it and finally, see if it works. If my experiment did not work, I pivoted and tried a new method. The former concept can be applied to aspects of a website, a way to do cold outreach, marketing tactics, etc.

How can I protect my idea so others don't steal it?

Well, you can get copywritten documentation. You can keep records of your intellectual property, such as the original copy of written or designed work, and make sure you date the entity or have a way to locate the date of creation. You can also get patents depending on what you have created, which is a rather expensive and laborious process but is almost always effective.

What are the biggest mistakes first-time entrepreneurs can make?

Thinking too much. As I suggested earlier, one of the most effective strategies when trying to grow a business is to take action. The more time you experiment, the further along you will get in a more confined amount of time. If you excessively think and procrastinate action, then your business will suffer.

What kind of entity should I set up if I'm only starting my business journey?

Construct a professional-looking, high-quality website if you want to start your business. A website will serve as a hub for relevant people to find and understand your work. If found necessary, then an LLC could be necessary as well.

What are you most excited about at work right now?

I am most excited that I can work towards my dreams and aspirations every day and build a legacy that will hopefully impact and inspire others.

What are your tips for building a great team?

Bring people together whose qualities complement one another and are generally agreeable. A team that has similar values and aspirations, which relates to your mission statement, is the best north star.

How do you market your business?

I primarily use search engine optimization (SEO) strategies for my website and social media (Instagram) to market my business.

What online marketing techniques do you use?

I use search engine optimization, Public Relations media, and inbound and outbound marketing techniques. The main platforms I utilize for inbound and outbound marketing are Instagram and LinkedIn, considering where my audience usually consumes media when they are not reading articles from publications.

How should I decide where to set up my business?

Study and research others in the industry or niche that your business will reside in, and find out what works and doesn't work for them and what you will provide. Essentially, market research on what you should and should not do is significantly important.

How did you push through your biggest business doubts?

Pushing through doubts has always been difficult, but usually, I reflect on why I am doing what I do. I also remind myself of how much this particular business, legacy, and career means to me and that my efforts will be worth it.

How did you handle fast growth and scale your business?

I have handled the growth that I have through discipline and focus. Rolling with the punches, which is something that inevitably comes along with progress, is what I have had to do in order to function adequately.

What are the most common mistakes that new business owners make?

The most common mistakes that new business owners make are probably investing their capital in the wrong places and trying to cut corners.

How do you plan for the future of your business?

My planning is mainly done through goals that I set for myself, whether over a month or half a year, etc. I am always finding new goals to reach and making plans based on my strategies to reach those goals.

How do you evaluate past ups/downs of your business?

Trying to stay positive is how I elevate past the ups and downs of my business. As I mentioned previously, reminding myself of my mission and purpose is very effective. The ups are great, but I try not to get too caught up in them as I know they are only temporary, and much more growth needs to be done. Again, reflection is really helpful during my downs, which are not uncommon, because I can ground myself and remember my "why."

What advice would you give to a new business owner?

Don't give up. The worst thing to see is someone starts developing something they are passionate about, then they give up after a few months. I suspect these people give up because they expect the journey not to be as hard as it actually is. Just remember that nothing worth doing is easy.

What's non-negotiable when you start a business?

You have to work your hardest and keep innovating. In order to really start a business, you must tune out the unproductive noise and hone in on the best ways to expend your resources and time productively.

How do you craft a great mission statement?

As long it is true to the values and aspirations of your business, then the mission statement should come somewhat naturally. Moreover, here is another reason that reflection is essential. To craft a great mission statement, reflect, identity what's important to you and your business, and overarchingly what you are trying to accomplish.

How did you raise funding for your business?

I needed to find supporters who believed in me and what I was trying to accomplish, and they allowed me to get everything started. Additionally, I had some capital to invest into my enterprise and get everything going.

How has your business shifted over time?

My art business has evolved rather constantly since the advent of everything. Regarding significant shifts, my number of collectors and my audience has increased, and I am continuously becoming a more established figure in the art world.

What KPIs do you use to measure your business success?

My main key performance indicators are the follows, likes, shares, and views I receive on Instagram. And other than that, the volume of contacts or emails regarding purchases of work, and total income.

What are you working on now?

I am currently planning out a show for this coming summer in Miami, Florida. Also, I am communicating with a few writers who are writing articles about my work.

Website: yonkeart.com

Instagram: @Jryonke

——

Joseph Yonke

Fine Artist

[email protected] | 412.996.3652 | yonkeart.com