In order for your interview to be posted on Magazine/News Placement Sites, kindly answer the mandatory questions listed below. We would also suggest answering the “Recommended” ones though. Please understand the more questions you answer, the better your interview will look. If you want your business to be successful, you will have to be prepared to be interviewed by serious newspapers and magazines. So consider this as a Media training exercise. The list of questions we are asking are the ones most Public Relations company uses to prepare you before scheduling an interview.
Please try and be honest and avoid “cliché” answers.
Also, make sure to send in a high resolution photo (preferably headshot) with this interview. If you can send additional photos (of your company) it will help. You can also send a video of your company with the interview. Please understand that the more information you send, the better your interview will stand out from others.
Please note we reserve the final right on selecting which answers to publish as well as story angles to use. If you want to preview the interview before we post it, kindly let us know.
Mandatory Questions –
- Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans: iFind Weeds is an online directory for the cannabis community. Our website is design to make it easy for users to find the strains and product easily and quickly with nearby dispensaries that have the strains and product in stock. Our plan is to reach all of United States, as we continue to expand. At this time, we are focus on California, Colorado, Washing State, and Organ.
- Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Ans: Mike D. Vu has over 20 years of sales and marketing experience. Of those 20 years, over 14 of those years owning 3 online directories. The largest directory was easyOC with over 54,000 Orange County businesses.
- What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Ans: The main reason why we decided to build a directory for the cannabis community was because all of our competitors were more focus on promoting the dispensaries instead of focusing on the user and their needs. We build iFind Weeds with the user experience in mind so the users can quickly and easily find the strains or product that they’re looking for with all the nearby dispensaries and to see if their strains or products is in stock or out of stock.
- What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans: Make sure you spend time outlining your business model, by writing everything down.
Understand who your target market and audience.
Stay focus with the task at hand until you complete that task.
- What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: Time management
Be organized
Plan ahead
- How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans: Entrepreneurs really don’t have schedule times. We work when there are tasked and jobs to do.
- To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans: Mainly being organized and detailed. Making sure that each tasked is done before moving on to the next tasked.
- How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans: I believe in direct sales call. You’re able to reach more clients and mostly qualify each potential client before scheduling meeting that may or may not close. I believe in online marketing and events.
- Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Ans: All of our ventures are funding in house, so we have not needed to find investors.
- What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans: If you complete all your short term goals, then you’ll have succeeded in your long term goal.
- Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans: We want to be the most complete and accurate directory for the cannabis community.
- Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans: I admire Non-Profit 501(c) (3). For that reason I’m involved with many charity events.
Recommended Questions –
- How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans: Having good employees is always very help to the company’s goals and plans.
- How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Ans: With major projects, I always give it 1 year and with minor projects, I normally give it up to 8 months.
- What motivates you?
Ans: My family.
- What are your ideals?
Ans: To create a void or need that missing.
- How do you generate new ideas?
Ans: Through the communities and by listening to others idea and needs.
- How do you define success?
Ans: I define my success by the happiness of my family, my wife of 29 years and 2 kids 20 and 17 years of age. Being able to travel where we want and most importantly being happy.
- How do you build a successful customer base?
Ans: For over 20 plus years, I believe that customer and clients are all about relationship and being able to help them with their needs and wants.
- What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Ans: Freedom and hard work
- What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Ans: Knowing that I was able to help thousands of clients
- What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Ans: An entrepreneur has a drive vs. someone that is punching a clock. It’s whatever is best for them and their family.
- What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Ans: I believe in giving all our staff the freedom to be successful, by allowing them all the space and decision with the full support of the office.
- In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Ans: Hard work
Optional Questions –
- If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Ans: I would focus more on my education.
- How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Ans: It has given me the freedom to spend more time with my family.
- What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
Ans: Failure, so I try every day to move forward and not focus so much on the past.
- How did you decide on the location for your business?
Ans: Convenience
- Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: Having a plan and following through with it.
- Who has been your greatest inspiration?
Ans: My wife and family.
- What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
Ans: In the pass, there’s been time where I didn’t give a project enough time to be successful.
- How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
Ans: I try and avoid mistakes by looking over all new projects more than just 1 time. I focus on all the pros and cons and calculated risk.
- What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
Ans: I enjoy golfing and movies.
- What makes you happy?
Ans: Being with my family and enjoying time together.
- What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: The hours that I’m away from my family at the beginning.
Visit us at Ifindweeds.com to know more about me.