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There are no rest periods in building a business. The hardest works comes when business is great. If experience a peak … MAINTAIN IT

As black entrepreneurs, we BEG for a break at times. When all the bills are paid and we have a bit of expendable cash in the bank that’s when we tend to relax but that’s the time to actually GO TO WORK! You’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, why would you rest?  Best believe in a short matter of time you will be RIGHT BACK where you started, struggling to make ends meet if you don’t take advantage of those upswings.

Many times (and the experienced black entrepreneurs can validate this) when things are going great and sales are great THAT’s the time to hit up those clients who you have not been able to reach. Usually, they have an idea of how well you are doing and when it comes to many industries there is a “me too” philosophy. Not to mention your energy is going to be different, you won’t be begging but able to make a better presentation. Nobody wants to be left out when it appears everyone else is following a trend and winning this is the time when your business esteem HAS to be good and you HAVE to take advantage of it. Don’t wait until all the air is out of your balloon before you get back to work, get to work when things are going great and climb even higher to stretch your 15 minutes of success and build your brand.

This past weekend I attended the Living Legends event in Los Angeles. I made some incredible reconnections and established new connections within my industry that I have every intention of following up on.  Attending an event like this is like a vacation, it’s a GREAT way to motivate yourself and build your business. Pictured are the winners, stellar industry people who came to get their awards at the event and of the 9 people on stage I know off all of them but I personally know 7 of them. I greeted each one of them and congratulated them on their awards and it was great to see them.

This coming week, I’ve been invited to at least 3 other events that I would have blown off for work but I realize you never know who or what you may find at an event in your field so I am going. At lot of times as entreprenerus we work so hard, it’s our only time to socialize. I love the music and radio industry and I am excited about the future of it and where it’s going and I’m glad  I attended this great event.

There are many benefits to becoming an entrepreneur and research indicates small business owners are more satisfied than employees with regard to life conditions, employment opportunities, financial situations, personal safety, health and feeling part of the local community. As an entrepreneur the individual is doing something that they love and are passionate about, and this creates a higher level of job satisfaction. Direct marketing firm Zengo Co says that entrepreneurs often have to work extremely hard and work lengthy hours. But they say that the benefit to this is that they don’t have to be on a strict 9-5 routine and can work around other aspects of their life should they choose to.

About Zengo Co: http://www.zengoandco.com/about-us/

Zengo Co believe that people choose to become entrepreneurs to take advantage of one or more opportunities such as achieving financial independence, working with family or living a chosen lifestyle. But entrepreneurs often face many challenges especially in the first year as a start-up business. Individuals face the challenge of financing their ideas and the risk that their idea will never be a hit or in fact needed by consumers. The ultimate risk for entrepreneurs is, of course, failure. So with all this pressure and inevitable challenges that entrepreneurs face, Zengo Co have looked into what motivates entrepreneurs to keep going when times are tough.

Independence
Entrepreneurs seek and desire independence; they want full control over their working conditions and outcomes.

Financial Independence
Many individuals see business ownership as an opportunity to build greater wealth than can be achieved as an employee.

Family Business
Often entrepreneurs can be motivated by the opportunity to build a family business that can provide employment and wealth-generating opportunities for the owners’ spouse, children and extended family members.

Lifestyle
Entrepreneurs often have a desired lifestyle in mind and believe that self-employment can offer the opportunity to set their own working hours and conditions to accommodate that lifestyle.

Creativity
For others it may be the chance to get creative and do something that they really care about and love. Entrepreneurship offers the opportunity to choose the work they undertake, including when and how to do it.

Zengo Co is an outsourced sales and direct marketing company that specializes in face-to-face marketing techniques. The firm connects with consumers on a one-to-one level in order to create personal and long-lasting relationships between their clients’ brands and consumers. Zengo Co strive to improve their clients’ customer acquisition, brand awareness, brand loyalty and drive quality sales using this direct marketing technique.

To encourage entrepreneurship, Zengo Co runs a Business Development Program for every individual involved in their firm. The program gives each individual the opportunity to progress through the firm from sales rep to leadership and gives them the potential to open their own business. The program aims to teach sales skills, leadership traits, decision making techniques and team building as well as many other skills needed to become a good leader and entrepreneur.

 

Quite often, we are surrounded as black entrepreneurs by people who don’t see what we see. They mean well, they love us but they don’t understand running your own business. If you remain around these types too long you will start to feel overwhelmed, under appreciated under appreciated under appreciated frustrated. You MUST find ways to get around other MORE SUCCESSFUL business owners and check sites like meetups.com to see if there are black entrepreneur meetings or happy hours in your area. The best way to grow is to expand your sphere of influence. We can ‘t wait for it to happen, we have to do it ourselves. Finally, I strongly suggest that you read the Sunday paper or check your area online for small business seminars or perhaps you may consider taking a class in marketing at your local community college to brush up on your sales skills. If you have more ideas feel free to let us know so we can tell the other readers. My best in business

Yesterday, I had lunch with an associate. As we were leaving the restaurant, I noticed an older white lady crying on a bench while people were walking by in the midst of their own plans ignoring her. The passing crowd became a blur and my focus was on the old lady as all kinds of thoughts crossed my mind. Is she lost? Does she remember where she is? Did she just get some bad news? Is she waiting for somebody?

Whatever the situation was, she was in need of help. Initially, I didn’t see an old white lady, I saw someone’s mother, someone’s mother who needed help. I told my associate that the lady looked like she was in need of help but my associate was only concerned about making it to happy hour at a bar about a mile down the street. She was telling me to hurry up but I slowed down, I was thinking if that was my own mother, would I want someone to just walk past her and not ask if she needed help? Who gives a damn about happy hour? Then it hit me, I am a black man and this is an older white woman. If I go up and say something, will another white person accuse me of trying to rob her, if the police come will I be arrested or shot because they think I’m responsible for her fear if she is unable to talk or remember?

I finally had to sit down, close enough to watch the old lady, forcibly being split between helping another person in need, everyday racism and ignoring her like my associated wanted and going to happy hour. I was now the bad guy for showing concern which also made me question the value of the person I was with. When I looked up again, the old lady was gone, just as fast as she appeared. I don’t know if she got up and roamed around further or if a family member came and got her or if someone came to assist her, all I knew was it’s very unfortunate that as a black man, I had to debate whether or not to help another human being because they were another color and that my associate showed no concern for another human being in need. I hope the old lady is OK.

I’d like to relate this story to being a minority black entrepreneur and black entrepreneur as well. When a black male business owner is in need, his resources are often very limited or at least that’s how I originally set myself up to be. The black male business owner could very likely be the old lady on the bench in need of help but not knowing who to ask, frustrated and not having the answers or resources. While I have known other black black entrepreneurs, most were struggling or not even true black entrepreneurs trying to stay afloat. I had to start expanding my horizons because you don’t grow with people who not more advanced than you are. The story above makes me realize that we can take care of most of our problems in advance if we cover the ground we need to cover early on. We don’t have all the answers and we must develop relationships with those who do. Truth be told, I should have been having lunch with an older and wiser black entrepreneur and I should have been treating him or her for their time and wisdom.

These are the people we need to be developing a relationship within the event that we are stuck and on the bench. we must ask for help when we need it even if it comes from unlikely sources like business owners of another race. I’ve gotten great advice from black entrepreneurs from all walks of life. We never know the answers until we ask…. twice and it’s also important to have the insurance and assurance of the person around us who are better resources with greater knowledge for us. Always ask for what you want twice because the first person may not give you the answer you want but if you ask twice you will most likely get what you seek.

My best in business

This may not make a bit of sense to you but I know for a fact that if you want more you have to give more. We often hoard what we make for fear that it my not come again for a long time and being in business can be feast or famine no matter how well you do but the universe has a way or rewarding you when you unselfishly give WITHOUT THE INTENT of getting it back. That’s where most people screw up. They do it thinking they will be repaid for their good deed. That’s not what giving is all about.  Try it and see what happens.

There are certain things that you should always consider before a meeting with a client. Keep in mind they are taking time out of their busy day to meet with you so they must see some kind of potential. Make sure you don’t disappoint them at all costs.

Don’t Lack Preparedness

Make sure that you have everything you need in place the day BEFORE the meeting. Don’t wait until the last minute.  If you do, you are almost guaranteed to miss  or forget something.

• Have all paperwork ready, spellcheck and send to them via PDF a day or two in advance.
• Make sure you know the route to get to the meeting
• Have your suit or outfit ready the night before

NEVER take a personal call before a client meeting.

I took a personal call before my meeting and my friend wanted me to advise her on her failing event. I was just supposed to remind her that we were having drinks to talk about these t things things things night but she unleaded then and there. In the process.. my navigation system was screwing up and I was on an access road and there was no safe place to stop to fix it. Let me tell you how everything after that failed as well because I didn’t tell her I would call her back.

• I could not get a word in edgewise because she was rambling on and on
• I ended up getting lost and she was still talking and the clock was ticking, I was on an access road and there was no place to stop to reset the navigation.
• I finally told her I had to call her back
• After I told her i would call her back, I was at least 10 miles out of the way and I had less than 10 minutes to get there.
• I got back on the road and was driving even further away from my destination. I had to call the client to tell him I would be running late.
• Finally, I relayed my navigation was looking for the exact address in another city on the other side of town.
• I had to cancel the meeting
• FORTUNATELY, I have known this client for 20 years and I don’t think it will have much of a bearing on our relationship BUT had this been a new client that was exited about my project this could have been a disaster.

Days once spent working alongside the likes of T.I., Lil’ Kim and Timbaland are now filled with coffee, typography and pixels. After 16 years in the music industry, Erik Ford exited his office at Atlantic Records to become a self-taught, award-winning designer, and one of the few people of color to be recognized in his industry.

When record labels began their shift from a mighty force to minor relevancy, Erik Ford, then VP of Urban Promotions at Atlantic Records, became one of many victims of downsizing. The Harlem native, who got his start in the mailroom at Profile Records, bid goodbye to the music industry and turned a web design hobby into a full fledged second career.

Although the creative arts played an early role in Erik’s life, when he began drawing his comic books heroes as a way to escape his sometimes challenging childhood, he never had any type of formal art or design training. As he began his foray into web design, Erik had to become teacher and student in an industry that seemed to be lacking in minority participation.

It’s a complex issue that rarely gets addressed, according to Ford. “I will start off by saying that I have never encountered racism, overt or otherwise, in this industry,” he states. “But when you look at any of the large convention panels, for example, are we to believe that are no ‘experts’ who are not white or male? Why are people of color so under represented?”

In ” Designers Still Fight for a Seat at the Table – Are They Finding Success?” (Huffington Post), Jessica Cumberbatch Anderson writes about the lack of minorities in the design field, stating: “Some experts blame a pipeline effect that stems from underfunded art programs at the high school level. Others say it’s a case of black designers simply not being invited to the table. What most insiders agree on, however, is that diversity in design makes for a much richer experience, both for the design community and for the consuming public.”

In its most recent survey, conducted in 2011, A List Apart, “The Survey for People who Make Websites,” asked its participants about their ethnicity. For those who took part in this survey, over 15,000 people responded, and the results are as follows:

– Whites accounted for 87.1%
– Asians accounted for 4.6%
– Latinos accounted for 4.0%
– African Americans accounted for 1.2%

In the findings, A List Apart states: “As in past years, respondents are mostly Caucasian. These results have not significantly changed in the five years the survey has been conducted.”

Ford understands the importance of being visible in an industry that presently lacks people of color. He hopes to be one of those who can act as a role model for children and young adults who may want to enter the field. “They can look at us and say ‘I can do it, too.’”

About Erik Ford
Erik Ford is an award winning web designer and one of the founding principals of Heavy Heavy creative studio. He grew up in Harlem, New York and studied at Wesleyan University, where he received his degree in African American studies with concentrations in Literature and History. After his departure from the music industry, Erik became a self-taught web designer and developer, and has gone on to receive numerous accolades for his work from Awwwards, Best Web Gallery, Design Fridge, The Best Designs, Siimple and Creattica Design Gallery, to name a few. Erik is a father of two and currently resides in San Antonio, TX. During his down time you can find him reading comic books or watching the New York Giants.

Over the years, I have learned very valuable lessons about doing business. I pay great attention to what I hear and the advice that I get from successful industry people and I understand the rules to succeed. Below are some of the common things I have heard my clients point out when it comes to what turns them off the most when doing business and what will make them not support someone.

Sense of Entitlement

Never treat a client like they are obligated to support you. This will most likely piss them off and make them resentful towards you. Even if you have done favors for them in the past they don’t have to do anything for you now, the budgets are in their hands and they do what they want to do with it.

Putting down Competitors

We are our own resumes. When we put down competitors it does not come off as supportive it comes off as jealousy and envy. You are not putting them down for any good or legitimate reason outside of the fact that they have what you don’t have. This approach does not make you look like a winner it makes you look like a cry-baby loser and it will push clients further away from what you want them to do. (click NEXT for next segment)

Sloppy Presentation

For the most part, the entire 7 reasons are linked to this very one, a small business does all these things because they fall short of being a quality small business. There is no passion, no love and no drive, these people are only in it to make money and the laziness is evident to clients and it rarely works. The person is furious with competitors because they can do all that he can’t and he has or she has no other reason to succeed except to have past favors returned or to do their best to emulate or even copy what their successful competitor is doing. (click NEXT for next segment)

Living off Tenure instead of Performance

What are you REALLY bringing to the table? Can your client justify the expenditure to his or her bosses?  Keep in mind they have to answer to someone when then spend their budgets unless they own the company (click NEXT for next segment)

Failure to Embrace and Grow

This is on YOU as an black entrepreneur. People who fail to grow often think their lives and businesses are pretty much over. In any business that’s thriving and growing, you must embrace trends and growth. If you remain stagnant you will never reap the benefits. Take every opportunity to learn and KEEP learning.

Don’t have the goods

The BEST way to run clients away is when you just don’t have the goods. You are not unique in your delivery, attitude, sales pitch and business acumen but you are viewed as a used car salesman. If you are not good at what you do why should someone pay you for it? Consider moving on and doing something else that you are actually good at or continue to struggle.

Refuse to listen

I have found that clients often will give you invaluable information if you take the time to shut up and listen. They will tell you how they perceive what you do. At times we are so busy selling, we don’t consider that the client could give you a great piece of advice to grow your business.