Click images to enlarge

Unlock Lasting Business Success: Essential Lessons from an Entrepreneur With 40+ Years Experience

Ref: 337

Author: NADEEM AZAM

What separates enduring businesses from those that fade? This in depth interview shares hard earned wisdom from a pioneer who launched a digital agency in 1997 and continues to thrive. It details the journey from print journalism roots to predicting and capitalising on internet growth despite widespread skepticism.

Nadeem Azam outlines the core behaviours that sustain success over time, including structured thinking, adaptability, and a relentless focus on execution. If you want a realistic framework rather than motivation, this is worth your attention.

Thank you for joining us today Nadeem. For those that don’t know could you just explain to us what it is you do?

Hi! Thank you for having me. I run a digital marketing and design agency which helps businesses get more customers.

What inspired you to start up your business?

I was working as a print journalist and predicted the net would dominate the landscape in the future. So, after a year of research and preparatory work, I started Azam in 1997.

Most people were negative about my decision to jump from print to digital, saying the internet was very niche and would not have much of a future, but I proved them wrong. I had spent an enormous amount of time researching the nascent internet, whereas my critics were, I presume, basing their opinions on their own unwillingness to move with the times and take risks.

What makes your business unique and differentiates you from your competitors?

As the oldest established full-service digital marketing, design and publishing agency in the world, our unparalleled expertise means we are much more likely to hit the bullseye. I am obsessed with the concept of “over-delivering” for clients and that enables us to produce spectacular results.

What has been your biggest challenge as a business owner and how have you met that challenge?

There have been numerous challenges from a complete lack of start-up finance to recruiting talented staff with rare technical skills but I am blessed that God has rewarded me for my persistence.

My biggest delight is when our clients regularly tell me they are thrilled with the results we’ve produced for their businesses.

How many hours a day do you work on average?

It averages at about 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. Estée Lauder said “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.”

What does success look like to you?

In a service-sector business, client satisfaction is my number one goal. My staff get tired of me reiterating, “The Customer is King!”

How has your business evolved since its launch in 1997?

In digital, unless you are willing to turn aspects of your business upside down every couple of years you will probably not thrive. The reason we still prosper after three decades years is because I obsessively study industry trends and stay 12 steps ahead of others.

Where do you envision your company in 5 or 10 years?

We have got massive plans, which we are currently working on behind the scenes. For instance, I intend to use my journalism background to launch an innovative digital publishing business. There is a relative dearth of quality written material on the web.

Finally, what advice would you give to other entrepreneurs looking to start up a business?

I mentor several entrepreneurs and always advise them to constantly study top-line metrics and react accordingly (my nose is stuck in Excel spreadsheets and AI tools half the day long to scrutinise figures, spot challenges and trends, and consider strategies to improve operations).

One of the biggest reasons I see for business folk not succeeding is they - understandably - veer towards spending too much of their time on the tasks they enjoy doing, rather than what is necessary to do to genuinely satisfy their customers and to grow.

There are more radio, television, print and online interviews with Nadeem on Medium and elsewhere online, such as this one.