As the founder of Girls Who Web, Giulia Cian Seren and her group of female developers help small businesses level up their websites.
We love entrepreneurs and small business owners at Honeycombers, which is why we’ve created Launchpad, a digital networking platform (with IRL benefits) that encourages connection, business support and community. It’s a privilege and pleasure to learn from so many talented folks! Looking for inspiration? Check out how Giulia Cian Seren, the founder of Girls Who Web, gets it done like a boss.
Tell us the story behind your business.
I’ve been a digital marketing consultant to small business owners since 2013. As part of my services, I also offered web design and digital strategy. Once the project was finished, customers asked me for a referral to another web agency to help them with maintenance and small fixes… and every time I recommended someone I thought was good, they all came back unhappy.
So, when another amazing client asked me for a referral, I knew I didn’t want them to have a subpar experience! I asked them to wait two weeks, incorporated the company Girls Who Web, hired the first two employees, and they became my first client. That was in May 2023, and they’re still a happy client now.
I wrote the business model on a phone note: “Website support that doesn’t suck”. Two years on, that still rings true!
What are some milestones or achievements you’re most proud of?
I’m very proud that from the initial team of me plus two, we’ve now added an extra employee and an intern! We have five different nationalities and live in four different countries, and every day I’m grateful for how much we accomplish as a small team.
Every time we finish a VIP session with a client and we see their eyes sparkling with enthusiasm and confidence, it’s a proud moment! Another achievement in the last few months is being approved as a Google Partner, which is a quality stamp that says we are qualified to manage Google Paid Advertisements for clients and meet certain criteria.
Share with us a setback that taught you a valuable lesson about running a business.
I have experienced a variety of setbacks since I incorporated my first business in 2013 in Malta. Old projects sometimes ended up in tragedy: wasted time and effort, unpaid invoices, and unhappy clients. The main culprit? I lacked client management skills. I wanted to be as flexible as possible on everything, and that backfired every time.
I’ve since learned you can’t be flexible on everything. You have to be firm in a few areas to be flexible in others. You need to know yourself and your team well to know exactly what you want to be on the hook for and what you don’t! That’s why we have fixed prices and services at Girls Who Web – and we fit every request within those. The scope can vary, but we are strict on our workflow.
Describe a typical day in your life and what you love most about it.
I wake up at around 6.30am and my days start with “horse time”. I bought a horse, Rosa, in 2023. Spending time with her gives me all the energy and endorphins I need to power through the day! Then it’s coffee time at my usual spot, and by 9am or 10am I’m usually showered and at my desk ready to start the day.
I try to “batch” meetings so I either have days with only meetings or with no meetings at all. If it’s “meeting” day, that’s usually a mix of client sessions, discovery calls and follow-up activities. If it’s a “no meetings” day, it’s spent in deep work for clients or creating content for our newest project: Learn With Girls Who Web, an online digital skills academy.
What’s your favourite book, movie, or TV show that has influenced your entrepreneurial mindset?
I’m a big fan of Shark Tank! It’s so inspiring to see all the different ideas and businesses people create from scratch. Even though I have never raised capital, watching the “pitches” and the conversations has sparked endless good ideas on how to market and run a business.
I’m also a huge reader; I’ve read hundreds of business books to make up for the fact I have a humble Bachelor in Diplomacy and not Marketing, IT or Business. However, the more I read them the more they all sound the same. Also, they tend to be very US-centric which means the advice isn’t entirely relevant for doing business on this side of the world.
Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Don’t invent a problem to solve. You’ll have a hell of a time marketing your solution. Instead, create a better solution to an existing problem. The product or service will sell itself.
Worry about your logo, branding and business cards after your first sale. If you have no customers, you don’t have a business; you have a hobby. Focus on getting your first few customers and spend all your effort and capital on anything that has a direct impact on that. Fancy logos, personal branding photoshoots, and embossed leather business cards? You don’t need those yet.
Top tip for maintaining a good work-life balance?
Laptop = work. Phone = personal. My phone has all notifications off. Even though I have access to everything, I’ve made it a rule not to check or answer emails or work messages from my phone unless it’s a real emergency.
Favourite thing to do on weekends?
Make more horse plans and spend more time with Rosa and my horse friends. I also love getting ahead of the week by working a few hours on Sunday afternoons – that makes Mondays less stressful.
Tell us one fun fact about yourself that not many people know.
I used to own a few restaurants and I did a couple of gigs as a private chef. I love cooking for other people!
Get in touch with Giulia Cian Seren online.
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