Andreas Huttenrauch, a system programmer and IT specialist is currently the managing director of Globi Web Solutions. We sat down with Andreas to discuss his background, as well as the amazing company that he is a part of.

Give us a little insight into your background, education and work history.

Andreas Huttenrauch: My background is actually in major ERP consulting. I used to be an SAP ABAP 4 programmer, which is mostly why I was drawn to the web. The Internet in the mid to late 90s was vastly underutilized, and still is to a big degree. When I started out on my own in 1999, my mission was to bring a sense of “functionality” to the Internet and to websites in general.

Today, this is still the case, but my team also focuses very heavily on marketing. I guess that the main underlying concept has always been that you need to look at the results a website should be or is currently achieving. Its “prettiness” has very little to do with results in tthe end.

Can you tell us about any unexpected obstacles, mistakes that you made or a funny anecdote of some kind?

Andreas Huttenrauch: Like every business owner, I made a lot of mistakes when I first started. By far, one of the biggest was trying to please everyone. Throughout the first few years when I was almost desperate for new business, I would take on pretty much any job. Not only to make the clients happy, but just to bring in some revenue! The vast majority of prospects have champagne taste on a beer budget. Trying to produce the best overall result within their limited budget creates an end result that they are never happy with in the long run. It also gave me results that I did not want to put in my portfolio. It took many years to get over this!

What advice do you have for people that are thinking about starting their own business?

Andreas Huttenrauch: Good for you if you’re thinking about starting your own business. The entrepreneurial lifestyle is not for everyone. Make sure that your expectations are anchored in reality. Work smart, and join a mastermind group of similar peers. Many new business owners think that if they keep busy, they will succeed. Work alone is not enough. You have to concentrate on the right work.

Lastly, make sure that you understand what your marketing costs are going to be. This is probably where most entrepreneurs fail. They think they can do it on their own because of lowered overhead, not understanding the cost of acquisition of a new customer. You have to know your numbers!

Andreas Huttenrauch is the managing director of Globi Web Solutions, which has been in operation for over 14 years. Those that want to know more about this company and the services it provides can reach them online at www.globi.ca, or by phone at 403.775.0580. Continue reading here: Web design services calgary