Interview with the founder of Chartsheets

About

Chartsheets is a website offering spreadsheet templates for financial tracking, business management, and personal organization.

In this interview, we ask the founder to share his story about Chartsheets.

How did you come up with the idea for the business?

The idea for Chartsheets.com came from a shared experience between my friend and me. We both run small side businesses and noticed how hard it was to find tools that catered to specific needs like financial tracking or business management.

Most templates out there were either too complex or didn’t fit real-world use cases. So, we decided to start creating our own. What began as personal projects quickly caught the attention of friends and colleagues, and that’s when we realized there was a real demand for customizable and easy-to-use templates.

How did you build the product?

My friend and I worked as a team from the beginning. We both had a vision of creating templates that were not only practical but also aesthetically pleasing.

• Design & Functionality: One of us focused on design and functionality, while the other handled testing and incorporating feedback.
• Tools: We started with tools we personally needed, like budget planners and expense trackers.
• Customer Feedback: As we shared these templates, we received suggestions from small business owners, property managers, and even traders. Listening to their feedback helped us refine the products and add features that made them truly valuable.

How big was your team when you started?

From the very start, it was just the two of us. We’re close friends who share a passion for problem-solving and productivity.

• Roles: One of us focused on creating and refining the templates, while the other took charge of setting up the website and handling marketing.
• Efficiency: Working as a duo allowed us to combine our strengths and ideas, making the process more creative and efficient.
• Current Team: Even now, as the business has grown, we still handle most tasks ourselves, though we occasionally collaborate with freelancers for specific projects.

How did you launch the business?

We began by launching a small Etsy shop to test the waters. It was a great way to reach a global audience without significant upfront costs.

• Initial Launch: The response was overwhelmingly positive, which motivated us to take the next step—building our own website.
• Launch Strategy: When we launched Chartsheets.com, our strategy was simple:
  • Focus on high-quality products.
  • Provide exceptional customer support.
  • Use social proof (like reviews) to build trust.
• Marketing: We also ran targeted ad campaigns on Facebook and Google to reach niche audiences, giving us a solid start.

How have you grown the business since its launch?

Growth has been a steady process of learning, improving, and listening to our customers.

• Traffic: Pinterest has been a game-changer for driving organic traffic.
• SEO: We also invest in SEO to ensure people searching for templates can easily find us.
• Word-of-mouth: Many of our customers recommend us to others, which has been the best kind of marketing.
• Product Expansion: We’ve expanded our product range to include:
  • Templates for personal finance.
  • Templates for small business needs.
  • Trading journals, catering to a wider audience.

What are the main marketing channels that work out for you?

Several marketing channels have proven effective for growing the business:

• Pinterest: This is one of our best-performing channels, showcasing the visual appeal of our templates.
• Facebook Ads: Works well for reaching specific audiences like property managers or traders.
• SEO: Critical for targeting long-tail keywords aligned with our niche.
• Email Marketing: This is growing as we use it to announce new templates, share tips, and offer exclusive discounts.

Which tools do you use most often to help grow your business?

We rely on several tools for tracking performance, creating content, and managing operations:

• Google Analytics & Facebook Ads Manager: For tracking performance and optimizing campaigns.
• Canva: Our go-to tool for creating visuals for Pinterest and social media.
• Google Sheets & Excel: Used for managing finances, project timelines, and more.
• WordPress & Yoast SEO: Powers our website and helps maintain a strong online presence.

What is the business model (ads/subscription etc)?

Our business model is simple:

• One-time Purchases: Customers purchase templates for a one-time fee and get lifetime access.
• Future Plans: We’re considering adding a subscription option in the future, which would give customers access to a library of premium templates for a monthly fee.

What do your finances look like?

The business has been profitable from the start, largely due to the low overhead costs of selling digital products.

• Investments: Most of our investment goes into:
  • Creating new templates.
  • Maintaining the website.
  • Running ad campaigns.
• Revenue: Revenue has grown steadily thanks to our expanding product line and targeted marketing efforts.
• Focus: We’re focused on reinvesting in the business to ensure continuous improvement and long-term success.