Meet Stephane Jasmin, an embodiment of a true leader in entrepreneurship. His entrepreneurial spirit was first sparked when he was in high school. At this early stage, he was already dreaming big and shooting for the stars. In fact, one primary thing that contributed to his success was his belief in the power of persistence.
Just like many other entrepreneurs, the road to success has been rough for Jasmin. When he was still in high school, he was able to convince his parents to let him drop out so he could start his own business. He ultimately returned to school and ended up going on to pursue a higher education but this early foray into entrepreneurism gave him invaluable confidence and experience. He went on to attend the Richard Ivey School of Business, one of the most prestigious schools in Canada.
While in post-secondary school, he started a business concerning stock market investing. The business ran successfully for 2 years, while Jasmin studied by day and programmed by night.
“I developed an automated trading system that allowed participants in the game to call into my computer and use their touch tone phone to record their stock trades. This experience parlayed into the creation of Marketline Communications, the business I started after graduation,” recollects Jasmin.
After four years with Marketline, Jasmin left the company and created a comprehensive online investor communication solution that public companies used to simplify shareholder communications. With his eyes set on taking the company public, nobody was more disappointed than Jasmin when in 2001, during the week the company received approval to trade, the market collapsed. Disheartened, but never one to give up, Jasmin resolved to apply the lessons learned from this experience as he embarked on his next venture: DisclosureNet™.
Like most businesses, DisclosureNet™ started with a challenge. Unlike most businesses, that challenge came from an international auditing firm. In 2002, Jasmin met someone at one of the Big Four accounting firms who said they were looking for a more advanced database of public company financial statements for auditors to use as a resource for assisting clients with financial statement preparation.
Since Jasmin had spent so much time working in the disclosure space, he knew how to develop the solution they were looking for. So he took to his basement and spent day and night developing the product. When he presented it a few months later, his audience was absolutely amazed, and more importantly, totally on board. As suspected, the remaining Big Four firms quickly got involved. With a three-year non-exclusive contract in hand, Jasmin founded DisclosureNet in 2002.
So what does DisclosureNet™ do? In a nutshell, it’s an online solution that helps business professionals unlock intelligence in global corporate disclosure filings. The software uses innovative technology that makes it simple to search, store and share international public disclosure information, while providing a stable platform for knowledge collaboration.
Just this year, DisclosureNet’s staff has doubled in size and the company has executed a brand refresh, helping pave the way for more exciting product-related updates. Although “it’s been a long road, DisclosureNet is thriving and is definitely the major accomplishment I’m most proud of. That includes building the product from scratch, and creating the amazing team we have today. Looking at where the company started versus where we are today has been a major achievement,” says Jasmin.
DisclosureNet™ currently has over 550 clients and accommodates public company disclosure documents from Australia, the US, Canada and annual reports from the United Kingdom. The company accesses these documents through its strong ties with regulatory data sources such as the ASX, SEDI, SEC Edgar and SEDAR.
When asked about what inspires him most, Jasmin immediately cites his customers, his team and his family. He notes that the reason his business exists is to solve customers’ problems and to provide the best service possible. He also adds that nothing is more rewarding than making a difference in other people’s lives.
Jasmin’s team is also an inspiration to him, and he says that “one major benefit of being an entrepreneur is being surrounded by motivated and passionate people who care what they do and want to make a difference.” Without these people, he says that DisclosureNet™ would not be where it is today.
And last, but certainly not least, Jasmin attributes much of his success to his family. Having been there for him through good times and bad, they are the bright spot in each day and help keep him motivated.
For novice entrepreneurs, Jasmin advises that it’s paramount to truly believe in yourself, your product or service, and in those who support you. He says that passion, persistence and resilience are crucial to a successful entrepreneurial journey.
This was post was written by a contributing writer to CEO Blog Nation and edited by DisclosureNet.