“My passion turned into a career, and I believe that’s what everyone wants.”

Sharmatic was established in 2016 with the vision to help startups, companies, individuals and more develop a brand, not just a simple website. Nowadays it’s hard to stand out on the web, there’s literally over a billion websites and rising, if you’re going to be one of them, at least be one that stands out. We create experiences that strengthen the relationships between brands and the people who matter most to them.

BusinessInterviews.com: What inspired you to launch your business?

Akash Sharma: I’ve always been passionate about design and building projects. It was at age 14 that I really became inspired and pursued my interest in entrepreneurship. I ran my own media blog for a few years and got approached by a business owner who was intrigued by my blog, and he asked me if I can develop a website for his business. I was fairly young at the time, I believe I was 17 when he asked and I accepted the offer. After I completed his website, he gave me a small office space for me to work out of, and every week he would introduce me to new clients who would need a logo or a website or some kind of branding. Fast forward to two years later, I was getting repeat business, referrals and clients of my own! By that point it started to get overwhelming for me to take care of all on my own. I knew I needed a team, a group of people with the same passion as me, and that’s what drove me to start my own digital branding and marketing agency. My passion turned into a career, and I believe that’s what everyone wants.

BusinessInterviews.com: What issue does your core product help solve and how so?

Akash Sharma: A lot of businesses don’t have any online presence and that’s where our core product “web development” comes in handy. Having a website puts your business out there, exposing your skills, allowing potential customers to find and learn more about your business and the services you have to offer. In short, we help clients develop a website for their business and educate them on how they can maintain their online presence.

BusinessInterviews.com: What has been your biggest challenge as a business owner and how have you met that challenge?

Akash Sharma: When you’re starting a business, you have many different shoes to fill: sales, negotiations, customer relationship management, marketing, and more. It’s never easy and you’re always working. When I first started out, I would work from 12 PM to 2 AM because I didn’t have someone to send out emails to my clients or someone to follow up with my prospects, so I would have to plan my day and prioritize. I put money aside and then hired a virtual assistant (best decision ever, by the way) to take care of my admin work because that was becoming more work to manage, rather than the actual clientele work. Now that I have all those spots filled with contractors, I can focus on doing what I do best, building online experiences.

BusinessInterviews.com: Have you had any mentors or role models that have influenced you? Describe the impact.

Akash Sharma: I read books and listen to podcasts during my free time. My biggest influence is Lewis Howes, who runs a podcast called “The School of Greatness”. He really motivates me to be a better entrepreneur and human being. I don’t know where I would be without his show — I listen to every episode with excitement because I know I’ll leave with more knowledge and value.

BusinessInterviews.com: What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs and business owners? What do you wish someone told you?

Akash Sharma: Have a plan or an idea. A lot of people get too excited and try to rush to get their business up and running just to make a profit. It doesn’t always work like that though. You need to be ready and prepared. Don’t chase the money–find your passion and promote that, and the money will follow. Have an idea about what your business will be and the services that you will provide, have some case studies, build a list of prospects and reach out to them, ask for referrals once the job is done and ask for honest feedback.

I’m not someone who thinks “I wish someone told me this before” — the beauty of being a business owner is failure, because failure shapes you as an entrepreneur. If you’re not willing to learn from your mistakes, you’re going to struggle running a business.

BusinessInterviews.com: Anything else you’d like to comment on while we have you?

Akash Sharma: Thank you for the interview! If anyone reading this wants to connect with me, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/Instagram: @OfficialAkash! I would love to hear from you!