We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Paula Knight. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Paula below.

Alright, Paula thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

More than 60% of new businesses start with less than $10k, but many consultancies and marketing agencies cater to mid-sized to enterprise businesses with high fees and services designed to maintain client dependency. I focus on supporting small businesses with limited budgets by providing affordable business growth plans, custom websites, and DIY marketing plans tailored to each business’ unique needs, all rooted in in-depth research. My business is not a marketing agency, so I’m not motivated to suggest anything that just won’t work. And unlike other low-cost advisories, I don’t provide fill-in-the-blank templates or one-size-fits-all advice.

Paula, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

How I got into my industry: My dad was a small business owner and I witness the struggles he faced both as someone with a limited budget and as someone who was resistant to change and progress. I stumbled into demography after taking a role in sales at a marketing agency. They provided demographic reports to help doctors find locations for their practices with the best potential for growth. I got hooked on interpreting data in new ways and turning it into more than just a way to determine where had the least competition, but rather a way to reimagine low hanging fruit and what would be necessary to reach peak growth potential. Since then I’ve leveraged my research & analysis skills to help the top global shipping partner for carriers & ecommerce platforms, one of the biggest enterprise ecommerce platforms, and the largest nonprofit hospital system in the US.

What type of services I provide:
I create business plans, growth opportunity assessments, custom websites, DIY marketing plans, and HR & operations services for startups, small businesses, & nonprofits, all research based & all tailored to fit each business’ individual needs & budgetary restrictions.

What problems I solve:
I bridge the gap for business owners who need individualized support & guidance but just can’t afford high-agency prices. I provide data-backed facts and advice to help small business owners better understand & utilize their strengths, and help them see what hidden obstacles exist & how to overcome them.

What I’m most proud of:
Mine is a bootstrapped, all-referrals business. I’ve never had to do any marketing and been able to grow my own business solely on the referrals of my clients. It’s both a point of pride and makes me a great guinea pig for the advice I give.

What are the main things I want people to know about me:
I’m sincerely so passionate about helping small businesses grow. I not only see the problems small business owners face simply because I’ve been in this industry for over a decade, but because I’ve lived it. Now as a small business owner myself, I think I’m trying to fix all the things that went wrong for my dad’s business. I give tough love where its needed (a lot), I never fluff-up any of my reports because I want to keep my prices low (plus the right stock photo just isn’t going to change my advice), and I customize my services to fit the needs of my clients because I believe in accessibility.

Any advice for managing a team?

Most of the folks I serve are just starting and/or trying to figure out how they’ll be able to hire on a budget. This is one place where I give a lot of tough love: 1: The moment you start your business, even if you don’t have any employees, and even if you never plan to hire any employees, start an employee relief fund to provide a safety net for you and your team in times of need. (I can provide more info on the how-to if needed for the article.)
2: The right employee will make you money, but hiring someone is never the solution to a problem stemming from the lack of money. If you don’t address the underlying root cause of financial inefficiencies, you’ll exacerbate your issues.
3: No employer is entitled to employees. There are ways to ethically hire on a budget, but if you can’t put all of your employees in a position of financial security (meaning they’re able to maintain a safe & healthy life independently), then you need to reassess the gaps that exist in your business making you feel you need an employee to begin with.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I can’t stress this enough: Get involved with your local Mom’s groups. Mom’s tend to carry the bulk-weight of decision-making for their families. They research & make choices for their families like doctors, service-providers, extracurricular activities, buying & selling, you name it. Every mom’s group I’ve been a part of is thorough in its reviews, brutally honest, & quick with their decisions. Mom’s groups have been where I’ve gotten over 40% of my business over the last 2 years and it’s where many of my clients find much of their business as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: courcollab.com
• Instagram: @courcollab