Going Public: From Broke Bootstrapper to Nasdaq Listed Business Owner With Dom Wells [The Opportunity Ep.106]

For many entrepreneurs, the road to success is a long and
winding one, with each milestone helping you prepare for the next
leg of your journey. 


Dom Wells's journey is no exception. Unsatisfied with his
job as a teacher, he began building websites. This led to the
creation of Human Proof Designs, a business that creates
done-for-you starter websites for people looking to get into the
content site game.


The success and eventual exit of that business allowed Dom
to begin acquiring higher-value websites. As he built a portfolio
of his own, Dom was inspired to create Onfolio, a holding company
that buys, grows and operates online businesses, particularly in
the content niche. 


In this episode, Dom joins us to reflect on his 10-year
entrepreneurial journey, walking us through the process of
selling Human Proof Designs and explaining how he knew it was the
right time to exit the business. According to Dom,


"Many entrepreneurs build successful 6 or 7-figure
businesses because they're really good at one thing, or they're
driven by sheer passion and force of will. The tough part is when
you reach a plateau. Then you have to decide if you're willing to
push through and learn a new skill and think more strategically
in order to level up, or if you're going to use your existing
skills to start over again."


We then shift our focus to Onfolio as Dom describes the
evolution of his business's service offering. Dom also explains
the dangers of spreading yourself too thin and shares advice on
how to structure your team to make sure nothing falls through the
cracks as your business expands.


Finally, Dom reveals what motivated him to take Onfolio
public and the process involved in listing a business on
Nasdaq. 


With a decade of experience under his belt, Dom has a
wealth of knowledge to share, so make sure you don't miss a
minute of this fascinating episode!
Topics Discussed in This Episode:


Dom reflects on his 10-year entrepreneurial journey and
how he founded Onfolio (02:22)


The reasons why Dom decided to leave Human Proof Designs
(08:56)


A breakdown of what Onfolio offers, and how it has
evolved over the years (14:20)


The criteria Dom looks at when buying a business for his
portfolio (19:05)


How Dom grew a $1.1 million business's net profit by 50%
in three months (24:31)


The pros and cons of cross-business synergies and
operating leverage (26:53)


How Dom has structured his Onfolio team to make the best
use of their skills (29:41)


How Dom balances marketing the businesses in his
portfolio vs marketing Onfolio (33:27)


Why Dom decided to list Onfolio publicly and what the
process involved (35:22)


Dom's goals for Onfolio moving forward (40:41)

Mentions:


Empire Flippers Podcast


Empire Flippers Marketplace


Schedule a call with our expert sales
advisors 


Onfolio


Human Proof Designs


Empire Flippers Capital


Before The Exit by Dan Andrews


Ahrefs


Semrush



Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn valuable
entrepreneurial lessons from a 10-year industry veteran!