Your boss sends out an internal office memo at 9am announcing a meeting with all employees in 30 minutes. What could this be about? You walk into the meeting and your boss gets straight to the point…he informs the workforce that 1/3 of them have been laid off immediately and will be escorted out. You are then told that you are included in the list. Where do you go from here?

This scenario has become reality for many of my friends. Laid off without notice!? What do you do? I want to offer some ideas on how to transition from being laid off to hiring yourself. Here are things to consider…

1. Were you given a severance package?

If your company offered you a severance package, you can utilize this income as a starting point to build your business without worrying about income. You need to consider how long the money will last and if it will cover your bills. The proper way to use a severance package to start a business is to ensure that you can start to gain income from your business half way into your severance allowance. If you were not given severance, your first goal is to find a source of income that will cover at a minimum your bills. Can you work at night and prospect during the day? Can you work a couple of days a week and prospect for your business on the other ones? Be creative!

2. Do you have a family to support?

If you are single, you have a lot less to lose by starting over. Basically, you can take more risks. If you have a family to support, it is important to consider their needs before your own. Are you married? Does your spouse work? Can your spouse’s income cover the bills while you are building a business. Is your family supportive? Discuss openly with your family your desire to start a business and what it will require of them. Especially discuss it with your spouse to make sure you are on the same page.

3. What was your specialty at your previous job?

Sometimes the best place to start when considering what product and/or service to sell in a new business is looking at what you did for your previous employer. Look at your skill set and think about ways you can offer that to new clients. You must be realistic when evaluating your skills, because clients can see through incompetence.

4. Did you sign an intellectual property clause?

Many companies, especially technology firms, require employees to sign an intellectual property clause. This clause can be restrictive because it often includes something to the effect of ,”Any ideas you come up with while working for us belong to us” or “you can not work for any of our competitors during the next two years after employment is terminated.”

Some companies will make you sign such a clause to recieve your severance package. You must know your legal restrictions from your previous employer before you venture out to start a business.

5. Are you serious?

Are you serious about starting a business? Have you really considered what challenges it requires? If you are not determined to be successful, you won’t be!

6. Have a plan

Make sure you write down a clear plan considering all of the factors mentioned above. Be specific! Write down when you want to close your first deal, how many customers you would like to have in three months to five years.

If you think about these things, after the initial shock of being laid off, you may be able to hire yourself!

I often wondered if they asked the light company,”Can you spot me a couple of kilowatts?” or if they would tell their mortgage company,”How about I just pay you half of the note every month?” You see, my time is valuable and my service is valuable. As entrepreneurs, we work hard at perfecting our craft to offer the best service possible.

If a customer is trying to barter on your price it is almost an insult, especially when you are offering the service at a lower rate than your competitors. I’ve learned over the years that sometimes you must fire a client! This will save you headaches in the future. All business is not good business! You’ve worked hard to start your business and you deserve to be paid for it if you give your clients all you’ve got.

The next time a customer ask you for a lower price, fire them! This was some of the best advice one of my business mentors gave me. He said,”When you are starting out, many entrepreneurs don’t want to act like they need the money, but the reality is you do so you cannot afford to compromise on price. ”

One thing I learned from IBM is if your service is valuable, there are people that will value it and pay for it. Do not accept anything less than what you are worth!

There is an old saying that says,”A picture is worth a thousand words.” If that picture is created by an event planner at a memorable moment, it is priceless. Tamara Adams-Hodges, founder of CreativiTEA Marketing and Events has been designing memorable moments for clients for the past 4 years. CreativiTEA Marketing and Events (based in Austin, Texas) is emerging as one of the state’s premier marketing and event planning firms. CreativiTEA has managed several types of events ranging from business meetings and weddings to sweet 16 celebrations.

Her company has clients primarily in Austin, Houston and San Antonio. Hodges has managed to grow CreativiTEA into a diverse company that now also offers concierge and catering services as well. Liberate Magazine had a chance to interview her and learn about how she got started and her thoughts on business and entrepreneurship.

LM: What drives you?

TH: love putting a smile on my clients faces. I love it when someone tells me their dreams and ideas and allow me to creatively make their dreams come true. I have an overactive imagination so you can give me three words (blue, diamonds, fabulous) and I will create a reality that’s more than what you imagined. I also love that I am able to create in my own space and on my own time. I love being able to work all day and all night if I have to and the next day I can volunteer at my church or go on a business trip with my husband. There are many days that I can plan an entire event sitting at the edge of a lake, eating cheese and grapes on a picnic blanket, and work harder than I would in an office. I guess you can say that I am motivated by boundless opportunities.

LM: What experiences influenced your decision to start a business?

TH: I worked in corporate for 7-8 years but there was never really any “employee satisfaction”. I fulfilled my job requirements but that was about it. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life working A JOB, for A PAYCHECK, but never fulfilling my true purpose. I can’t give my best when I’m unhappy and I was most happy when I planned events, or created marketing pieces or catered a large event. Not only did I enjoy these things but I think I became addicted to the joy that it gave my “clients” when they were pleased with my work. When I did it as a hobby so many people told me that I should start my own business so I thought that maybe they were right.

LM: What formal education and/or training do you have or had to get to start your business?

TH: I have an undergraduate degree in Nutritional Sciences/Biochemistry. Yes, originally I thought I wanted to be a scientist and develop medicine and cures for cancer. I worked on it for all of one year and circumstances beyond my control [thankfully] forced me in another direction. I then worked in Marketing & Sales for the next few years and during that time I went back to school for my MBA in Business Management/Marketing. Cooking and event planning are natural talents but I become more skilled with each event that I do. I’m constantly doing research in the industry to stay abreast of new trends in event design and as for catering, I get to try new recipes out on my friends and family all the time.

“Don’t chase the money. Follow your dreams and the money will chase you.” –Tamara Adams-Hodges

LM: How did you get started?

TH: I started event planning and catering as a hobby. I’ve always been a meticulous organizer and I love to cook for large parties so I coordinated and catered several events for friends, family, non-profits. This included creating invitations or marketing materials, negotiating vendor contracts, organizing guest lists, guests, and accomodations, event design, etc. You name it, I did it. Then, for about four years I worked in corporate as a Marketing Associate and some of my responsibilities included coordinating company meetings, golf tournaments and other special events. The other half of my job was designing ads, developing marketing plans and initiatives, identifying target audiences and prospective clients, executing strategic objectives and marketing campaigns, evaluating customer research, market conditions, competitor data and implementing marketing plans. For about 7-8 years in corporate I did a mix of these responsibilities but was never really satisfied. There wasn’t much creativity involved because I was essentially producing the same materials/events for the same companies. Not to mention I never felt that my work or work ethic was ever truly valued. So I started doing more of my own thing on weekends. I was much happier working for myself and decided to take a LEAP of faith and do it full time.

LM: How did you determine what product and or service to sell?

TH: I never really felt that I had to choose between marketing or planning events or catering. God has gifted me with natural abilities to do all of it and I love doing them all. At different times I get to wear different hats. And I work mostly in three different cities – Austin, Houston and San Antonio so different clients have different needs. But we are a full service Marketing & Event firm so we’re able to cater to whatever need the client has. There are a lot of successful entrepreneurs who run a variety of successful companies. I just happen to operate what seems like three different companies under one. But they are all related and it’s a turnkey company so on many occasions I have clients who have need of all three services.

LM: What lessons have you learned from your first years in business?

TH: You must give (in expenses) before you receive! If you’re in it for quick money you can forget about it! Every dollar I make goes back into the business. I can get a check for $100,000 at 8am in the morning and by noon it’s gone because you have to pay this vendor or that one or you need to purchase inventory. Right now I am working on all of my certifications for meeting/event/wedding planners. Although I have the skills and experience some clients feel more comfortable with the letters after your name so – more expenses. I also want to always be able to offer more than the competition so I want to take some artistic culinary classes to continue to enhance my presentation skills. Because of my marketing experience and training I know to always study my competitors and do my homework to stay ahead of the trend. Especially with event design. Styles and trends are always changing. You should always be able to tell your clients about the newest and the best, not the other way around. Financially, I’m learning to pace myself so that my businesses can be self sufficient. I made a lot of mistakes when I was younger in regards to finances and personal credit. I had no mentors and I was the first in my family to complete college. I realize now how important those early decisions have affected my opportunities to advance and grow as a business. But now it just means that I have to work harder. And honestly, I think I appreciate the effort and the rewards even more.

LM: Who were the primary influences in your life as it relates to being an entrepreneur?

TH: I’ve had both negative and positive influences. Negative influences were the environments and people that I encountered as I grew into the person I am today. I noticed people who wasted their lives and potential and I didn’t want to add myself to the statistics. Even people, friends, who were “successful” in their careers in terms that they made lots of money, I still noticed how unhappy they were. So growing up underpriviledged, being the first to go to college, and being around unsatisfied people made me want to break the mold and take a risk as an entreprenur. When I made the decision to do this I started to surround myself with new friends who were also entrepreneurs and were very familiar with my daily struggle. I joined the board of an old college acquaintance who owned her own company. I also befriended her husband who owned his own company. And they reintroduced me to a friend of theirs, who happened to be an entrepreneur and also a friend of mine from college. This friend happens to now be my husband and I know that today it’s his support that keeps me going.

LM: What has been your biggest success?

TH: My biggest success was the day I decided to step out on faith, leave corporate America and pursue my goals by operating my business full time. Since then, each day that I am open for business is a success to me.

LM: What has been your biggest disappointment?

TH: Hindsight, as they say , is 20/20. If I would have known before I started college the things that I now know I would have done things a lot differently. I guess my biggest disappointment is that CreativiTEA Marketing & Events is not a household name yet and I feel that it could have been had I made different decisions in my past. But I’m working on it and that’s what counts.

LM: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?

TH: Don’t chase the money. Follow your dreams and the money will chase you. Take risks but make informed decisions. Follow the Golden Rule in regards to your clients – treat them with just as much as integrity and respect as you would want to be treated. And lastly, live your dreams. It’s not as hard as it may seem when you believe in yourself!

Real estate agents are entrepreneurs to the core and it is interesting to learn what drives them to continue in a market based on interest rates and the economy. Ryan Campbell of Campbell Properties is one of the young agents making moves in the Austin real estate market. He is knowledgeable about the market and he has a clear strategy about how he wants to continue to grow his business. We were able to ask him the Liberate 10. Here is our interview with Ryan Campbell….

LM: What drives you?

RC: My driving force is the endless feeling of autonomy in my work and the ability to be my own boss. Having my actual name in my business name keeps my motivation to succeed very high as well.

LM: What experiences influenced your decision to start a business?

RC: I grew up hardly ever getting to spend time with my Father because he was always at work and trying to reach deadlines set for him by other people. I realized that this was not the life I wanted. If I can harness the power of modern day business technology to be able to work for myself mostly remotely, I consider that to be incredibly badass.

LM: What formal education and/or training do you have or had to get to start your business?

RC: Obviously, I obtained my real estate license. I attended University of Missouri-Columbia getting an undergrad degree in Finance and a minor in Sociology. I feel like both those studies have aided me greatly in my current real estate business. There’s a lot of finance involved, but moreover the job boils down to personal relationships and understanding people.

LM: How did you get started?

RC: I have a friend who moved to Austin in 04′ and got involved with a real estate company through people at his church. I moved down shortly thereafter in order to live in this awesome town (Austin) and join the real estate firm working for myself.

LM: How did you determine what product and or service to sell?

RC: I can’t lie; my initial draw to real estate was the potential money involved. It sounds cliché, but now I enjoy being in the business watching people’s dreams of home ownership become reality. I also felt like it was the easiest business to break into without a lot of capital, which I didn’t have.

LM: What lessons have you learned from your first years in business?

RC: I’ve learned entrepreneurship is mostly about attitude and schwagger. In the same token, you really need to stay educated, so you don’t get caught with your pants down. Also, if you put all the energy into your own business that you historically did into others, you’ll inevitably be a success and realize infinitely more satisfaction.

LM: Who were the primary influences in your life as it relates to being an entrepreneur?

RC: My good friend Ryan Jenkins (www.sellfortcollins.com) was/is my mentor in the real estate business. I also follow a variety of entrepreneur blogs which keep me up to speed on the type of thinking that enables this type of true success.

LM: What has been your biggest success?

RC: Oh gee… Being able to move to Austin on a whim and setting up my network in the short time I have been here would be my biggest personal success.

LM: What has been your biggest disappointment?

RC: I never tend to think in terms of disappointments. I believe everything happens for a reason and positive thinking keeps me in the right mindset to never be able to look at things in terms of failures or disappointments. I equate missed calls and temporary failure to lessons. When you’re an entrepreneur, you have to learn a lot the hard way, by experience.

LM: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?

RC: Obviously, you have to know what drives you. You have to realize the freedom that working for yourself provides. You MUST love your chosen career. You must be hungry for life. And you must come to love discipline through daily constructive habits and will power.

I often read about entrepreneurs that are successful in other parts of the world. It is always interesting to learn about the challenges they face in their country and contrast what I learn from them with my own challenges here in the states. I did a story last year on Mugure Mugo, founder of Preciss Data a global outsourcing company based in Nairobi, Kenya. Mugure is one of many entrepreneurs building successful businesses in this part of the world.

Kenya has an emerging technology infrustructure that is requiring more and more companies that offer technical services in the region. I had the pleasure of meeting another one of these entreprenuers as a result of telling Mugure Mugo’s story.

Joseph Waruingi founded an IT management consultancy practice in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002 after working for 6 years with a major American consulting company. The more information he sent me about his business, the more intrigued I became with everything he has accomplished with his business. Advantech Consulting Ltd.client list includes major companies such as Coca Cola East Africa, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Siemens Enterprise Communication. What Waruingi has been able to achieve with this business in merely six years is interesting and hopefully will inspire someone else to build a business.

I had a chance to interview him and ask him the Liberate 10™. Here is what he had to say about his entrepreneurial experience…

LM: What drives you?

JW: The desire to build a business that will provide strategic value added advise to businesses in private and public sector across Sub Saharan Africa. The challenge of building a business that operates across cultures is the ultimate to ensuring African based business rise to offer solutions to Africa’s problems. In the process offer quality jobs to African professionals

LM: What experiences influenced your decision to start a business?

JW: Having worked for six years in PricewaterhouseCoopers in Nairobi and being responsible for technology consulting work for 10 African countries afforded me the opportunity to meet African decision makers who were captains of Industry gav me the impetus to go out and build a business that will serve their needs.

LM: What formal education and/or training do you have or had to get to start your business?

JW: I hold an MBA in Strategic Management and Finance and have received World Class professional training in Europe, US and Canada to equip myself with the skills necessary to build a Pan African business

LM:. How did you get started?

JW: I left my employer in March 2002. My employer became my first client so I eased myself into business ownership.

LM: How did you determine what product and or service to sell?

JW: I started a business along the lines of the work I was doing at PwC. Though I have since expanded the scope to other areas that clients need support in. By working with clients to develop IT strategies and working with them to implement, we derive the satisfaction of helping clients actualise their vision of applying cost effective IT solutions to their businesses.

LM: What lessons have you learned from your first years in business?

JW: That is pays to listen to the clients and fully respond if not exceed their expectations. The most effective medium of advertising is a happy client, since referral or repeat business is the least expensive to acquire.

LM: Who were the primary influences in your life as it relates to being an entrepreneur?

JW:I have read success stories of American entrepreneurs and investors like Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Warren Buffet among others.

LM: What has been your biggest success?

JW: The biggest success has been landing contracts in other countries such as Ethiopia, Zambia and Uganda purely on account of quality of our proposals

LM: What has been your biggest disappointment?

JW: Loosing business opportunities due to corruption

LM: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?

JW: To always keep their eye on the ball. Be relentless at doing what one is good at and they will eventually prevail. They must believe in themselves and their ability to do quality work and convince clients

Preciss Data, founded by Mugure Mugo, located in Nairobi, Kenya has managed to become one of the success stories of globalization. There services include data entry, email processing, forms processing, online research, database management and rejuvenation, data conversation, document conversion + OCR, document coding, and document review.


Mugure and Preciss Data are headed in the right direction while also positioning Kenya as another alternative for effective business outsourcing. Mugure interviewed with Liberate Magazine™ and shed some light on her business and their future goals.

LM: What drives you?

MM: I am passionate about helping our industry grow to provide gainful
employment to as many young Kenyans as possible.

LM: What experiences influenced your decision to start a business?

MM:My parents have been in business since when I was in my teens, and I have
watched them go through all the stages of running a business, from
inception to maturity. Their company is now over 20 years old.

After my parents started their business, there was a visible difference in
our lives as a family, and it became clear to me that owning a successful
business could be very lucrative. After completing my university education,
I was employed for about 3 years, and when I lost my job to retrenchment, I
immediately knew that I would start a business rather than seek employment.

Later, I was strongly influenced by a conference I attended here in
Nairobi, Kenya, that was conducted by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development) in November 2001. Some of the speakers were from
UNCTAD offices in Geneva, and they came with several publications, one of
which spoke about the benefits of exporting services (rather than
traditional African products such as coffee) to developed markets. There
was mention of creating thousands of jobs, and earning much-needed foreign
exchange for our economy. I was intrigued, and when I had the opportunity
to travel to Geneva in June 2002, I met with the head of the Services
Exportation division, and came home shortly thereafter ready to begin an
outsourcing business.

LM: What formal education and/or training do you have or had to get to start
your business?

MM:I have a degree in Information Science and a Master’s degree in
International Business Administration. When I was in the university, I never
thought my education would steer me towards running an outsourcing company,
but somehow my educational background blended very well and prepared me for
it.

LM: How did you get started?

MM:I lost my job to retrenchment at the age of 28, a few months after I got
married, when the Kenyan economy took a dip. I immediately began a web site
development company, housed in my husband’s office. As a self-employed
architect, he was able to support me with office space, furniture and a
computer, which enabled me to start.

As a web site developer, I spent a lot of time on the internet, and was
able to research extensively on the outsourcing industry. I soon developed
an interest in starting a BPO company, and shortly after the UNCTAD
conference in 2002, I registered Kenya’s first BPO company and opened my
doors to international clients.

LM: How did you determine what product and or service to sell?

MM:I considered a number of issues:

a) Resources at hand:

I didn’t have too much money to invest, and no banks were willing to
finance a new venture, in an industry that was new in Kenya. However, I had
computer equipment and access to the internet, so I decided to offer online
research, which did not require any new investment funds.

b) Demand:

From research conducted mainly over the internet, I found that there were
some companies that required online research on an ongoing basis, year-in,
year-out, and I decided to target these companies as my first clients.

c) Value Addition:

As we grew, through more research, I found that there was a lot of
transcription work going to other developing countries. So I investigated
the issues and challenges involved, invested some more money in software
and computer equipment and began offering transcription services. However,
I soon discovered that some of our transcription clients used our
transcripts as part of the captioning and subtitling process, so I decided
to add value by offering these services. Again, I invested in additional
software and computers, and began offering captioning and subtitling
services.

d) Infrastructure:

Throughout the process, I have had to consider the infrastructure available
in our country to support outsourcing services. In the last few years, the
cost of internet bandwidth has reduced, and facilities like VOIP (voice
over IP) have become available. Therefore we have recently been able to
offer voice based services such as inbound and outbound teleservices to our
clients.

LM: What lessons have you learned from your first years in business?

MM:a) In the words of Fred DeLuca, Founder of Subway, “Start Small, Finish Big”

I have learned that it pays to begin at your level, understand your
business, understand the industry that you are operating in, and then grow
as far as your dreams will take you.

We recently successfully sought funds from a private equity company, and in
their words, one of the reasons why they were interested in us was our
formula of starting small, taking care of our resources and growing
incrementally.

I believe this is the strongest lesson I learned in the first years of our
business.

LM: Who were the primary influences in your life as it relates to being an
entrepreneur?

MM:My parents exposed me to entrepreneurship early in life, and I continue to
learn lessons from their experiences in business.

My husband, who runs a very successful architectural practice, and a number
of other enterprises in the building industry.

Several entrepreneurs who I consider my role models, the most important of
which has been Fred DeLuca of Subway. Very early in my business, I read
his book “Start Small, Finish Big” and it made a very lasting impression on
me.

LM: What has been your biggest success?

MM:I would consider that my biggest success has been in pioneering the BPO
industry in Kenya, and in helping to put my country on the global
outsourcing map.

LM: What has been your biggest disappointment?

MM:Having to put some personal goals on hold while running my business, in the
beginning stages. I would have liked to start my family earlier, and
possibly pursue further education, but running an “infant” business made
this impossible in the first few years.

LM: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?

MM:Four words: “Start Small, Finish Big!”

This is often referred to as outsourcing or corporate globalization. Many of these sweat shops are located in China, South America, Jamaica, and Indonesia, etc. The modern anti-sweatshop movement began to gain momentum in the 1990s after the mainstream media exposed the use of a sweatshop and child labor to sew Kathie Lee Gifford’s Wal-Mart label. This single event invoked the media to research other companies and their use of sweat shops.

What was the result of this research? Many other companies were accused of allegedly using sweat shops to reduce production costs. These companies included such giants as the Walt Disney Company, The Gap, and Nike. Recently, additional companies including Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, American Eagle, Ann Taylor, Calvin Klein, Guess?, J.C. Penny, K-Mart, Mattel, Pier 1 imports, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sears and Tommy Hilfiger have been accused of also allegedly using sweat shops.

As a result of the anti-sweat shop movement, many entrepreneurs have started companies that only use and produce “sweat free” products. “Sweat free” is the term used to address companies that are a part of the anti-sweat shop movement. Union Maid Screen Printing is one of the companies emerging out of this movement. It is the vision of John Herrera and the mission of Amy Barron and Rob Block, entrepreneurs with a purpose.

I had the opportunity to visit Union Maid, learn their process and interview John, Rob and Amy. Everything in their business has purpose, including the organizational structure. Union Maid Screen Printing operates as a co-operative business environment. A business cooperative is defined as a business owned and controlled by the workers. There is no management structure, everyone is on the same hierarchal level.

Over the course of an afternoon, I got a chance to really find out why they chose to create a business based in advocacy.

LM: What drives you?
JH: We have probably a couple of things…providing a service that is basically done in a way that is not in anyway under conditions that are harmful to people, be it from the manufacturer of shirts to the workers in the shop. We felt there was a need for this type of business. The shirts are manufactured by people that are paid the fair industry rate. Here [at Union Maid] we operate the same way. I try to create a workplace that is a good environment for people to work in.

LM: What experiences influenced your decision to start a business?
JH: I felt a lot of people were getting this type of service done, but not in the way we do it. I feel we can also provide a service in an area of social justice such as peace movements or whatever it is. We are able to work with folks like that. When we do a project, we have fun doing it. We feel really good knowing it is a project that is delivering a message or we can help someone with their project.

LM: What formal education and/or training do you have or had to get to start your business?
JH: A lot of this business requires a lot of computer skills. Amy has been formally trained in graphic design and illustration. Rob also has a lot of skills in that area. We’ve all had training in the printing industry. We can have a good design, but after that we have to have training in film positives and printing.

LM: How did you get started?
JH: The first step was to decide to do it. The key is, when you go into any new project, it takes a lot of things to make it work. I contribute what I do and Rob and Amy contribute what they do. Its real key that the efforts of all three of us has made it work.

LM: How did you determine what product and or service to sell?
JH: When I was involved with the Houston Social Forum, we were looking for a printing shop that did Union Made printing. That’s when I said we needed to have a print shop in Houston that did not use your typical sweat shop clothing. Basically, we saw a need that wasn’t being met.

LM: What lessons have you learned from your first years in business?
JH: You have to practice what you preach. I felt the need to turn this into a worker owned environment for these reasons. One of the biggest problems with any small business is the staying power. I wish you could just open your doors and make it, but it doesn’t work like that. Fortunately, we were able to pay some of the bills [start-up bills] without having to have sales to do it. I think if you can do that, you can make it.

RB: We learned a lot, the technical aspects of all of this. Amy has a graphic design background and John has a business background. I think I help by organizing our process. We’ve learned a lot about how to communicate because of the distribution of labor. Somethings are more efficient because you don’t have to go up the chain of command to get things accomplished. I’ve done activism for the past 5 years, but most of the jobs I’ve had had no formal contract. We are all decision makers as opposed to the same structure imposed from the outside.

AB: It’s kind of different because we don’t have set hours because everyone is part time. In the corporate world, there were so many lines…chain of command. There was never a right thing to do. Here everyone works together and we are not concerned about our position. It’s not cut throat.

LM: Who were the primary influences in your life as it relates to being an entrepreneur?
AB: Luckily, I was brought into this with Rob and John. I knew when I was terminated from my job after 3 years [that i wanted to be an entrepreneur]. I would work long hours and I was not getting paid for it, I was on salary. There were cuts, a lot of the people they cut were older too. You give them your life and when you need the company, they will lay you off when your in need. I realized you’re going to be very lucky to find a company that will be there for you in your 50s. My friends have seen a 180 degree turn around in my work and my excitement for what I do. I had lost my motivation. the best thing for me was getting laid off.

RB: I’ve been lucky enough to know a lot of people [that are entrepreneurs]. For this project, I wouldn’t have come up with it without John [Herrera]. I lived in another country for a year, and I met a guy named Varo. He tried to start a new store when he was young. He ended up migrating to the U.S. and working for a bike project non-profit. He was a bike mechanic and started the first Spanish language classes that they had in the non-profit. He started this cool program in this neighborhood where I was living that was poor. Now he works for a small company that does “green” [environmental] buildings. Every where he ended up, he found a niche for himself. He inspired me to believe that doing positive things can actually be a business instead of a hobby.

LM: What has been your biggest success?
RB: I feel it has more to do with process instead of a particular job. Dealing with customers has been the hardest thing for me. I always think about it from the customer’s perspective. We’ve been doing the work of trying to price things fairly and build an environment that is fair to customers and fair to us. Acknowledging that we are making a process and we are never gong to reach a spot where we are totally done is our success.

AB: Our greatest success is that we are a collective company that is lateral and not vertical.

LM: What has been your biggest disappointment?
RB: The four color screen printing process (smiling)
AB: There are so many different tricks of the trade that just aren’t given to you. You have to learn as you go. It gets frustrating sometimes.

LM: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
JH: I think if you empower anyone, regardless of what they are doing, that is good for everyone. People become more productive when they enjoy what they are doing.

AB: Be prepared to give and not receive. In a new business, it is really an investment in the beginning. Really plan out your business model and make sure that you are ready to do it for years and years. Make sure the people that you are working for are just as passionate. Make sure you have an impact on the community.

RB: Make sure you talk to people in your industry. You can learn a lot. Talking to us has been an asset for us. I am hoping that our business is successful and proves that worker owned businesses do work. The steps we take towards that are positive.

LM: What does providing a service with a cause mean to you?
AB: When it’s a good cause and you are passionate about it, you take pride in it. After working in corporate [America] 5 years, I got burned out and realized I wanted to work in an environment with a cause where I could take pride in my work.

RB: I think that it is significant because of not only the service, but the products and the process. Everything we use comes from valid sources. Also, our office functions democratically. There is no clearly defined boss. We are trying to show alternatives are possible.

The internet is the fastest growing marketplace in the world. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project Report, 73% of Americans are internet users and 43% have broad band connections. In addition, the study by Pew shows that 32% of Americans also shop online. People are beginning to integrate the internet into every segment of their lives.

What does this mean? The internet has become an open market with endless opportunities for entrepreneurs. To capitalize on this global market however, an individual must come up with a unique ideal targeted to a specific market segment. Many young entrepreneurs have made millions on the internet by doing just that, such as the guys that founded Google. Entrepreneur Vaughn Samples believes he has found a unique mixture of news and entertainment to follow in their footsteps.

Samples has created Samples Media.com, an online media outlet that he believes will become the premier online network for the African-American market segment. In addition to the cultural programming provided on the network, Samples Media also provides mainstream news and programming from outlets such as the Associated Press. What separates his network from others? He believes his custom programming will be the key to the success of Samples Media.

He has 12 original shows that are completely produced by him and updated weekly. Samples has solicited the services of well-know comedians, commentators, educators and community leaders to host and participate in these shows. His approach to marketing is unique as well. Vaughn Samples has been known to project video commercials on the sides of buildings across from clubs on Friday and Saturday nights.

He recently had a launch party where he invited members to sign up for his network on the spot. He had several of his fiends to bring their laptops and the facility that he used also had three public computers and wireless internet access. The facility was packed with people by the end of the night. He gave two video presentations on the network and even had the hosts of the shows present to talk about their programs.

Will Samples Media.com be successful? If Samples continues his determination and innovative marketing, there is no other option. Where else can an individual basically get cable level programming for 5 dollars a month? Although the network is targeted for African Americans, there is enough diverse programming for the network to be relevant to all people.

FORE! It is a term often used on the golf course to notify an unsuspecting spectator that a headache is coming straight for them if they do not move out of the way! The term, in essence, puts individuals on notice about their future. What if we could adapt the word for other uses in society? What if we could use the term to put individuals on notice when something was about to happen in their future in other cases?

For instance, your at work and your boss yells,” FORE! You are getting a promotion!” or “FORE! Your fired.” I would like to use such latitude in this instance. I want to put our readers on notice and yell my declaration to get every one’s attention…”FORE! A better community is headed your way!”

I had the honor and the privilege to serve as a hole sponsor and a volunteer at the First Annual Divots 4 Divinity Golf Tournament today. It was great to see the mixture of entrepreneurs, small business owners and celebrities all coming together to raise money for a great cause.

If more business leaders reach out to the communities they serve in this same manner, we will begin to see a significant positive change in the neighborhoods we operate our businesses in. Do we have a responsibility to give back? Yes, as business owners we do! Every great entrepreneur must include philanthropy into their business planning!

A business owner does not have to participate in the movement of goodwill, but if they do, it creates more than a just a business. They begin to lay the foundation for purpose, a legacy and the future of all Americans and people across the globe. A business must be more than just a means to meet your needs, it has to have some intrinsic value that translates into a positive change in the community.

You see, the Divots 4 Divinity Golf Tournament supports Divinity Dance Company, a non-profit community based dance studio that provides opportunities for children from all backgrounds to participate in the arts. I don’t teach dance, but by supporting the fund raising efforts of Divinity Dance, I can do my part to make sure their doors remain open.

Find a charity in your community to align your business with. Today was about more than a beautiful afternoon of golf, every ball that was hit moved this great organization further towards its goals. FORE! We exist because of our communities and we can help them to exist because of us!

What is your business and your money worth? It is no more valuable than seeing a little girl smiling, remembering her routine and realizing that becoming the ballerina she dreamed of at night is just the beginning! If you would like to support Divinity Dance Company, please visit www.divots4divinity.org.

(Click on any image to view it larger)
When I entered the shop, I was surprised by the quality of the bikes and accessories I saw. It reminded me of a shop that you would find in Los Angeles, Austin, or New York, but not Houston. How did this great bike shop end up in my neighborhood? I could have speculated an answer, but I decided to ask one of the owners. It turns out Blue Line Bike Lab is the vision and dream of brothers David and Fredrich Zapalac.

I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Fredrich about how they got started. Fredrich’s knowledge of bikes and the industry is impressive. He knows his business well. You can tell he is passionate about cycling. I am currently saving up to purchase “the beast” of mountain bikes that he sales in his shop. (you can see a picture of it by viewing the photos)

LM: What drives you?
FZ: My passion for cycling

LM: What experiences influenced your decision to start a business?
FZ: We started our own business because I had been in the industry for quite a time and felt I had hit a ceiling. I felt that I could do a better job doing it for myself.

LM: What formal education and/or training do you have or had to get to start your business?
FZ: No college. I have 5 years previous management experience in bike shops.

LM: How did you get started?
FZ: It was a snap decision. I came to realize I was never going to make any more money where I was. My brother and I pulled our resources together and got a loan from a family member. We’ve been in business two years. We decided we wanted to be in the Heights. I had been eyeballing the Heights area for years. One day we got on our bikes and rode around looking for buildings and found this building. While we were in front of the building, almost 30 people rode by on their bicycles.

LM: How did you determine what product and or service to sell? How did you find the products that you sell in your shop?
FZ:We chose what appeals to us. We are cyclists. We go to trade shows and shop around. We are consumers too, we are going to ride the stuff we sale and we want to make sure its a nice product. Our criteria is “do we think its cool.” What separates us from other bike shops is we do not purchase based on margin. The other shops do–they purchase solely based on margin and not what is best for you, the consumer. We have two distinct groups of clientele. The urban, young hip group and the family neighborhood crowd.

LM: What lessons have you learned from your first years in business?
FZ: To prepare for rainy days literally because we are in a business that is an outdoor sport. Don’t get over stretched on credit. The biggest lesson that we’ve learned is that we can do this.

LM: Who were the primary influences in your life as it relates to being an entrepreneur?
FZ: My grandfather owned his own industrial business. We watched him succeed through saving, being frugal, and patience. My dad had his own business too. He worked long hard days and never really went anywhere. My previous employers. I learned what to do and what not to do in terms of customer relations, management, etc.

LM: What has been your biggest success?
FZ: We’ve made it through the first two years. We are still here.

LM: What has been your biggest disappointment?
FZ: No real disappointments at this point.

LM: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
FZ: I wouldn’t wish retail on my worst enemy. If I can do it anybody can do it. My biggest thing is its just money. I’ll never know if I don’t try. You only live once.