Guiding Businesses to Growth: A Conversation with Orbiss Co-Founder Laurence Ruiz

Laurence Ruiz, Co-Founder of Orbiss, recently shared his entrepreneurial journey and advice for aspiring founders in an exclusive interview with Entrepreneur Loop. As someone with over two decades of experience in accountancy and financial analysis, Ruiz has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to launching and growing a business.

In 2020, Ruiz embarked on a new venture and co-founded Orbiss – an advisory and tax firm specializing in enabling international business expansion in the US. “It is an exciting moment when a company expands into a new region like the United States. It signals increased growth and new opportunities,” says Ruiz. However, he realized that many companies face complex regulations and policies when entering new markets. This complexity can hinder growth if not properly managed.

Orbiss was created to fill this gap. The company’s mission is to “simply scale up” operations for international businesses expanding to the US. Backed by a stellar team and leading technology, Orbiss streamlines day-to-day operations and provides guidance on following regulations properly.

When asked about advice for new founders, Ruiz emphasized “celebrating achievements, finding balance, and prioritizing personal well-being.” He states that being a successful founder involves weathering emotional highs and lows – and self-care is key to maintaining resilience.

1. Please provide a brief introduction of yourself and your professional background.

   I am a Co-Founder of Orbiss, an advisory and tax firm specialized in business growth in the United States. Before starting Orbiss, I held multiple leadership positions in international accounting firms based in Europe and the US. With more than two decades of experience, I have expertise in accountancy, financial analysis, and strategy.

2. Please tell us a bit more about your company – what does it offer, what problem does it solve, and who is your target audience?

It is an exciting moment when a company expands into a new region like the United States. It signals increased growth and new opportunities. While this is a thrilling time, there are many new rules and regulations that an internationally expanding company faces. Without the proper guidance in place to follow these policies, the company can, unfortunately, face a negative experience expanding and ultimately hinder its development.

Founded in 2020, Orbiss is a CPA firm with unique expertise in enabling international business expansion in the US. Orbiss helps businesses “simply scale up” and streamline their complex day-to-day operations. Backed by outstanding people and leading-edge technology, Orbiss is driven to provide the best services and deliver unparalleled peace of mind.

3. What inspired you to start your own business? What was the “aha” moment?

The “Aha Moment” that led to the idea for Orbiss was rooted in bringing modernity to the very traditional sector of accounting and tax. In an industry where the human element is often underutilized, we identified the crucial role of tone of voice and the absence of a comprehensive onboarding process. Our experience revealed the need for flexibility, emphasizing the importance of adapting based on individual experiences in a challenging industry that often lacks modern processes.

Having encountered consistent challenges in our previous professional experiences, where growth was frequently hindered by the struggle between team dynamics and managerial expectations, we wanted to create something better. We decided to reevaluate and reconstruct the traditional CPA firm model, prioritizing values and resembling more modern industries in terms of structure and practices.

4. What were some of the biggest initial challenges you faced in getting your business off the ground? How did you overcome them?

One particular challenge stands out vividly from the beginning of my journey. On February 14, 2020, I had just signed a new client. While this was a significant milestone, up until that point, I had struggled with securing any clients at all.

Just one month later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and I found myself confronted with the daunting reality of navigating business during a global crisis. Despite this global challenge, Orbiss saw an opportunity to differentiate itself by delivering exceptional quality work and implementing a meticulous COVID plan with stringent rules. While these measures were challenging to adhere to, they proved to be immensely beneficial as clients appreciated our dedication to safety protocols.

Despite the initial struggles, our reputation for excellence in COVID policies and client satisfaction propelled our business forward, resulting in a strong client base.

5. How do you stand out from the competition in your space? What sets your product/service apart?

First, Orbiss has developed a high-quality, distinctive product that not only distinguishes itself from competitors but also provides a more streamlined solution to industry challenges compared to more traditional, rigid platforms. As a company, we prioritize streamlining processes and keeping them organized. We want the same straight-forward procedures to occur with every client, so they have a positive experience working with Orbiss.

Second, ​Orbiss lives and stands by its values, which helps us stand out in the market. We are focused on the happiness and satisfaction of our employees. We want them to be satisfied and fulfilled in an industry where these types of values are traditionally absent and employees are typically under-recognized.

Our values that represent our company are the following: “Kindness,” “Commercial Honesty,” “Respectful Relationships,” “Partner Selection,” and “Professional Integrity.” These guide our daily operations and how we treat both our customers and our internal teams.

6. What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting out?

Earlier in my career, many of the companies I worked for had a culture in which employees were treated like they couldn’t be trusted. Some of the former leaders I worked for would constantly monitor employees’ whereabouts, and enforce specific office hours from 9 am to 6 pm. The leadership also advocated that it was better to be physically present in the office for better productivity and oversight.

However, I came to realize the fallacy in this approach. Contrary to this belief, I learned that placing undue emphasis on physical presence and micromanagement stifled creativity and productivity. Instead, embracing remote work and allowing flexibility in working hours not only fostered a more positive work environment but also improved overall team performance. Ultimately, the advice to trust the team, regardless of their location, proved to be far more beneficial.

7. What are the most important skills someone needs to be a successful founder, in your opinion?

Kindness, quality, and maintaining a strong work ethic have all been instrumental to my success as a business owner. Embracing kindness has not only shaped positive relationships within our team but has also fostered a collaborative and supportive work environment. Prioritizing quality in all aspects of our work has been a key driver in achieving excellence and building a reputation for delivering high standards. Finally, being a hard worker and demonstrating determination have been crucial in overcoming challenges and driving the company forward.

8. What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start their own company?

To weather the highs and lows of starting a new business you have to celebrate achievements, find balance, and prioritize personal well-being. Another benefit to recharging and practicing self-care is that by stepping away from your usual environment, you often come back to work with new ideas and solutions to problems. I cannot overstate the importance of engaging in self-care and physical activities. For example, I am an avid runner and find that this helps me to step away from work and disconnect.