From MEDA entrepreneur to top business leader

As founder and owner of the Abbotsford-based web services company Domain7, Shawn Neumann was named one of Business in Vancouver’s top young business leaders in its January 2008 issue. But earning such an honour was the furthest thing from his mind back in 1996, when he first thought about ways to use a new technology called the World Wide Web.

During his final year at Simon Fraser University studying economics, Neumann decided to do a project on the web. The topic he chose was how it might help a non-profit group engage people in new ways.

Shawn Neumann

He selected Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), an organization that enables North American businesspeople to help poor entrepreneurs in the developing world. On a whim, he mailed his project to the agency.

MEDA responded, inviting him to help the agency create its first website. Neumann and his wife, Kelly, moved to the agency’s Kansas City office to serve a term as volunteers. Before they could finish their term, a family illness required them to return to B.C.

After arriving home, Neumann decided to start his own web design and hosting company. At first, it was a pretty small effort. “It was just me working out of a room at the back of my parent’s house,” he remembers. “At the start, I had one client – MEDA.”

But MEDA turned out to be a pretty good first client. Through it he was able to get new business from other MEDA members. “Being associated with MEDA helped open a lot of doors,” he says.

From that small beginning Domain7 has grown to 15 employees and more than 300 clients around the world. Most of the clients are medium-size businesses, but Neumann also enjoys working with start-ups and non-profit organizations such as MEDA, Union Gospel Mission, Canadian Mennonite University, and others.

“We enjoy the balance between the for-profit and non-profit sectors,” he says. “It feels good to know that we’re supporting efforts to feed hungry people, help poor people escape poverty, promote social justice, care for the environment, and help educate students. We may not be out there doing that good work, but we can help make it happen.”

The workforce at Domain7 is pretty youthful – the average age is 28. Neumann, who jokes he is the “old” guy at 35, says that makes for an energetic workplace. “We have an amazing group of people,” he says. “We are successful because they are passionate about what they do.”

Changes in the web

Looking back, Neumann has seen a lot of changes in the web. He’s also learned a thing or two about what makes for a good website – and what doesn’t.

“In the beginning, the web was viewed as a way to reach as many people as possible,” he says. “But today it’s best suited for targeting smaller, niche audiences. You want to be found by the people who are searching for what you offer or have to say.”

In the early days the web was also “marked by a lot of splash, graphics and a high ‘gee whiz’ factor,” he adds. “But the best websites today are the ones that focus on having something to say – not just a lot of eye candy.”

And what about the much-ballyhooed death of print? “In the beginning, the web was secondary to print,” he states. “Today that’s reversed. But print still has its place, and so do all the other forms of marketing, sales, and promotion. The web isn’t a saviour. It can’t replace face-to-face interaction, phone conversations, or business calls.”

Faith and work

At each step of the way Neumann, a member of Abbotsford’s Bakerview MB Church, has taken time to see how his faith influences the way he does business. “I want to figure out what my faith means relative to my relationship with my clients and staff,” he says. “Sometimes the decisions are obvious, and other times the path is an unmarked trail. Fortunately, I have family, friends, and colleagues to talk to when difficult issues arise.”

One thing that surprised him is how the web connects with his faith perspectives. “In many ways, the web is a leveller, giving power and voice to people who have none. I’m excited for how it has the potential to be a force for good and change.”

As for the business itself, Neumann says it’s poised for more growth – the trick will be to grow slowly, and not overextend himself or the company. “I’m structuring the business for growth to the next level,” he says. “I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

John Longhurst is director of communications and marketing at Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg.