(Newswire.net — September 15, 2020) — Gerardo Pablo Gallo is a successful CEO and owner of company FULLServices AdNetwork. He started out the company at just the age of 15 and his ad agency has now been generating a revenue of over $1.5 million within the last 5 years. We have the opportunity for you all to get to know the Argentinian entrepreneur, through our exclusive interview.
Can you tell us more about your company?
“Today, in Córdoba, Argentina, FULLServices AdNetwork is a company that monetizes the placements of FULLServices Network’s sites. We provide support for advertising campaigns in multiplatform formats; from branding and performance to many national and international customers, among which FOX Networks, Terra Networks, Grupo Clarin Argentina and DNSR Israel, stand out. Today we have clients from the United States, Canada and Spain. For more than 15 years, FULLServices Network has been developing web-based services with the latest technologies available. We have a team of experts in R+D and graphic design, with extensive knowledge of the market on the Internet. We create solutions perfectly adapted to the needs of our users and advertisers.”
Can you tell us what inspired you to start up your company?
” At the age of 15, in the midst of the Argentine crisis of 2001 and with a somewhat utopian vision of the future, I founded what is now known to be FULLServices Network. The objective was clear: to create a wide network of free and accessible entertainment, communication and information services for everyone. At that time, the project that I had ambitions for only consisted of a basic email service. However, it grew quickly and as I gained more experience in the use of programming tools by teaching myself, the dream began to take shape.”
Have you always felt that you were meant to be an entrepreneur?
“I believe that one is born with this need for entrepreneurship. I always had my own initiative for everything; from participating in science fairs at school to founding my company. I can’t stand in one place, I need to move and create. Solving problems gives you enormous satisfaction. I honestly never felt comfortable working in a relationship of dependency. The jobs I had, even though they were for a limited time, made me feel like I was wasting my life. I felt like I could do bigger things, and change some of the things I don’t like about the world.”
Did you ever have a nickname as a child for your creativity?
” From a young age I have always had a creative personality. I come from a working middle class family and I didnt even have a computer, because we couldn’t afford it. Yes, even without a computer, I was able to learn about programming and the Internet, because I used to visit the homes of friends or family who lent me their computers for a few hours every day. After tirelessly insisting to my parents, the first computer finally arrived in the family. This accelerated my learning exponentially.”
“I was able to create models such as electric engines, by using basic electrical components and cardboard. In order to be able to afford to do that, I sold door-to-door fruits and vegetables that were grown in my home to people in the neighborhood. I think that my entrepreneurial side came into being right then. For friends and acquaintances, I was “the inventor”, a title that is perhaps excessive when seen from a distance.”
What do you do in your own time when you’re not running your business?
” Honestly, I guess to be an entrepreneur is a full time “job”. Despite doing another thing, I’m thinking of projects, how to resolve the current issues and pay attention to pending projects. That could be a bit stressful, I know. In order to “download” that stress, I workout everyday, go for running whenever I can and I go to the gym 3 times per week. I don’t have big fitness plans because I like simple things. Also, I have healthy eating habits, which is fundamental to aid your body to fight against stress. I’ve spent enough time researching food and I’ve frequently asked my doctors who I trust. I’m not afraid to go to the doctors when I have doubts.”
I’ve seen you publish business ideas on your Instagram ( @gerardo.soy ). Why do you do this?
” It’s true, sometimes I do publish ideas of possible scalable businesses and answer questions about how to carry them out. I started doing this because my mind doesn’t stop. I would tell friends and family about them, but none of them would apply them, so I decided to tell everyone on my Instagram.”
“Obviously, just the idea isn’t enough to have an income, it requires work. If you aren’t willing to dedicate a couple of hours a day to a task, without seeing results in 3 or 6 months, this isn’t for you. It requires perseverance, you will not become a millionaire overnight.”
Have you had any bad experiences? Did you learn something from them?
“Unfortunately it’s impossible not to fall if you increase the speed. Seven years ago, a very large client did not pay us for an advertising service, which generated us a debt of several tens of thousands of dollars. The client owes us about $800,000 plus interest. I started a lawsuit in court to claim the money. It was pretty stressful for me and my team.”
“Looking back now, I have learned a lot from that bad experience. One very important thing is to make all your communications in writing, to leave evidence of what was agreed. This type of content is easy to record and doesn’t require authorization from both parties to be recorded. If you talk on the phone or make a video call, many times it’s not recorded or you need to ask your interlocutor’s permission to record it, a very awkward question. I use Skype Chat for that. Having a record of every word in our conversations was key to later having proof for the lawsuit.”
Is it necessary to have money to start a business? How much?
“Not at all. If you have a notebook or even a smartphone, you already have the basics. As I said before, there are many free online tools that can help you create your first website. You will only need $10 to register your first domain and you are in. Obviously, it depends on the type of online business you want to create, but you could start with a blog of a specific topic that you like, like costumes for pets, and once you have visitors, start making money selling ads. I started this way, I created my first website about technology and then I sold ad placements (banners) to businesses in my city, they paid me a monthly fee.”
“On the other hand, you can also manage the social networks of the stores in your neighborhood. They could pay you a monthly fee and you upload their content, reply to messages and interact with their customers. For this business you even need your own website.”
What are your plans for the future?
“Nobody knows what the future holds, however we can decide what we do in our present. I have several projects in development. My goal is to create our own online product using our major successful brand and sell it directly, since today we work mainly with CPA (Cost-Per-Acquisition) offers and we sell a third-party product. That would give us total control over the service and increase profitability. I also plan to continue working on my personal brand, I think it’s fundamental to motivate others to start their own business and find financial freedom. We must eliminate the fear of failure and motivate future entrepreneurs. Today, starting an e-commerce website, for example, is much simpler than it was 10 years ago. There are online tools to create your store in a minute, without any knowledge of web design or coding. There are no excuses for not being part of this anymore.”