Howard didn’t take the typical path into web design—he was fresh out of college, working at a café, and headed for a teaching career when he made a bold pivot into tech. A leap of faith turned into a thriving business, now over a decade strong.
With a no-nonsense approach, Howard’s built a reputation for honesty, reliability, and knowing when to say no. He’s learned the value of trusting himself, choosing the right clients, and sticking to what works — and it’s paid off.
What kind of work did you do before your current business and what did you bring with you into this career?
I just graduated college and was working at a local café, while in grad school for teaching and it didn’t work out. I was always involved with computers and doing things related to technology. I saw I was being endorsed on LinkedIn for web design, computers, and graphic design and decided to take that leap of faith and start H Grant Group and haven’t looked back
What motivated you to start your own business, and what keeps you going when things get tough?
I knew that I always wanted to work for myself and have like a night and weekend job but wasn’t sure in what capacity, but when I saw some poorly designed sites and really poor customer service, that’s when I knew I could made a difference.
I always know that a few clients are grateful for my support and knowledge so I often lean on that when things are rough.
What’s a hard lesson you learned running your business that’s changed the way you operate?
Making sure that you don’t rely on others. I used to rely on others for help when I couldn’t do things and the more I waited on them to help, the more I knew I couldn’t.
Also choosing the right client and saying no to some. That is always easier said than done but when I have turned down clients, when I have seen some red flags, while the initial affect is poor, the long term is always good. Not every client is a good fit.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten and how has it affected your business?
The ability to say no. A client of mine told me a story about how he was always afraid of saying no to catering jobs for his pizzeria and he took on jobs and then he saw it just wasn’t worth his time. The more I started thinking about how this applies to my business, it started making sense and I have turned down projects because it wasn’t worth my time or the budget they had was too small.
In turn, it has lead to some bigger projects, which I could not take on if I took those other jobs.
As an entrepreneur, what’s your proudest accomplishment?
Being able to define how I’m remembered is something I never imagined having control over. Eleven years ago (at the time this was written), I had no idea where this journey would lead. Today, I’m proud of how far I’ve come—the fact that I’ve proven to myself that I can do it, while continuing to grow, learn, and expand my skills, is incredibly rewarding.
I constantly strive to be the best version of myself, both with potential clients and colleagues. I value transparency and never hide behind anything. I’m always honest about what will work and what won’t.
There have been times when I haven’t heard from a client in two or three years, and they return saying they loved working with me and have a new project ready to go. That kind of feedback means the world.
Currently, I collaborate with several IT companies and digital agencies across the globe, supporting their web development and digital marketing needs.
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