Q. 1 – How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans – We work on average 8 hours a day. More during our “busy season”.
Q. 2 –To what do you most attribute to your success?
Ans – A desire to strive for excellence, going beyond my job description, being honest and helpful, being humble, being kind, being smart.
Q. 3 – How do you go about marketing your business?
Ans – We are primarily referral based after 20+ years in the business. Do a great job for someone and that someone is bound to tell someone about us sooner or later. We also do a mix of SEO, postcards, newsletters, social media, and general networking. It changes and we do not spend a huge deal of time marketing. We spend most of our time servicing accounts. Things fall into place so long as we are always putting one step in front of the other.
Q. 4 – Where did your funding/capital come from?
Ans – My mother was a life and health agent for over 40 years. She funded the initial start of Serra Benefits because she had already been in the insurance industry and was more “established” than I was at my younger age. I worked feverishly to build Serra Benefits to a point where I no longer needed her to supplement the business. I continued to grow Serra Benefits and after many years, she happily retired.
Q. 5 – What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans – Balance is KEY. It may sound hokey, but I believe in order to be HAPPILY successful, we need to keep the mental , emotional, physical, and spiritual parts of our lives congruent and in proportional check. Also, don’t give up. Life as well as business is bound to disappoint at times or go through hills and valleys. We believe if we work hard we are bound to succeed in life. Success is more than just money.
Q. 6 – Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
Ans – Right here. Serra Benefits has no plans to go anywhere. Our industry is temperamental at best these days and we will continue to adapt with the changes. I also hope to have a little casita in Mexico in 10 years to get away and decompress from time to time 🙂
Q. 7 – Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans – Small businesses, especially restaurants. These are some the hardest working, passionate people I have ever met. Blood, sweat, and tears from morning to night. It’s like having a toddler that never grows up. Haha! We personally enjoy watching small companies grow and thrive locally. They are the heart and soul of our communities.
Q. 8 – How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans – We have only had employees that have been extremely trust worthy. So I would say good employees are a key part of any company’s success.
Q. 9 – How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Ans – We have tried various marketing methods over the years. Some have been more effective than others. We certainly do not stick with any method that doesn’t work.
Q. 10 – What motivates you??
Ans – I personally believe that work is an important part of a balanced life. Coming from a construction background when I was young, If you don’t produce, you don’t get to keep your job. I like producing and being of service.
Q. 11 – How do you build a successful customer base?
Ans – If you do honest business, you end up with many like minded clients. These types of people I we do anything to help.
Q. 12 – What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Ans – Being an entrepreneur generally means being self employed and having some flexibility in your schedule. But in reality, I work for my clients. “If I don’t treat my business like a full time job, then I will lose my business and have to go get a full time job.”
