Question:- 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.
Answer:-
I own a pest control business that specializes in general pest, termites, rodents, and mosquitoes. I am located in Birmingham Alabama. We are a family locally owned company.
Question:- Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Answer:- I am a high school graduate with some college credits. I also graduated from paramedic and firefighter school.
Question:- 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?
Answer:- I was inspired to start my own business in pest control because I have a true passion for helping people with their problems. Pest control is so interesting because no problem is the same.
Question:- What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Answer:-
The
three pieces of advice I can give are
1) whatever you do be
passionate about it,
2) understand that things take time, and
3) turn the negative into positive by work even harder towards
your goals.
Question:- What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Answer:- The top three skills are Passion, Drive, and Determination.
Question:-
How many hours do you work a day on average?
Answer:- I would say I work 60-80 hours a week.
Question:- To what do you most attribute your success?
Answer:- My success comes from my family, work ethic, and willingness never to give up.
Question:- How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Answer:- I market my business through all social media, word of mouth, and involvement in local events. All three have been great avenues for me, but the most successful form of marketing has been word of mouth.
Question:- Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Answer:- I have worked hard my whole life. My family has seen my drive and determination and has helped me every step of the way. I rented out my home to help fund the start of my business.
Question:- What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Answer:- The best way to achieve long term success is not to be afraid to fail. We learn from our mistakes, and in those mistakes, we can change things for the better.
Question:- Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Answer:- People ask me where I see my business in 5-10 years all the time, and the best answer I can give is the top-rated pest control company in the Birmingham metro area. The only way to go is up!
Question:- Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Answer:- The business I admire most is the Piggly Wiggly because it is a family-owned and local business. I admire the owners because of their hard work and drive to succeed.
Question:- How important have good employees been to your success?
Answer:- I currently do not have any employees, but I know good employees are the backbone of any successful business.
Question:- How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Answer:- When I come up with a new idea, I ask other people’s opinion on it. One opinion is not enough to know if your idea is a good one. So, to answer your question, I don’t give up on ideas.
Question:- What motivates you?
Answer:- My family is the most influential motivation for me.
Question:- What are your ideals?
Answer:- Honesty is the most important ideal to me. I believe you cannot have a successful business without honesty.
Question:- How do you generate new ideas?
Answer:- New ideas always come from old ideas that I can improve.
Question:- How do you define success?
Answer:- I define success by happiness and the love and support of my family.
Question:- How do you build a successful customer base?
Answer:- I have built a successful customer base with honesty, care, communication, and going above and beyond.
Question:- What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Answer:- I love solving my customer’s pest problems, and I love knowing that I made a difference.
Question:- What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Answer:- The most satisfying moment in my business was starting my company.
Question:- What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Answer:- I would say the major differences between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone are that entrepreneurs must keep everything in line. It is their business, and they have to make it successful. With an employee, they have one or a few bosses while an entrepreneur has many bosses, his customers.
Question:- What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Answer:- The culture of my business will always be work hard and treat others as you would want to be treated. I established this tone by watching other businesses and trying to learn from their mistakes. Customers’ happiness is the most important thing for any successful business.
Question:- In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Answer:- Constant
Question:- If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Answer:- I would have started my company earlier.
Question:- How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Answer:- My family has made huge sacrifices for our business. They have supported me every step of the way.
Question:- What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
Answer:- My greatest fear is failure. I manage fear by never giving up; if something does fail, I remind myself there are many different ideas to make it work. I draw from those ideas to improve.
Question:- How did you decide on the location for your business?
Answer:- We are a local family-owned business, so I wanted my business close to where I grew up and where I’m raising my family.
Question:- Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Answer:- I believe the only formula for success is never giving up.
Question:- If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?
Answer:- Henry Ford. I admire how he achieved his goals. He was not afraid to fail, and he had the determination to be successful, no matter what it took.
Question:- Who has been your greatest inspiration?
Answer:- My family
Question:- What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
Answer:- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, it’s an older book but still very relevant.
Question:- What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
Answer:- The biggest mistake I have made was not starting my business earlier in life.
Question:- How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
Answer:- I believe that mistakes will always be made, but if you are truthful and own up to that mistake a lot of problems can be avoided. Damage control is just being honest about what the problem is.
Question:- What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
Answer:- My hobbies include fishing, golfing, kayaking, and spending time with my family.
Question:- What makes you happy?
Answer:- My family
Question:- What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
Answer:- I have sacrificed my house, spending time with my family, vacations, spending time with friends for my business, but it’s all been worth it.
Question:- If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask?
Answer:- The question I would ask is, how many times did you fail before you were successful?