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Hello listeners and welcome to episode 5 of the White Pony Network Podcast! In this episode I had the opportunity to catch up with and ask Ricky Verkaik a bunch of questions that I wanted to know the answers to. I went to school with Ricky and since then his professional career has flourished. Ricky worked his way up through experience to launch Zain Digital (a digital marketing and app building agency) and grow it to over 200 clients.
Examples of Ricky’s brilliance are highlighted by his Casey Cardinia Business Award for an App that he built, receiving an iAward, being president of the Berwick Chapter of Business Network International and his alliance with the Waterman Business Centres.
There are some fantastic lessons and information in this conversation for anyone looking to launch a business in 2017 and beyond or looking to grow their existing business’s reach as the importance of a strong online presence grows higher every day.
Please enjoy this conversation with Ricky Verkaik.
Click Here to get exclusive access to our Podcast, eBooks, Blog, Newsletter, Events & Giveaways.
Show Notes
2:25 How it all started for Ricky
3:45 1000 Pixel
4:10 Zain Digital
4:20 BNI
7:30 What was your initial vision for Zain Digital?
9:20 Do you like now having 100% control over the decision making and the responsibility of Zain Digital?
10:35 Winning an award for an app/The Skynanny story
12:00 What other apps have you been developing?
12:35 Do you ever have an idea pitched to you that you think isn’t going to work?
13:45 Casey Cardinia Business Awards
14:25 Working in and working with the Waterman Business Centre
15:55 The trend towards freelancers and collaborating
17:30 How do you know when an app is pitched to you that you’re onto a winner?
18:25 Building subscription based/free-mium apps
19:05 Launching Anicdote clothing line
19:40 Showcasing work on Behance – Portfolio website for creative
20:20 On the exponential growth of technology
21:10 What makes a good brand?
22:20 on Facebook and their vision
23:15 What else are you passionate about?
24:25 Competitiveness in sport and business and the overlap
25:05 How do you deal with setbacks?
25:45 On mindset and routines
26:50 What are some of those choices that you’ve made that have made you who you are?
27:40 The importance of mentors and utilising their knowledge
28:55 The progression of 1-200 clients
31:00 The scaling process and what they did both right and wrong
32:00 On hiring staff
32:20 Where do you see yourself and Zain Digital in 10 years?
33:30 The beauty of developing other businesses
34:10 If you weren’t in web & tech, what would you be doing?
34:50 Zain Digital and the immediate future
36:00 How are you driving leads atm?
36:30 Up-selling
37:30 What’s the first thing that someone should do who’s looking to start a business
40:55 How to build an initial database including the importance of raving fans
42:20 What are the most significant social media platforms to build a following and raving fans?
42:50 How Zain Digital can help
44:10 The Big 5 (What are the 5 instances that have been pivotal moments for you in terms of gaining the most value, growth, performance and/or success)
- Teaming up with George to form Zain Digital – Combining with another business sae growth straight away. Bigger database, wider range of services
- Moving into an office. Put themselves above the competition in Waterman business centres to meet with clients and network with other businesses
- Learning from mistakes has helped long-term growth
- Let go sometimes and roll with it. Don’t be held back by things not being perfect
46:15 Ricky’s father said to him ‘If it costs you money, you’ll definitely learn not to do it again’
47:00 What is the best advice that you’ve ever learnt from your father?
‘That you must love what you do as you will have to do it for 40+ years. I could have taken over Dad’s successful business however it wasn’t what I wanted to do.’
47:20 What are the best books & blog-posts that you’ve ever read?
48:30 Best Movies, TV Shows & Documentaries?
Transformers
Hangover trilogy
Limitless
What The Health
50:10 How have you copped with you food intolerances?
Specialists, trial and error, research
51:10 What are the ideal meals for you to have you feeling at your best?
Clean food from the ground
51:45 What are your predictions for your industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
Virtual Reality – People don’t just want your service now, they want an experience as well.
Online and Social Media is going to be even more dominant
53:00 Did you achieve your goals that you set yourself over the last 12 months?
The business and the goals have been altered quite significantly with the business partner leaving the business.
What goals have you set yourself over the next 12 months? Are there any that you’re willing share with us that we could help by keeping you accountable?
Ricky is building a new and exciting platform that he can’t give too much away on yet. We will check back in with him in 12 months!
54:10 Who are you looking to connect with?
Tradies looking to get on or perform better online
Marketing agencies who are looking to grow or outsource
People who are looking to start their own business and build an online presence or an online platform
Who I think should connect with Ricky?
Anyone who has a business idea
55:10 Where can our listeners reach you?
Facebook.com/zaindigital
Linkedin.com/rickyverkaik
www.zain.digital
Links
2:00 St. Francis Xavier College
3:45 1000 Pixel
4:10 Zain Digital
4:20 BNI
10:35 Skynanny (award winning app)
12:05 Relatio app
13:45 Casey Cardinia Business Awards
14:25 Waterman Business Centre
15:00 City of Casey
15:05 Casey Cardinia Business Hub
19:05 Anicdote
19:40 Behance
22:20 Facebook
22:20 Friendster
23:45 Dandenong Rangers
30:10 Dreamweaver
30:10 Photoshop
30:20 WordPress
36:00 Adwords
36:00 SEO
39:05 MVP – Minimum Viable Product
41:10 Instagram
42:35 LinkedIn
47:45 The Barefoot Investor
47:55 Justin Tayler
47:20 Transformers
47:30 Hangover trilogy
49:10 Limitless
49:30 What The Health
51:55 Virtual Reality
53:15 Yellow Pages
53:20 White Pages
This episode is brought to you by our good friends at Tondo Digital.
Click Here to get exclusive access to our Podcast, eBooks, Blog, Newsletter, Events & Giveaways.
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