Maropost is one of the fastest-growing tech companies in North America and it boasts a 12,000% growth rate in a close 5-year span! Today we interview Ross Andrew Paquette, Maropost’s founder, and CEO, to find out his plans for the future.
What are you most excited about regarding your business?
Ross Andrew Paquette: In general, 2020 has been a very big year for Maropost, so there’s been a lot of excitement. But, I’m definitely the most excited about exploring some of our new ideas and developing all of our most recent ventures.
In the past couple of months, my team and I have launched new products like JetSend (which is set to compete in the transactional messaging industry); established new services like Maropost for Commerce or Maropost Ventures; opened up new offices (in Sweden, which we’re hoping will kickstart our entry into the EU market); and so on.
Suffice to say, we’ve been very busy, and all the more excited because of it. I’m looking forward to how much more we can grow from this point on.
How would you describe the year so far?
Ross Andrew Paquette: Well, to address the COVID-19-shaped elephant in the room, Maropost is fortunate enough to be in the business-critical environment, so the effect of the coronavirus pandemic for us has been rather limited.
We’ve had to make some adjustments as to how we work, but those were minor grievances at most. For the most part, we were unaffected and left to our own devices. Which, I think, has actually led us to become more proactive, ironically enough. At least, in terms of pushing out new ideas and seeing them through. As mentioned earlier, we’ve had a very busy year, and it’s bound to only get busier and busier from here on out.
How have you managed to stay on track and productive over the year?
Ross Andrew Paquette: I’ve had to adapt to working from home, that’s for sure. It was pretty difficult for me in the beginning. Since I had to make sure that I scheduled my time very carefully so that I kept on track throughout the day — which included a lot of work, some exercise, talking with my friends and family, and just staying off the news to keep positive.
As for staying productive, I’ve found that setting goals for myself has been really helpful in making sure that I get things done. Which, at this time, is getting my priorities in order so that I can keep my team stable and secure.
What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs in 2020?
Ross Andrew Paquette: Adaptability and innovation is king. So, make sure that your business is capable of surviving, or better yet, thriving, no matter what environment it is thrown into. This is something that has always been a focus for us at Maropost, and something that we’ve had to keep at the forefront of our minds as we continued to grow over the past years.
But, I think this has become even more relevant in the past couple of months — when the ability to adapt to the new global environment has become all the more crucial to the success or downfall of so many businesses.
What does the rest of 2020 look like to you?
Ross Andrew Paquette: The rest of 2020, and beyond, looks like growth to me. Especially for Maropost, of course, but for our other ventures as well.
We plan to grow as far as we can, and perhaps even beyond that, for the next couple of months and years. Whether it be in the form of releasing new products like JetSend, or, perhaps, opening offices or creating marketing campaigns in other countries where we believe relevant for our desired global expansion.
How do your plans for the future relate to the legacy you want to leave behind?
Ross Andrew Paquette: Rather than a legacy for myself, I want Maropost to be known as a global organization that focuses on goodwill and care. I also want our team to be known for our innovation and our unique story — one that will hopefully encourage other entrepreneurs to grow their own businesses self-reliantly.
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.
