Big Rig Media in La Quinta (California) has transformed the digital marketing of hundreds of businesses across multiple industries. The company offers digital marketing services, custom web design, and traditional advertising. Jeff jokes about the tagline of the website: Full-service, without B.S. Marketing agency.
Big Rig Media, founded in 2000, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Jeff Beyer, the owner of Big Rig Media, says that he started his business at 23 as a “long-haired child building computers”. We are now celebrating our 20th anniversary for a technology company that is like 140 years old.
Beyer is more ambitious and driven than ever. He has 17 employees and clients in all fifty states. He has also done business in ten countries. We spoke with the CEO and founder of Big Rig Media, to find out more about their successful business.
Photo by Tawni Adams Photography.
How did you become an entrepreneur yourself?
Jeff Beyer : In 1997, I built a website as a hobby for a company for which I worked. We received orders in the first 24 hours after launching the website. After that, I was hooked on doing business online. We built websites, and word spread. Soon we were building sites for bookshops, fashion designers and luxury interior design firms. I am able to spot vertical markets which are underserved.
How did you finance Big Rig Media at the start?
JB : The actual company was self-funded. As I started out, I was working full-time for a record company in the entertainment business. My business grew organically, until it became sustainable. I then decided to leave the entertainment industry. It was a very frightening experience, but I kept the overhead as low as possible.
What makes Big Rig Media different from other businesses
JB I and my team enjoy helping our customers grow. In the office, we have a saying: “We like to do business with someone who can drink a beer with.” I treat every customer’s business as if it were my own. Big Rig Media is where I test all my new software and marketing ideas to see how they perform.
How did you decide that an SBA loan would be the best fit for your business?
JB I had a 28% year-over-year growth in my business, and I knew that I was a candidate for SBA financing. I took out several lines of credit, which helped me for a time. But I needed SmartBiz in order to move away from daily payments. We can invest more money with the SBA loan because it has small monthly payments. SmartBiz has helped us achieve our business goals twice now.
How was the SBA loan process for you?
JB : A great Relationship Manager helped me a lot. Big Rig Media has a CPA firm VanHouten Tax & Business Solutions as a client. He helped me gather information to make the whole process easier. P.S. He was so impressed with the process that he became a SmartBiz marketing partner and now uses SmartBiz in his company.
What is your plan for the SBA loan proceeds?
JB Big Rig Media has moved into SaaS. Our platform has been designed exclusively for the outdoor hospitality industry. We will use the money to invest in new technology so that we can increase our market share.
What are the challenges faced by business owners?
JB Prioritizing the tasks that need to be done in a given moment is a big challenge for entrepreneurs. Reading mentorship books and attending CEO conferences at high levels has taught me that entrepreneurs are full of ideas. Some of these ideas must be discarded, while others have to be implemented. It is important to understand the differences. A second challenge is the performance of products. We need to have a flawless execution, along with systems and processes for scaling technology and customer success.
What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
JB Be sure to serve a need that people will pay for. You also need to decide what you want to accomplish right now that will have the greatest impact on your business.
What is the best thing about being an entrepreneur?
JB I would say flexibility in time. I enjoy doing what I want when I want. I get up at 6:30 in the morning to deal with email and clients on the east coast. After that, I work out before heading to the office. I love to play and win. I treat our clients like they are my own.
