Mike Moriarty started his digital marketing agency with his business partners at a young age and partnered up with NFIB to gain insight into small business issues.
What do you love most about running your own business, Go Fish Digital?
I think I love the sense of accomplishment in that I’m not only just keeping a clear goal, as I have been previously, but now I’m starting something more than just my own career—I’m building a company. The second thing is that there are so many different hats to wear, so that I’m not just focused on one aspect or job. I get to learn accounting, sales and all the different aspects of business.
Did that surprise you?
No, it didn’t surprise me. I sort of expected it. I think one good aspect that has surprised me is that there is so much information through websites like NFIB and other places where I can get answers to a question. It almost isn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. I expected it to be rough, and I know that starting out as a small business owner can be scary, but I did find it surprising that there are a lot of resources that help.
What advice would you give other small business owners?
Whatever kind of problems they have, they are not the first person to have them. You can find information online, like on NFIB. You can find it through some searches. I’ve noticed that if I go through and I read some articles about a specific problem that I have, I think I’m well-educated on different information.
How would you describe the overall business climate in Virginia?
The business climate is fantastic. I think particularly in northern Virginia, where I live, government contracting is of course still big. But I’m seeing a lot of new technology startups growing here in the area, whereas previously it was completely dominated by government-related organizations. I’ve seen a lot more new business—software and technology companies are really emerging, which is exciting. Another thing is that they have expanded the Metro public transportation. Many companies are putting offices near the Metro because they can get employees from all over.
Why did you join?
We’ve been NFIB members for a number of years, and what we have found most useful is the articles and resources that come out. A lot of times I don’t know what I should be learning about. You don’t know what you don’t know. NFIB covers such a wide variety of topics for businesses that it makes me aware of things that had not been on my radar. We had a lot of questions when we were starting this business, and we couldn’t find another resource that covered so many topics. We wanted to join NFIB to show that we were engaged in learning. We were pretty young when we started our business and by joining a respected organization it gave us a little credibility, something we could put on our website to show we are learning and being educated from an incredible source.
What do you like to do off the clock?
I have a wonderful wife and a 1-year-old girl. Spending time with my little baby and making her laugh is what I daydream about. That’s where I want to be. She’s a cutie.
