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Founder@ Interview
Interview with Mark Esho
“My advice would be to find a niche, exploit that niche and, persevere no matter what. The business landscape is constantly changing and with that, there will be ample opportunity for new and exciting businesses. Don’t get stuck in one way of doing things – in order to succeed over a number of years, you need to remain fluid and flexible in your business and explore new ways of doing things to keep up with changing technologies and challenges..” – Mark Esho
Today we feature Mark:Esho, the founder at Easy Internet Services. We hear their story in their own words, their successes, their challenges and their insights.
Let’s start by getting to know you. Can you please tell us a little bit about you and what you do?
My name is Mark Esho MBE and I am a disabled businessman, inspirational speaker, and best-selling author. At the age of five, I contracted polio, leaving me paralysed from the neck down. I was originally given a 10% chance of survival but I was eventually able to regain limited mobility.
When I was eight I moved to Nigeria where I suffered relentlessly at the hands of school bullies and my abusive father who struggled to accept my disability. Despite these challenges, I went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Demontfort University.
After university, I struggled to get a job due to racial and disability discrimination. I was eventually even given a chance with a disability charity where I worked for several years as a finance manager.
Due to the late effects of polio (post-polio syndrome) in 1999, I was forced to quit my full-time job. I was living off credit cards to survive and my first business venture failed. Despite this setback, I went on to set up a number of successful businesses.
Since then, I have won a number of business awards and in 2013 was invited to meet Prime Minister David Cameron at the launch of the government’s Disability Confident initiative.
In 2018, my autobiography I Can I Will became a No.1 bestseller on Amazon. In 2021 I stepped down as the Managing Director of my business to focus on my new initiative, The Circle Foundation, and my passion for trading. The Circle Foundation gives 365 support to aspiring disabled entrepreneurs.
A great introduction and start to this interview. Can you please tell us, how did you start, from what age, and what made you decide to change direction and start?
You could say that I fell into entrepreneurship out of necessity rather than choice. I found it incredibly difficult to find work due to racial and disability discrimination.
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When I did manage to find a job, eventually post-polio syndrome meant that I was so exhausted all the time I physically couldn’t go to work every day and I had to leave. Entrepreneurship was the only real option for me – but even then I avoided business meetings because I didn’t want to be judged on my appearance.
My first business was essentially a website like RightMove, but it was before its time and it failed. At this point, I was living off credit cards and in a desperate situation. Unable to work and with a young family, I started my second venture, 123Ranking which provided SEO services to businesses.
This venture was a success as at the time, SEO was a new offering and I was strategic in my offering. I offered to do the service for free at the start, based entirely on achieving certain results for my clients, and only then they would start paying me. It was a risk but it paid off and it was the start of a successful career in business.
Thank you for that insight. So can you tell us…What does your business do and where is your company based?
I now own several businesses but the main company is called Easy Internet Services and we are based in Leicester. We are a digital marketing agency providing clients with SEO services, copywriting, social media management, and web design. We also offer web hosting via our other company NetNerd.
I also co-founded a disability accessibility app called Access Rating and recently started a new initiative called The Circle Foundation which provides business support to disabled entrepreneurs.
What’s the story behind your success? What led to your aha moment? how did you get to where you are now?
The reoccurring theme in my life has been to never give up. I suffered horrendous abuse as a child at the hands of my father, who was embarrassed by my disability and who continually told me that I wouldn’t amount to anything.
At school, I was bullied relentlessly because I was different. But I didn’t let these things define me. Even when my first business failed, I knew I had to try again. When things go wrong in your life, it’s easy to wallow and let them consume you. It’s hard to pick yourself up and dust yourself off.
But you must use these moments as building blocks – they will make you stronger and more tenacious in the future. Without adversity, you’ll never know what you’re truly capable of.
Thank you for sharing that. What’s been your life’s biggest lesson so far?
My biggest lesson so far has been the importance of recruiting the right people and choosing the right people to partner with in business. In the early stages of my business, there was a time when my employees created a very toxic work environment and would thrive off of one another’s bad attitudes. I was devastated because everything I had worked so hard for felt like it was crumbling down around me.
Thankfully I managed to recruit a new team and the problem eventually resolved itself. But I learned that if someone has the right attitude and outlook, everything else can be taught. Even if someone doesn’t have the exact skills we need, a genuine willingness to learn and a positive outlook are traits that we value above all else.
I now know to always recruit high-quality staff and develop strong relationships and bonds with the people who work for me. The people who you surround yourself with are the most important element of any business, so it’s worth taking the time and care to recruit those who share your values.
If you were to go back in time, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
The advice that I would give to my younger self is to believe in yourself more. In the early stages of my business, I could have expanded much more aggressively, but I had my reservations.
There weren’t that many SEO agencies around at the time and I was in a situation where I was turning away enquiries. I could have been braver and taken on higher-level staff or a like-minded business partner, but I was worried about taking the next step.
I would also say to always follow your gut and trust your intuition. I haven’t followed my gut lots of times, usually in regard to recruitment, and it has always come back to bite me in the end.
There have been many people who have doubted me. If I were a betting man, I certainly wouldn’t have bet on myself as a black, disabled young entrepreneur. But if I can defy the odds and become successful, so can other people who, just like me, haven’t been dealt the best cards in life. Your upbringing doesn’t define you, what you choose to do with your life does.
A recent talk that I did called GRIT: How to survive and thrive
We’re nearly halfway through our interview so it’s a great time to ask how does your business run. What three tools make your business run better?
Zoom has been instrumental in helping us to keep in touch with the team and clients remotely whilst still maintaining some sense of being in a physical meeting because of the video component.
We also use Skype and Slack to instantly communicate with staff members and clients. It’s much more convenient than email and means things don’t get lost in giant email threads.
What do you know now that you wished you had known before?
I now know to always recruit high-quality staff and develop strong relationships and bonds with the people who work for me. The people who you surround yourself with are the most important element of any business, so it’s worth taking the time and care to recruit those who share your values.
What has been your greatest or proudest achievement or moment?
Getting my MBE for services to the Leicester business community has been my proudest achievement. I am due to collect it at Buckingham Palace later this month. I have always prided myself on giving back and getting involved in the local community but to have it officially recognised in such a way is a real honour.
What future life goals do you want to achieve and why?
My main life goal is to have a positive impact on the world and its people. I have overcome many challenges to get to the fortunate place I am in today. If I can inspire people who, like me, have the odds stacked against them to believe that they too can make something meaningful out of their lives, then I will die a happy man.
I am also passionate about creating and nurturing more disabled entrepreneurs. There are barely any meaningful resources out there for disabled people to start businesses, yet we are a huge, valuable community of people with great ideas. I hope to change that with my newest initiative, The Circle Foundation.
To finish our inspire questions…”We believe that sharing inspiring words can inspire others.” If there was one positive thing you would say to someone to inspire and empower them what would it be and why?
My advice would be to find a niche, exploit that niche and persevere no matter what. The business landscape is constantly changing and with that, there will be ample opportunity for new and exciting businesses. Don’t get stuck in one way of doing things – in order to succeed over a number of years, you need to remain fluid and flexible in your business and explore new ways of doing things to keep up with changing technologies and challenges.
“Thank you it has been great learning more about your founder story and Easy Internet Services”
To learn more about Easy Internet Services Visit www.easy-internet.co.uk
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