Almost all entrepreneurs worldwide begin with a strong faith that their business solution is the right match for their target audience…
Yet, mostly everyone later admits the need for pivoting before landing in a rut. When brave business enthusiasts venture into the world of entrepreneurship, they eventually realize that the most successful startups have pivoted at some point, but these ‘points’ are rarely mentioned. And considering the ever-changing economic conditions and government regulations, it ultimately makes sense to move to a new tool, process, or technology to stay at the forefront and improve margins. Similar is the story of UK-based entrepreneur, Christopher Hughes, who quickly recognized the need to bring about a change, and thus, pivoted his hosting company to a purely WordPress development and maintenance services via mintWP.com in 2019.
The entrepreneurial journey
Hughes’s journey into the entrepreneurial world started in 1996 when he launched his first web hosting company that catered to over 50000 websites of clients from all across the UK. Having found success through this venture, Hughes decided to sell his company to the then-largest hosting company in the UK, Fasthosts, and eventually happened to partner with them to run their 12-person product team until late 2002. It was from 2003 that Hughes’ career picked up and he was able to run and manage multiple businesses.
Including the most extensive pub & bar guide that amassed over 20 million visitors since its launch, hotel booking sites, and cruise & destination platforms that individually received several awards and recognitions under his directive. Besides some of these feats, Hughes also tried his hands into the offline business model by launching a bakery in the quaint little Cotswolds town of Cheltenham. Through this business, he got the chance to meet and interact with his customers in person, which he had not otherwise experienced or witnessed.
Pivoting a business
“To me, to pivot a business is as essential as seeking external funding or shifting executive roles to complement my goals, strengths, and weaknesses better. What drove me to move away from web hosting to a different category of WordPress development and maintenance services, was my affinity towards technology and the idea of creating a better and greater experience for end-users – be it through the product design or just the facility of using a product or service that I have designed and developed. In my opinion, it shouldn’t take a crisis to make you think about creating a change, the sooner you do that, the greater the returns you reap,” shared Hughes.
In fact, as a recent move, the serial entrepreneur launched another arm to his existing business, and this time, he’s focusing on software acquisition and development. RedLettuce, as it is called, has already acquired three software products and is on the verge of building up a broad portfolio of WordPress-related products.
Hughes’s journey is a reflection of his dedication, guts, and drive towards successful entrepreneurship, which makes him, his employees, stakeholders, and companies stay at the forefront of the industry.
Reach out to him via Facebook, Instagram or his website.
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