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Entrepreneur Interview
I had the fantastic opportunity to meet and interview two entrepreneurs who have started and sold multiple companies. The names of these entrepreneurs are Claire and Joe Jason. The companies that they are currently running are Weather Wood, Weather Wash, and Dinge Wood.
These companies are in the woodworking and stain industry. Weather Wood and Weather Wash are all-natural wood stain companies based out of Orem, Utah. Dinge Wood is the sister company of Weather Wood and focuses on selling pre-stained wood pieces, whether it be flooring or paneling. They founded these companies just a few years ago, and all these companies have achieved revenues of over 1 million dollars.
To start off my meeting with these entrepreneurs, I created a list of questions focused on what it takes to start a business rather than asking specifically about the logistics of their business. My first focus question discussed how to come up with an idea. Claire and Joe Jason shared their insight into how they came up with companies saying, “Stop and look at the world around you. What is broken? What can improve? And what interests you?” By this time, the tables have turned, and they started to ask me questions.
The reason they introduced these questions was to get me thinking. There is no secret formula for creating the best business, but there are many improvements that can be made in the world. They told me it is excellent to find a niche market because it allows you into the industry. Niches are underutilized markets that have economic growth opportunities. They were able to create a product that was different and unique to their market, allowing them to create a niche market.
My next focus was asking them about attributes to make a good entrepreneur. Claire emphasized the importance of creative problem solving because when you start a business, you tend to run into more problems than you originally anticipated. You have to learn to the role with the punches, and you should be keeping a record of the issues you run into because if you ever decide to expand, you might hire individuals that run into similar problems.
When you look at a business website, there might be an FAQ section, and it is your job to create a reference page that is a FAQ for you as a business owner. You will need to see what you can do to grow your business every day you walk into the office. How do you speed up processes, save money, or push new products? You will need to be creative in how you beat the market and take market share.
Joe Jason touched on the idea that you need to be flexible; otherwise, you will lose the market. He talked about how the world was built for entrepreneurs because the world is continuously changing. If you start to feel comfortable in the market, that may be the first indication that you are about to lose your market share. He gave examples of how Blockbuster got too comfortable, so Red Box came along and took the market.
Blockbuster believed they were on top, and by the time they realized they weren’t, they became irrelevant. Joe Jason told me many of his first businesses failed because he was a stubborn business owner as he opened his eyes and mind; he was able to take his businesses to all-new levels. He advised me to continually do a self-check and do market research to make sure your business is holding to your projections.
I ended my interviewing them by letting them give me their best advice, and they both said this, “The best companies don’t only improve the world, but they innovate it. They look for what they can to different. It isn’t about improving; it is about thinking our of the box to create solutions never thought of.”
This really stuck with me because I know that when I think of business ideas, I think about what I can do to improve rather than what I can do to innovate. This interview has inspired me to create my own FAQ and to watch the market to see how it is changing in my product industry. This interview not only gave me insight but also allowed me to gain two entrepreneurial mentors. They offered to help me on my journey, whether it is advice or connections with outside resources.