Community Corner

A Waterford Success Story: James "Jimmy" Nicholas

The Waterford born-and-bred entrepreneur who started when he was 15 now has his own business, Jimmy Marketing, and is the author of a best-selling book.

James “Jimmy” Nicholas was born for business.

When he was 8, he asked for Disney stock for Christmas. When he was a sophomore at Waterford High School, he sold his first website. And now, at age 30, the Waterford man is a best-selling author.

“I love it,” Nicholas said, when asked about his work. “I feel like I have a lot of talent and I want to get it out and help businesses grow and expand.”

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Thursday evening, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Nicholas at his business, Jimmy Marketing and Easy Web Creations. Nicholas has been at the spot at 86 Boston Post Road for seven months, but the ceremony was not only for his new business, it was for his new book.

Six days ago, Nicholas released his first book, Small Business Marketing: Your Ultimate Guide. By Thursday morning, it was a #1 Amazon best seller in three different categories: small business marketing books, direct marketing Kindle and direct marketing books.

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“This is the kind of marketing guide that I wish had been around when I started my business,” Nicholas said in a press release. “I saw a need for a book like this, to help give small businesses and startups focus and direct strategies that they can implement, some internally or some with the help of a professional.”

Jimmy’s Story

In 1997, when Nicholas was a sophmore at Waterford High School, he decided he was going to build web sites for people. After calling business after business, Northern Light Gems – a Groton jewelry store – agreed to hear a presentation from the 15-year-old.

His mom drove him to the store, and waited two hours in the car while he talked to the owner. But when he came out, he had his first sale.

“I always knew (he would be an entrepreneur),” Jane Nicholas, Jimmy’s mother, said. “Even when he was young, he would shovel driveways in the winter and cut grass in the summer. It didn’t surprise me at all.”

Nicholas began a web hosting company called Easy Web Solutions, which he managed throughout high school, college and the years thereafter. During that time, he moved his office from the bedroom in his mother’s house to the downstairs in his mother’s house to finally his own office at 737 Broad Street Ext in Waterford.

In 2011, he decided to focus on marketing as well. So he launched Jimmy Marketing, an offshoot of Easy Web Creations, and began to help small businesses with their website and their marketing.

In 2012, he moved into his current location at 86 Boston Post Road. He has a video studio there – Nicholas says he shoots 200 to 300 videos a month – and continues to build websites and do marketing for small businesses in the area.

Six days ago, he published his first book,  Small Business Marketing: Your Ultimate Guide. As mentioned, it is number one on several Amazon best-seller lists.

“I was hysterical,” Jane Nicholas said. “I was just so proud of him. I’ve seen him work so hard and sacrifice time from friends and family for work, and I was so proud when I saw he was on the best seller list.”

Nicholas works at the location with his wife and nine other employees. And his employees have being seeing much less of him lately, as he said he lost 50 pounds in the past two months.


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