An SEO-Driven Bootstrapping Success: Benchmark Email CEO Curt Keller (Part 6)

Sramana: There are going to be a lot of entrepreneurs who are trying to reach a million dollars of revenue. What are the key lessons learned that you would like to pass on to them?

Curt Keller: When I look at all the ups and downs, I realize that I have actually dealt with a lot and made it through. In the email marketing business, if you do not know what you are doing you can get into trouble very quickly. You can allow clients to come in who are spammers, and they can hurt your reputation to the point that your servers will be shut down. We had that problem in the early days. There were times that the businesses that hosted our servers were on the verge of turning off our servers, which would have killed our business overnight. That was really taxing emotionally.

We had to become very strict with our policies. Something I really believe, and that kept me going when I felt like quitting, is that you can always be positive. If you can just somehow convince yourself to be positive, then things will tend to work out. That has been a common theme throughout by business career, and that is something that I always tell other entrepreneurs.

Another piece of advice that I give to entrepreneurs is that you have to focus. I tend to be a big picture kind of guy. That can be good in some respects and bad in others. There are times when you have to focus like a laser beam. That has made me successful today.

Sramana: There is something else I heard you tell in your story that I think is worth talking about. You took time to recover. I think that the early bootstrapping period is intense and draining. When the business does find its stride, it is important for the entrepreneur to give herself some space and time. If you really want to bootstrap a business for the long haul, then you have to realize you are in a marathon, not a sprint.

Curt Keller: I have never really thought about it like that, but what you are saying is true. You need time to focus on other things, spend time on family, and take things easy. It was very valuable for me to take time off and recharge my batteries.

Sramana: I think that taking some time off to recharge batteries is very important. My experience of bootstrapping is that it is very taxing on the entrepreneur. There is not a second or third line of defense, you are it. There might be some other people who are helping you pull through, but the huge stress and pressure of the organization is on you. The business runs on your energy, and unless you take time to recharge you will run out.

Curt Keller: Absolutely. Luckily for us we had other income coming in. During that period, I pulled some money out to live the life I wanted to live.

This segment is part 6 in the series : An SEO-Driven Bootstrapping Success: Benchmark Email CEO Curt Keller
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