Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lorne Thomas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lorne, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
Oh, good question! I guess I could trace that way back to when I had my first job. Here’s an early memory for you… I used to work in a steak house restaurant kitchen when I was 16 or 17. Typical teenager, my first job, kind of lazy. Anyway, the grill area would get super greasy and nasty by the end of the night. One of my jobs was to clean that area at the end of the night. So many times I did the typical “just enough to get by” kind of clean-up job. One time a new manager poked his head in and said “What the hell is this?…” and then went on to criticize my work (or lack thereof) in blunt, no uncertain terms peppered with colorful language. I was insulted… and motivated! I stayed for the next 2 hours cleaning that whole area top to bottom until it shined. He came back to check, said he was impressed and apologized for cussing me out at the beginning. With that I learned hard work gets recognition and is appreciated by others. That’s just one small example. There were many instances growing up, where I took pride in the work I completed, and came to enjoy the rewards and satisfaction that came with it.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I began Blue Troop as a company to help level the playing field between the large and small competitors. I wanted to focus completely on small business and see them become profitable with the same kind of good quality marketing tools that the big kids on the block had.
We are known primarily for affordable business web design and helping our clients understand how their website works in conjunction with the internet regarding how they’re found (SEO), target markets/demographics, consumer behavior and offer several tips along the way that help them maximize their online presence.
Most business owners don’t understand any of this, they simply want to run their businesses. Because of this fact, many have been taken advantage of and lost valuable time and money. I do my best to educate them on how it all fits together and explain their options to them.
As an independent contractor, most often I’m able to offer the most competitive pricing because I’m not paying a big staff, large overhead, or for a deluxe conference room with a big screen monitor, or luxury lobby. I make the process quick, efficient and simple for them, as it should be.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The first quality is improve your communication skills. Nobody becomes successful hiding in their office. Get out and meet people. Find out what they do, discover what their business needs are, and develop ways to help them. Listen more than you speak. Secondly, do not promise what you cannot deliver. If people take time to invest their focus and money toward you, then deliver a product or service of quality. Don’t waste people’s time. And thirdly, treat people how you wish to be treated. Don’t suddenly break communication with your customers. Make sure they are informed and educated about what you are doing. Be transparent and don’t cheat people. Be kind and work hard for them.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I share the same challenges as most all business owners… staying ahead of the curve. As an owner in a technology-based business, I am challenged with keeping up with the most recent trends in web design and SEO techniques that help businesses to connect with potential customers. This is an everchanging process and I work hard to stay current with best practices for their success. Another challenge I face is finding more effective ways to educate my customers on how to maximize the marketing tools I’ve created for them. I work hard to educate them. The best thing I could ever hear is how something I’ve created and shown them has helped grow their business. I love to hear how they’ve opened a new store, added new service offerings, hired more employees or gained recognition in their community. That’s why I do this.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bluetroop.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorne-thomas-a6341a39/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/bluetroop1
