Today we’d like to introduce you to Niko Papa.
Niko, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a young man from humble beginnings that are rooted in a village in Albania, due to political unrest I felt the urge to move and explore beyond my countries borders. Greece was my first stop. It was 1998 and the new hype in town was the internet cafe. I walked in, put my hands on a computer for the first time and I was mesmerized. Endless nights were spent in these cafes experimenting with the computer. After many long days working odd jobs from picking olives to construction I was finally able to invest in my first PC. From then on, a young man’s curiosity turned into a passion for design and creation. In order to develop my skills as a web designer, I started small projects for friends and family. With every project, the need to express my creativity grew stronger. I was a self-taught teenager who was looking to challenge myself and get my foot into a company that could propel my love into new directions. I learned how to tackle big scale challenges, take on multiple responsibilities, and further develop my skills.
The challenge that arose was landing a job in this arena without a formal degree. I went into a web & design consulting company, handed my portfolio that was placed on a pile of others; this was very intimidating. I was immediately called back with an offer. During my time spent there I completed 50 different projects. I was part of a team that fulfilled, developed and delivered professional results based on business needs. Most of our projects involved web design, search engine optimization, content management and marketing strategy. Eventually I picked up the skills needed to become an independent professional in the field.
After a decade of experience building I excitedly took the risk and started up my company Nipa Pro in 2009. I founded Nipa Pro out of the desire to create an online marketing and web design company focused on giving an identity and footing for small to mid-size businesses. In the last ten years the company served over 150 customers and created custom digital marketing solutions that have yielded high results and maximum customer retention/growth. My next unintentional business venture was America.
Has it been a smooth road?
I decided to visit Chicago three years ago and fell in love with its architecture. I felt revitalized. Besides the beauty of the city, the potential in growing my business in this bustling city was like a magnet and the biggest challenge yet. It was January of 2015 and the split decision of staying came with financial struggles. Across the ocean in Greece capital control took a strong hold and I was not able to transfer more than $400, therefore finding myself taking shelter in a car for a week. I would connect my phone hotspot to my laptop in order to complete a few projects for customers back home. Finally I was able to find a shared living space from Airbnb. Without wasting any time, I started taking intensive classes to learn English properly. Through the learning process I was able to become culturally competent and assimilate rather quickly. My biggest barrier was getting others to accept me, as a foreigner. Through persistence that to was overcome and now my network has become like a growing vine. It been further confirmation that in this kind of business, communication has a key role to success.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Nipa Pro story. Tell us more about the business.
The аррrоасh to еvеrу сuѕtоmеr is the ѕаmе: сrеаtіvе & cost еffесtіvе, efficient solutions that арреаl tо the tаrgеt mаrkеt еffесtіvеlу. It is extremely important to understand each client’s needs and resources without adding additional risks. Overall, I appreciate the relationships established along the way; I can honestly say I know all my customers by name. Thus far we are established strong roots and is on the incline, successfully completing projects. When I think about where I started, the journey experienced and where Nipa Pro is today serves as limitless motivation for the future. Bringing Nipa Pro to Chicago was the best decision made aside from investing in my first PC that is.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5039 N Springfield Ave, Chicago IL 60625
- Website: https://www.nipapro.com/
- Phone: 317 966 8979
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nipa.Pro.Inc/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nipa-pro-chicago
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