How We Went From Side Hustle To Asia's Leading Marketing Agency Making $1.2M/Year

Published: February 16th, 2023
Joon K Lee
Founder, Inquivix
$100K
revenue/mo
2
Founders
15
Employees
Inquivix
from Seoul, South Korea
started January 2018
$100,000
revenue/mo
2
Founders
15
Employees
Discover what tools Joon recommends to grow your business!
Discover what books Joon recommends to grow your business!

Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.

Hi guys, it's Joon K Lee here. I'm one of the founders and the CEO of Inquivix, a digital marketing agency. Inquivix offers digital marketing services to businesses of all sizes. In 2017, Inquivix was a side project while I worked in another company and I worked relentlessly to make it succeed. We started out focusing on small businesses, and now we've got clients from all over the world. I believe that success comes from working smarter, not just harder. You can read how it all began here.

Inquivix offers digital marketing services including SEO, PPC, content marketing, social media marketing, and other digital solutions to help our clients grow their online presence. We take the time to truly understand our client's goals and objectives and develop strategies that meet their needs. Our clients range from small local businesses to large multinational corporations and our goal is to provide them with comprehensive digital marketing services that will see them reach their full potential online.

At Inquivix, I encourage creating projects that reflect our meticulous care and creativity, and we hope to be valued for them. This has led to what began as a side hustle to become one of the leading digital marketing agencies in Asia. Now, we generate around $100K in revenue monthly catering to a global clientele.

inquivix

Tell us about what you’ve been up to. Has the business been growing?

The last time we talked, I shared with you how our business had been doing and where we hoped to go. It's incredible to look back and see how far we have come since then! We have seen a steady increase in both customers and profits, expanding our reach into new markets and seeing growth that far exceeds what I had anticipated when starting this journey.

Taking risks is essential for keeping things interesting and moving forward – without exploring new options, growth can't occur!

Every day brings new challenges, but our team has been meeting them head-on and coming out even stronger on the other side. Our team has worked diligently to ensure every customer receives the best service possible, and it is clear that this effort is paying off in measurable ways. I am very proud of the progress we have made and excited to continue going further together.

To increase traffic and sales, we have been focusing on several key elements. One of the most important things we've done is to make sure our website looks professional and inviting. We've also been increasing the quality of our SEO, which draws more eyes to our site. We added some targeted ad campaigns to the mix to reach a wider audience.

Beyond these, I have also implemented an email marketing plan to capture leads and nurture them through our online sales funnel. Overall, it's a combination of many strategies that have proven successful in driving more visitors and ultimately increasing sales.

We have continued to generate growth despite the setbacks of Covid-19 and its after-effects. We've done this by staying in close contact with our customers, and responding quickly to any issues they may have. Additionally, I've been monitoring our analytics to find out which strategies are the most effective and where changes need to be made.

In the future, we plan on continuing to focus on SEO while also expanding our marketing efforts. We are looking into utilizing more social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest, as well as developing a content strategy that will help us connect with our customers in a meaningful way. We also plan to launch new products that will add value for our customers and expand our product offerings.

Investing in technology and systems will ensure that your operations are efficient, streamlined, and ready for growth when the time is right.

The key to our success has been to stay ahead of the curve and keep an eye on the changes in consumer behavior, trends, and technologies so that we can always be one step ahead. We are constantly researching and keeping up to date on new developments so that we can adjust our strategies accordingly and create the best experience for our customers.

inquivix

What have been your biggest challenges in the last year?

The last year has posed some unique challenges for many of us, myself included. Despite having a plan in place to tackle the problem at hand, there were still moments of uncertainty and doubts that I had to stay mindful of. I'd say my biggest challenge has been to stay focused and motivated despite all of the chaos around. I had all sorts of goals which, like many others, often seemed impossible during this time. But thanks to some scheduled planning and an increased dedication to self-care and overall wellness, I can look back feeling proud of the progress I made over these difficult twelve months.

Keeping a clear focus on the outcome I wanted was paramount during this period; it inspired me to keep going even when things weren't running as smoothly as anticipated. Though there were certainly times when I wanted to give up, I used them as learning experiences and eventually emerged from the situation feeling more optimistic about the future than ever before.

My experience has given me an even stronger appreciation for the importance of goal setting and having a plan in place to stay focused on your end result. I now make sure to take some time each day to evaluate my progress and adjust my plans accordingly, ensuring that I'm setting realistic goals for myself and taking advantage of any opportunities that may arise. I no longer doubt my ability to achieve anything I set my mind to, and this attitude of self-confidence has opened up new doors for me.

What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?

Starting my own company has been one of the most exciting and challenging experiences of my life. This past year, I’ve picked up some invaluable lessons in the process. Motivating myself each day was one of those lessons - it can be hard to stay focused when there’s no corporate structure to guide you, but it pays off in the long run.

I also learned about the importance of delegation and time management; delegating tasks that don’t have to be done by me has made all the difference in my staying on track with both productivity and creativity. Networking has been another key to success; having the right people around me and understanding the way business works have been instrumental in getting my brand to new levels.

Above all, I discovered that taking risks is essential for keeping things interesting and moving forward – without exploring new options, growth can't occur! Instilling these lessons over the last year has made a massive difference in how far I’ve come with my business - now everything feels so much more achievable.

What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?

As we look to the future, we are excited to take on new challenges and find further success. Expanding our reach to new products, audiences, and regions is at top of my mind. I want to bring our unique products and services to more people within the next year. I have a few passion projects in the brew as well. Hopefully, I will be able to give you an update on them next year.

Our five-year goal as a business is to become an even larger leader in the industry, continuing to build relationships and collaborate with other influential players. We want to use this time wisely in developing strategies for continued growth and increased efficiency. We have ambitious short-term goals of refining processes, optimizing design, and developing new partnerships that will set us up for long-term success in the coming years.

Ultimately, we have a vision of growing into a respected global company with a reach far beyond what it is now. We will strive to create a lasting impact and be a company that others can look to for innovation and excellence. We want to be the go-to source for customers seeking innovative solutions and award-winning services.

What’s the best thing you read in the last year?

Well, I'm not much of a reader but I have a thirst for knowledge. So, I listen to a lot of podcasts and watch videos by fellow entrepreneurs. One of the most inspiring content sources I've discovered recently is Chris Do's Youtube channel: TheFuturIsHere. His videos have provided me with invaluable insight into how to tap into your potential and make a business out of it. He not only offers sound advice, but he also provides motivation that is inspiring and encourages me to pursue my goals with enthusiasm.

I often share the content I find interesting with my team at Inquivix, so they too can benefit from the great knowledge available to them. From discovering new strategies and tactics to learning what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur, Chris Do's channel has been a great source of information for me and my team. Not only will it provide you with the wisdom and motivation you need, but you'll also become part of an amazing community of creatives who are striving for success.

Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?

As an entrepreneur, you know that growing a business can be a challenge. But don’t give up! There are many tips and tricks to help make the journey smoother if you know where to look.

My top advice? Diversify your sources of income and build strong relationships with people in your industry. It’s easy to think that success only comes from having one source of income such as a product or service you offer, but diversifying can help create stability and security. Building relationships with other entrepreneurs, mentors, and experts in your field can open up huge amounts of potential avenues for growth. You never know who might be able to help you out when facing obstacles.

My second tip is to keep learning. The business environment is constantly changing due to technological advances and the market cycle so it’s important to stay on top of industry trends and changes in customer behavior; otherwise, there will come a time when your business becomes irrelevant or outdated. Make sure that knowledge drives decisions as well as an understanding of risk – sometimes it pays off more than playing it safe!

Finally, always have an eye on scalability; this will make future growth smoother allowing you to expand your reach further faster. Scalability means looking at business processes with an efficiency and automation mindset to reduce manual labor and create more time for strategic planning. Investing in technology and systems will ensure that your operations are efficient, streamlined, and ready for growth when the time is right.

These three tips together should give any entrepreneur the resources they need for success. And the biggest advice I can give you is to get started! Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity, the perfect product or service to come along. Take a risk and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. The rewards of being an entrepreneur are worth it! Good luck!

Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?

We are always looking for talents that share our vision of bringing inspiring content to the world. If we stop looking, we may miss out on an amazing opportunity. We are always on the lookout for marketers, writers, and designers to join our team. We would like to give a chance to anyone with skill and ability in any of these areas with industry-standard compensation. If anyone is interested, they can contact us at [email protected] and we'll set up an interview.

Where can we go to learn more?

If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!