The Business Law Blog

Meet Jason Shaw – Founder of Decodist, a company that addresses the gap in the website development industry. Decodist makes high-value technology more accessible to small businesses. The company plans to scale out Decodist on an international level, and the work Gouchev Law provided him set the foundation for this next step.

“Success can be found on many levels, but to me it means having a diverse portfolio of clients that I’ve worked with to improve their online strategy and technology.” – Founder, Decodist 

GL:  How would you describe your role and your business.

JS: My story has an international beginning. Throughout my professional career I have lived and worked in several countries including England, Australia and New Zealand. There are many differences when it comes to doing business in these countries (other than the accents!). Fortunately, my experience in technology leadership, web development, SEO and digital media travelled well.

Assisting small businesses with their technology needs is very interesting to me. Specifically, helping small businesses “decode” their goals and aspirations to create clear digital strategies for growth. I decided to focus on this niche and started my own small business called Decodist.

GL: What’s your favorite part of what you do?

JS: Solving puzzles. By that I mean listening to people’s business goals and concerns, and then figuring out how technology can be used to meet those needs.

I’m a firm believer that technology should be used to simplify people’s lives. This is especially relevant for small business owners because their personal and professional lives are often intertwined.

GL: What led you where you are today?

JS: While I was working in the corporate world it became clear that digital agencies are heavily geared towards medium-to-high-value projects. This leaves a gap in the market because small business projects are typically overlooked. My business addresses this gap by making high-value technology services more accessible to individuals and smaller businesses.

GL: What were some challenges you faced along the way?

JS: One of the biggest challenges was finding a name for the business. This may sound trivial, but every business needs to consider domain name availability, trademarks, creativity, uniqueness, etc. This ended up being a time consuming endeavor, but Gouchev Law was there to provide great guidance along the way.

GL: What is your target market? Who are they?

JS: My target market is businesses that need assistance with their website and online strategy – including web development, search engine optimization, WordPress, eCommerce, website maintenance and fixes. Ongoing engagements are also offered, which is like having a webmaster on their team.

GL: What made you seek out Gouchev Law?

JS: I was wanting to establish a new business entity. The more I researched, the more I realized that I needed professional legal assistance to guide me through the process of setting up an LLC. I found Gouchev Law and never looked back.

GL: Can you share a little about what we’ve done for you?

JS: Gouchev Law provided advice on the most appropriate type of business to form, prepared and filed the necessary documentation with the State, and created my Operating Agreement. In addition, the team advised me on trademark protection, did a trademark search and subsequently prepared and filed my trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

GL: How has your experience been working with the firm?

JS: Working with Gouchev Law has been excellent. The engagement process was made clear to me on day one. From that point forward, the LLC setup and trademark process went as smoothly as planned.

GL: How would you define what success means for yourself and your company?

JS: Success can be found on many levels, but to me it means having a diverse portfolio of clients that I’ve worked with to improve their online strategy and technology. 

GL: What is some advice you can share with other business owners or one important thing you’ve learned along the way that makes a big difference?

JS: It’s true that business owners need a “do it yourself” mentality in order to be successful. There are a few exceptions, however, where you should definitely engage an expert. Matters relating to legal, tax and technology are in that category. The risk of getting things wrong versus the cost of hiring an expert is a no-brainer.

GL: We know exciting things are in store for you. Can you share a sneak peek of plans for the next couple of years.

JS: Currently I’m focused on the US market, but the plan is to extend outwards to other countries because website technology services are clearly in demand globally. My goals is to  create a virtual team in various parts of the world so we can provide expert website development across the globe.

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