Paul Nute is an entrepreneur and competitive fisherman who over the past 20 years has built several internet companies. He is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys traveling and currently lives in Florida with his wife. Mr. Nute’s business and start-up experience is vast and some of his companies have reached annual revenues upward of $50 million. Mr. Nute is the founder and CEO of Triton Web Properties, employed hundreds of people, and served 1000’s of satisfied clients.
How did you get started in this business? What inspired you to start this business?
I’ve always been into start-ups and business. During college at Pepperdine University I was able to partially finance my tuition through entrepreneurial ventures. So I was able to make mistakes and learn early what it took to be a business owner. After college I saw an opportunity with the internet that couldn’t be passed up and started networking with companies and brands that have grown into huge online players.
How do you make money?
I have bought and sold many companies over the years but in short, we own, develop and operate a portfolio of websites that serve passionate consumers.
How long did it take for you to become profitable?
Early on in my career, I was able to really see profits after about 6 months to 1 year of hard work. I brought in 34 new clients and over 450k in revenue.
When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?
I studied philosophy and my parents were very influential in making sure I remained optimistic in life. Whenever I doubted myself – I would just work harder. This allowed me to just forget about the negative thoughts.
How did you get your first customer?
After knocking on a lot of doors and trying to break through the gatekeeper I finally hit a homerun with Monster.com. It became a numbers game, I would just keep pressing to get the meeting.
What is one marketing strategy that you’re using that works really well to generate new business?
Networking. Staying in the know is essential for our business and by following the right groups and showing up to the best conferences we are able to stay on top of the new opportunities and business.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
Selling a company that I poured my heart and soul into has always been a tough decision. A recent acquisition decision took me almost 2 weeks of fishing at a secluded location just to make.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
I have always been very motivated and I’m continuously practicing being more productive. I have also been able to separate work from play keeping me very balanced.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
For me, there is not one most satisfying moment but the micro-moments that I cherish. Small wins or completing a project and being totally satisfied with the final product. Creating a profitable ad campaign or closing a big client. These are the things that drive my motivation.
What does the future hold for your business? What are you most excited about?
When it comes to the internet every day is exciting. This industry is so dynamic that I have no clue what type of opportunities or changes will arise in the future. What I do know is that we will continue to build amazing web properties and grow the company exponentially. Growing our family and employing more great people excites me the most.
What business books have inspired you?
I’ve recently been inspired by Peter Diamandis. His books “Abundance” and “Bold” helped me find inspiration around the future and creating a massive impact. The chapters around exponential growth have given me more vision when making business decisions
What is a recent purchase you have made that’s helped with your business?
We recently implemented a tax automation software for many of our e-commerce websites called Avalara. It makes automatic filing and real-time calculations easy. We have been able to use this solution and implement it across all sites in less than a week. I would highly recommend it if you selling products online.
What are you grateful for at the moment?
I am most grateful for my family, friends, and employees at the moment. These are the most important things in my life and the reason I wake up with a huge smile on my face every single day.
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/paulnute