Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joshua Hanosh. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Joshua, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

ADA web compliance is the biggest topic no one is talking about because business owners don’t think the risks apply to them and the problem seems too big to overcome. Both are untrue. We had a client come to us because they were getting sued for $100k because a predatory attorney claimed they could not use their website due to the fact that the website was not WCAG compliant. WCAG is the international standard for web accessibility and it is really important but can also be twisted by people trying to make a quick buck. However, what business owners need to understand is that making sure their website is ADA compliant is just good business. The more people who can use your website the more opportunity you have to generate more sales. Plus, you also protect yourself from predators who are only looking for businesses who are dropping the ball when it comes to ADA compliance. The idea of suing for profit started around 2017 when large companies such as HR Block, Netflix and Domino’s were getting sued for millions of dollars because their websites were not accessible to people with disabilities. Once those cases were won by the prosecution on behalf of people with disabilities it opened the flood gates for all businesses to be targets. Now, there are people out there who look specifically for businesses that are out of compliance and are large enough to settle for $25k, $50k, $100k, etc. This is what happened to our client. Someone else had built them a website and now they were being sued because it was not WCAG compliant. We, along with their attorney, helped them settle down to $25k and we had to rebuild their entire site when the problem could have been prevented for a lot less money. The opportunity for us is that we have the knowledge and tools to protect businesses along with getting them back $5000 a year, in the form of a tax credit, to help offset the cost 100% most times.

Joshua, 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?

In 2018, at the age of 32, Josh left his teaching career to start his own marketing agency, Dedicated Designs. His efforts as an entrepreneur were recognized when he won Auburn Chamber of Commerce’s Rising Star Award in 2020, followed by the Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021. During this time, he also began to build his team, hiring two employees right as the pandemic lockdown was announced. His team would grow to 11 people over the next three years. By 2023, his marketing agency had achieved significant growth, being named the 15th fastest growing company in Sacramento by the Sacramento Business Journal. Additionally, Josh was selected for NELP’s 14th class in 2023, where he has been developing his leadership skills and is set to graduate from the program in June.

Josh, a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), has actively contributed to the EO Accelerator program as both a board member starting in 2023 and a coach for emerging entrepreneurs in 2024. His commitment to social causes was recognized in 2023 when he received the Corporate Citizenship Award from the Sacramento Business Journal for co-founding a nonprofit farm animal sanctuary in 2014 with his ex-partner, Danielle Hanosh. This sanctuary, which has grown to support over 80 animals, serves as a refuge for farm animals with special needs and those who come from situations of abuse and neglect. Hundreds of children with special needs and students from challenging home environments have visited the sanctuary over the years to find their own peace and healing from similar situations many of the animals have faced as well. In 2019, he also co-founded LEAP, a national nonprofit offering high school students a compassionate alternative to traditional programs like FFA and 4H by allowing students to learn about leadership, ethics, animals and the planet without having to send the animals they bond with to slaughter.

Continuing his contributions to the nonprofit sector, Josh joined the board of City Year in 2024, in addition to maintaining board positions at his own co-founded organizations. He volunteered as a coach for the Social Venture Partners’ Fast Pitch Competition in 2023.

Dedicated Designs is a full service marketing agency specializing in ecommerce, nonprofits, and home service companies. They work one on one with companies looking for a partner to build a custom built marketing plan that fits their needs and budget. ADA compliance is a very important piece to any marketing plan because it is just good business. It protects the business while also increasing sales. What sets Dedicated Designs apart from others is that we are human forward. We believe in building real relationships with our clients as a marketing partner. We know each of our clients at a deep level which allows to tell their story effectively in all of the work we do for them to reach their goals.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I have built my company without taking on any debt. Not that debt is a bad thing but it is a risk that I have not be comfortable with until recently. I take a pride in that fact because when I started my company and just left a stable teaching career to make only $2000/mo. I told myself that if I could make what I made as a teacher my first year then I would continue growing the company. I accomplished that goal but I found that as I surpassed that mark and made my way into the low six figures I could not grow any longer because I could not take on more work. I made the hard decision to take a 50% pay cut to hire my first two employees right into the teeth of the pandemic starting. That was a big risk but it helped me to scale and take on more work. Then about a year into the pandemic we got a large chunk of money to help businesses figure out their digital marketing so they would not go under. I used this chunk of money to hire more people and we grew more. I see a lot of business owners take as much cash as they can out of business to fund a lifestyle they cannot really afford. This chokes the business of growth because there is no fuel for that growth.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

It’s amazing how getting back to people in a timely manner and doing what you say you are going to do can take you far in business. I named my company Dedicated Designs because I saw that business owners were leery of marketing agencies because they had been taken advantage of in the past. I wanted clients to feel like they had a true and honest partner when it came to marketing their business. We are very transparent in our strategy and always explain how things work to our clients so they understand what we are doing. I think a lot of agencies feel like the more they share the less job security they have because they think the client will do the work themselves. This could not be further from the truth. Clients are busy running their companies and do not have the time to learn Google Ads or how to build an advanced custom website. They want someone that can do it right and do it faster than them. I always think of my CPA. I got my degree in finance and I understand what my CPA does for us but that does not mean that I am qualified to do it. Plus, even if I was qualified, there are tasks that I am better at that will move the needle for my company more than doing out taxes would.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dedicateddesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dedicateddesigns/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dedicateddesigns/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dedicated-designs
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dedicateddesignsagency