A Brand New Business, Built From Scratch - Into A Nation-Wide Brand

What would you do if you had to start over?

When I met the owner of this business, he had just left China with his family to begin setting up in Thailand. 20+ years living in China meant he knew nothing of social media, Google business, and most of all - this was his first time running his own business!

I was awestruck at the confidence and determination to just set up shop and get at it. His passion for his authentic gelato was contagious and I ended up jumping into the co-pilot seat to help him launch his new brand with success.

The Problem:

Building the business had gone way over budget - leaving nothing to spend on marketing or digital assets like a website. This is a common thing I see, where all the funds are poured into the business, but there wasn't a plan on how to market it. The best product in the world means nothing if no one knows about it.

Also, the lack of experience of the owner, and lack of supporting staff, left him in a very challenging situation. Something many solo entrepreneurs find themselves in - and one that many can't overcome.

What Happened?

When all you have is yourself, then that's exactly what you have to show to the world - your passion! We dove into personal branding training, I set up his Google Maps, Apple Maps, Bing, and every other citation website in the area for him to maximize exposure - something every business should do as it's free ways to find new customers!

Things were looking great, slower than expected, but showing promise...until COVID 19 struck. Grinding business to a halt, the only saving grace was that Thailand was relatively relaxed with restrictions. Leaving only really one option: delivery.

And Then...

Fortunately the foundations in personal branding started to spread online via social platforms. Google searches for ice cream were pointing to his business profile. All the while the owner was personally delivering his gelato straight to customers and recording his journey for new customers to see his determination. He powered through the pandemic, battered, but strong and gaining momentum as a local favorite.

The Solution

Once he finally had the ability to begin investing into his business, ranking his profiles, and website, and put into practice all the things I taught him in building a local brand - He's now ranked #1 in the whole city for ice cream with over 1,000 reviews cementing himself against the competition.

All of this was done without spending a single dollar on advertisement, no social media team, no fancy marketing department. Simply solid foundations, a quality product, self-promotion at the right time in the right places, and a community supplying endless reviews (always ask for them too!).

This brand is now seeing nationwide orders, with partnerships, B2B solutions, distribution, and is well on it's way to becoming one of the biggest frozen dessert brands in the country. A phenomenal success - and one I am so happy to have witnessed first hand as an amazing example of shining so bright you attract customers without having to search for them!