{"id":13480,"date":"2020-03-13T18:18:31","date_gmt":"2020-03-14T01:18:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sjcctimes.com\/?p=13480"},"modified":"2020-05-14T23:28:10","modified_gmt":"2020-05-15T06:28:10","slug":"local-entrepreneurs-share-their-tips-for-success-startups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sjcctimes.com\/es\/13480\/profiles\/local-entrepreneurs-share-their-tips-for-success-startups\/","title":{"rendered":"Local entrepreneurs share tips for small business success"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starting a successful business in the Silicon Valley takes adaptability, dedication and bringing value and good customer service to your consumers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Statistics provided by the Small Business Association\u00a0 in 2020 reveal that 30% of businesses fail within the first two years, 50% during the first five years and 66% during the first 10 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the odds, some adventurous souls choose to follow their passion and work toward creating a successful trade of their own desire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Josh Landers, San Jose State University student and founder of popular Bay Area brand Lost in the Dub said \u201cself awareness and to not take things personally\u201d is key to those who plan to pursue the path of entrepreneurship.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKnow your strengths, know your weaknesses,\u201d Landers said. \u201cThinking long term\u201d and \u201cbringing value to people\u201d was his way to start establishing his brand.<\/span><\/p>\n

If starting a business is a possible avenue for one to follow, utilizing every resource one has is key to getting the name out there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was giving away stickers for free,\u201d Landers said. \u201cI\u2019m not charging people for them. I even gave away shirts, a lot of shirts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Giving away merchandise that he had spent his own time and money creating was Lander\u2019s approach to bringing exposure to his brand. This way to get his company\u2019s name recognized was more efficient than he expected.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Courtesy of Josh Landers<\/span>
Lost in the Dub founder Josh Landers discusses business with Bassey Oluwaseye, owner of Cali Plates.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt feels like you’re not accomplishing anything; but after that all accumulated, then I would notice my stickers and clothing in so many different places and not just in the Bay Area,\u201d Landers said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, his daily hustle of giving away free merchandise paid off when famous hip-hop artist Denzel Curry let him on stage at Outside Lands, a renowned yearly music festival.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While on stage, the pair began to have a dance off with the entire audience watching.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only was Landers wearing his merchandise, but their dancing was displayed on the big screen at Curry\u2019s performance, which familiarized the fans and the performing artists with<\/span> his brand and its message, including SchoolboyQ.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SchoolboyQ was a major influence to LITd\u2019s expansion because he posted Landers on his Instagram story and exposed the brand to his 2.6 million followers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThrifting\u201d is the term used to explain shopping at thrift stores to find hidden treasures that people had given up without knowing its value.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don Weathersby, a San Jose City College graduate and founder of 4thehomiesthrift, discovered the most profitable item to be found at thrift stores is vintage clothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Courtesy of Don Weathersby<\/span>
Weathersby posing in his “thrifting” outfit for his online business, 4thehomiesthrift.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cSet goals and milestones,\u201d Weathersby said. \u201cThey don\u2019t have to be big ones, but miniature milestones you can obtain over time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For a startup company such as his, it is hard to establish a loyal and consecutive following; but his understanding of the dynamic generated even more passion and drive to achieve his goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo I decided to go above and beyond. I pass out cards at school or even when I\u2019m around just thrifting,\u201d Weathersby said. \u201cI have stickers, just little things that draw people\u2019s attention to what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Weathersby’s relationships with his clients allowed him to grow his brand\u2019s name exponentially in the short six months it has been established.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTake risks. You may fail sometimes, but you have to keep pushing,\u201d Weathersby said. \u201cThat\u2019s what the beauty of it is. You go through all these struggles; but in the end you\u2019re just like wow, I made it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Michael and Blanca LaChance, owners of Lachance’s Radiant Heating and Financial Synergy, understood that entrepreneurship would not be an easy road to pursue. However, this gave them the courage to continue working toward their goals despite the hardships that may follow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes time to get to a point where you are going to start making money, as long as you continue to work hard and keep your goals in front of yourself and keep focused,\u201d Blanca LaChance said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Courtesy of Michael and Blanca LaChance<\/span>
Entrepreneurs Michael and Blanca LaChance established two local companies, LaChance’s Radiant Heating and Synergy Financial.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When a business model is centered around good reviews, whether online or word-of-mouth, it is important to treat everyone with professionalism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHappy employees and communication is key,\u201d Michael and Blanca LaChance said. \u201cCustomer service, treating people with respect and patience with clients are pillars of building a strong clientele base.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The annual average revenue for small businesses in 2020 is approximately $50,000, according to Forbes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust build slow; there is no rush. Take your time and enjoy it,\u201d Michael LaChance said. \u201cAs long as you keep getting back up after getting knocked down, you will be successful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Building a business is a learning experience just as everything else<\/span> is in life. If one is not prepared to learn from their failures, then they will have a hard time achieving their goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe No. 1 thing is integrity. I always try to do things the right way, by the rules,\u201d said Avez Bashadi, owner of the South San Jose Grocery Outlet. \u201cWhen I promise something, I always do my best to fulfill what I promised.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t agree with people who run a deceptive business long-term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt will catch up to you,\u201d Bashadi said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bashadi\u2019s honor is a self-imposed virtue that allowed his business to flourish just after the first year of opening. His desire to provide his community with quality products and save families a lot of money created a path to being a successful entrepreneur.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI quit a good corporate job, got married and had a kid. I had no other choice than to be successful,\u201d Bashadi said. \u201cI put myself in a position where I just couldn\u2019t allow myself to fail.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The win or lose situation he found himself in helped form Bashadi into the successful entrepreneur he is today. He is already working to establish his next business, Teriyaki Madness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For future entrepreneurs, Bashadi suggested to not overanalyze to a point to give themselves an excuse not to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bashadi also warned newcomers to corporate America that \u201conce you do it, you can\u2019t halfway do it. The most successful people I know went all in,\u201d Bashadi said. \u201cAlthough some of them failed their first time, they got back on their feet, tried again and in a few years they found success.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What made them decide to defy society\u2019s teachings of going to school, getting a degree and landing a job to obtain a sense of stability?<\/span><\/p>\n

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  • \u201cInspiration for me started off at a really young age,\u201d Michael LaChance said. \u201cI saw my dad working hard for someone else, and I vowed to myself at a really young age that I wanted to be the boss.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \u201cEntrepreneurship has always been in my blood,\u201d Avez Bashadi said. \u201cThe only time I got in trouble as a kid was when I got sent to the principal’s office for selling candy at school.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \u201cI felt a calling to do this,\u201d Landers said. \u201cEveryone was pointing out so many problems. It was just the climate of our society at the time.\u201d Landers\u2019 inspiration came from the desire of \u201cdoing something that was the solution\u201d and \u201cto create a space for something special to happen.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \u201cI\u2019ve actually been thrifting for a long time,\u201d Don Weathersby said. \u201cIt started years ago when I was in high school.\u201d His passion for finding vintage clothing at thrift stores led to him wanting to \u201cturn it into something bigger \u2026 so I decided that I won\u2019t only shop for myself, but I\u2019ll shop for others, too.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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