United Channels Consulting CEO João talks highlights, challenges and future plans
Five years ago, on the 10th August of 2017, United Channels Consulting officially opened its doors to support outstanding small-to-medium tech vendors expand their business internationally.
As we complete the 5-year milestone, it's time to review all that's been achieved so far and project what the next 5 years will bring to United Channels.
And who better to tell us all about it than João Esteves, our very own founder and CEO.
Welcome João! How do you feel about celebrating 5 years of United Channels Consulting? It's a real milestone.
What first comes to my mind is: 5 years already? Time flies. The second thought is that I feel really proud of what United Channels Consulting has accomplished, and when I say United Channels I mean the whole team. Without our team we wouldn't have the trust from our clients and partners. We are ready for the next five years.
Take us back to August 2017, what made you take the plunge and launch United Channels Consulting?
Deciding to launch United Channels Consulting didn't happen overnight. I would say that it was really the product and the sum of many years of experience in the tech industry, as well as many hours of observation, and the realisation that the market lacked an agile entity, knowledgeable and expert that could contribute towards a quicker and more effective commercial expansion of smaller businesses. From this belief and overal idea, I decided to buy the website domain, develop the business plan, lay out the mission, test the pitch with real potential target customers, and the rest is history...
"A firm that is agile, dynamic and expert in the way we serve the vendors who trust us"
What was your vision when you started?
Actually back in 2017 the vision was to create exactly the company we have today. A firm that is agile, dynamic and expert in the way we serve the vendors who trust us, with an international team that is able to deliver on the promise to offer outstanding customer sevrice to all our clients in EMEA.
Has anything changed in these past 5 years? And if so, how has that reshaped United Channels Consulting?
I would say that, if anything, our growth was quicker than expected. We started off with just one international vendor (a company that is still with us to this day) and managed to convert one more during our second month in business. Fast forward 4 months, we counted with two additional clients, which forced us to expand the team and hire a resource. We also had to review the structure of the company and our business strategy to support this rapid growth.
I would also add that what used to be a trend (the international expansion for many smaller businesses), is now a necessity as more and more vendors realise that is no longer enough to sell in their home markets, especially when they have a product, solution or service that could - and should! - become global. This is great of course for United Channels, since our target audience is growing.
"Last but not least, is certainly having currently 9 vendors that trust United Channels Consulting to lead their international expansion in EMEA and LATAM."
Could you tell us about 3 highlights that you have accomplished so far through United Channels Consulting?
The number one has to be becoming a financially sustainable and profitable business. This is, of course, a priority for any entepreneur.
The second highlight is having succeeded in offering the services of United Channels beyond Portugal, our native market. We're now actively working in the Middle East, Spain, Benelux, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Africa and South America.
Last but not least, is certainly having currently 9 vendors that trust United Channels Consulting to lead their international expansion in EMEA and LATAM.
"We're also working to expand not only the portfolio of services we offer our clients, but also the territories where we act on, globally."
What about challenges? Could you share your experience?
The challenges are vast and neverending, but perhaps the biggest one we face daily is to ensure that we're at least meeting, and ideally over-delivering on the promise we made to our vendors, making sure we're achieving the KPI's set and living up to their expectations.
What is the vision now?
At the moment, the vision is very much to consolidate what has been achieved so far. We're also working to expand not only the portfolio of services we offer our clients, but also the territories where we act on, globally.
What about the future, what are your plans for United Channels?
I am confident that United Channels' future is going to be bright, as we continue to grow and expand to other markets and other business verticals. We've had proof time and time again that our services are incresingly needed by companies worldwide.
What do you hope will be the legacy of United Channels Consulting?
I believe United Channels Consulting marks que beginning of a new way to address the channel management ecossystem. The main message I would like to pass on for the future is this: We have to leave the comfort zone behind, we need to innovate, create and undertake new challenges. The world is too small for us to be limited to one just our local territory, so if we work hard, and surround ourselves with the best people, there are really no impossible feats - United Channels consulting is an example of this precisely.
Finally, could you tell us about your personal experience and career up to this point and how that has influenced United Channels’ mission and business goals?
Without my previous career and professional experience, United Channels Consulting would not exist (or it wouldn't be the same). I firmly belive and repeat frequently that I've been preparing all my life for this project. The incredible working experiences and learnings I accessed in Xerox, Compaq, Tech Data, IECISA, McAfee, Symantec, and Watchful Software have given me the tools, know-how, contacts, vision and maturity to make United Channels what it is today.
Thank you! We certainly hope United Channels continues to grow and support tech vendors expand their business internationally for many more years to come.
If you're considering expanding your business internationally and are not sure where to start. We can help.
Send us an email to sales@unitedchannels.net and book a FREE 30-minute consultation.