Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Burruss.
Hi Angela, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story actually begins in 2003 in North Carolina—my home state. I was working as a director of marketing for a statewide nonprofit organization when I had an epiphany. I had been on the job for about three (3) years when I heard a voice—the holy spirit—say to me ‘you can do this for yourself.’ I immediately took that to mean I can start a business that focuses on marketing. With this grand idea in my head, I pondered it for a little while until I realized how difficult it would be to stand up a business as a single person. Without any financial support other than my own, I knew the tasks and responsibilities would be too overwhelming for me to handle. So, I decided this is not the move for me as this point in my life.
Fast forward to 2010, I was introduced to a man who was living in Washington DC by a mutual friend. We began a long distance relationship over the phone. Back then there was no Zoom or Face time—we were on the telephone for hours getting to know one other. We eventually began to travel back and forth to see each other. As the stars aligned, this man eventually became my husband and I was off to Washington, DC. I moved to Washington, DC in February 2011 after marrying my husband in 2010—we met and married in the same year. After becoming somewhat acclimated to my new home, I began to look for a job. Because I wasn’t 100% familiar with the DMV I found jobs in areas that would keep me in rush hour traffic for two hours each way. That was not a scenario I wanted to entertained, so I quickly suggested riding the Metro, and my husband adamantly say NO! Even though the train had been his mode of transportation growing up in DC, he felt it wasn’t as safe as it used to be. I couldn’t argue with him, so I said to myself ‘What am I going to do now?’ I would say no more than a week passed when the idea of standing up a business resurfaced. It was a opportunity deferred for almost ten (10) years. I asked my husband what he thought about the idea and he simply said ‘go for it.’
In September 2012, I opened the doors for Web Feet Communications with a business model for website design and website support services for SMB professional services, nonprofit organizations and local churches. Standing up a business as a solopreneur is not for the faint of heart. I had many hills and obstacles to climb as I built the business. Over the years, I had to fine-tune my marketing strategies as the landscape for marketing morphed into digital marketing. As the landscape changed, so did my target audience. As the First Lady of Central Baptist Church of Camp Springs, I was very excited to include the local church as part of my target audience. Unfortunately, I discovered working with local churches is not easy. They are bound by law to operate like a business, but many of them don’t which made it increasingly difficult to serve them. So, I continued to focus on the SMBs and the nonprofit organizations. As hard work and luck prevailed, in 2022 Web Feet Communications became a vendor for Prince George’s County Government. With this status, I now have the opportunity to supply labor—digital marketing professionals—for the county. Currently, there are nine (9) marketing professionals on this team. When I started this business, my ultimate goal was to work with the federal government as a contractor, so having this opportunity to work on the local level is a great step in the right direction. Web Feet Communications has been in business thirteen (13) years, and it has grown over the years. My business is no longer a start up. It has gained county wide status as a vendor supplier, designed websites for local nonprofit organizations, national and international organizations, and SMBs in the local area.
As a SMB, one of my goals is to educate businesses and individuals on the importance of owning a website. So many people mistakenly believe social media is only way to go. Because I’ve been in this industry for over 25 years, I can vehemently say this is a misnomer. A website should be at the core of any marketing strategy because it’s the business’ central digital hub. It’s a 24/7 storefront that builds credibility, controls your brand narrative, stores your intellectual property and so much more.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business as a solopreneur is not for the faint of heart as I said earlier. I don’t think anyone starts a business without obstacles/challenges along the way.
The biggest obstacle/challenge for my business was standing it up with very little capital and no accessible resources to help fund the business. Lending institutions do not freely lend a start up business money when there is little to no revenue flowing through the business. If you’re lucky enough to have a solid revenue stream in the first five years but still need more to really advance the business, then they are willing to talk to you about the possibility of borrowing money. However, I found the repayment plan is beyond unreasonable for small business owners.
Business ownership is a risky venture, and you must spend money to make money, but at the end of the day I think most micro small business owners like me don’t want to lose their total investment because they agreed to risk it all on a substantial loan.
Making the decision to run the business without borrowing money from various financial institutions slowed my business growth, but I have peace-of-mind knowing I will not lose everything I’ve worked for during my lifetime. I guess it’s fair to say there are those who want to get rich and those who want to make a decent living. I’m in the latter category.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The primary services focus on website design/development and website support. Social media marketing, videography, graphic design, marketing analytics, public relations and more complete the list of professional services offered to government agencies.
Web Feet Communications provides inspired strategic website design services to positively promote the online presence for its clients. Web Feet Communications offers competitive, quality advertising and marketing services to ensure small businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies move their business on the web and in their community.
As a minority-owned small business with MBE/DBE/SBE/WOSB/EDWOSB certifications, Web Feet Communications is committed to excellence and creating innovative and flexible web solutions for its clients.
Our competition focuses on various digital marketing tools to improve online presence, but Web Feet Communications is laser-focused on website design and website support to achieve this goal for its clients. Websites are the core of any online presence. The dedication to this one aspect of digital marketing ensures the staff and subcontractors are deeply knowledgeable about the best practices for website design and development. Web Feet Communications is also focused on designing ADA compliant websites for its clients as mandated by the federal government. AI is also used in projects to improve timeliness, content generation, and ideation.
I am most proud of my 25+ years of experience in this industry. When other mediums within marketing (digital marketing) came into existence, I never lost focus on what I wanted to offer to my clients. I didn’t want to be known as a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. I wanted my clients, colleagues, and competition to know my business is laser-focused on website design and website support so I can deliver the best product and service to any client.
I’m also proud of my partnership with Wix, an international website builder/editor platform with millions of customers across the globe. I use Wix exclusively to build and edit websites for my clients. Several years ago, Wix included my company in their partnership program. To date, my company has earned the Wix Partner Icon status because of the number of websites I’ve built on their platform.
This is all I do all day every day!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I have two words to answer this question. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE!
When social media was introduced on the social front, but then began to crawl into the business world, I knew this was going to be a game-changer. It has become a necessary tool for every business/organization/individual to cement their online presence. It is still a game-charger today.
But the evolution of artificial intelligence has surpassed anything and everything I could even imagine impacting this industry as it has so far and will continue to do so in the future. Machine learning is going to revolutionize every industry.
In the next five to 5- to-10 years, I think it’s safe to say a lot of business owners within my industry will be forced to pivot or become a relic. AI IS HERE TO STAY!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://webfeetcommunications.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/webfeetcommunications
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelagreenfieldburruss
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelaburruss4864
