14 minute read
New Survey: Road To Entrepreneurial Success May Not Be What You Expect
by d-mars.com
New Survey:
Road To Entrepreneurial Success May Not Be What You Expect
By d-mars.com News Provider
If you've dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, you may think success is a straight road from one success to another until you've "made it." But a recent survey reveals what small business owners have learned: Making mistakes is not the end of your entrepreneurial career. More likely, it provides the key to ultimate success.
"Good business fundamentals and hard work, combined with planning, organization, and surrounding yourself with supportive people who can offer an honest opinion, can be the essential drivers to success," said John DeSimone, president of Herbalife Nutrition. "In business, just like in life, what matters most is seizing the opportunity to learn and improve."
Here are the biggest takeaways from the Here are the biggest study:takeaways from the study:
1. Learn from your failures
Survey respondents said it took an average of two failed business ideas before they figured out what worked. The key is not to let failure discourage you but to allow your mistakes to help you learn, grow and succeed in future endeavors. Almost 90% of small business owners said they learned valuable lessons from each unsuccessful venture, and 38% advised entrepreneurs not to be afraid to make mistakes.
2. Prioritize effectively
Over 30% of survey respondents said learning to prioritize work is critical. Many business owners make lists, then become overwhelmed by their workload - leading to procrastination. Beyond making lists, entrepreneurs must dig deeper to understand what tasks are most essential, and why. Ask each day: What tasks are essential for your business to succeed? If inventory is low, ordering goods is a top priority. When revenue is stalled, sales calls may be highest on your to-do list. Similarly, another top recommendation was to make a solid business plan (41%).
3. Be goal-oriented
The importance of entrepreneurs learning to be more productive was high on the list of lessons learned. Over 40% of small business owners said productivity was critical to success. How do you achieve higher productivity? By first setting attainable goals. Unlike employees who have goals and deadlines set by others, entrepreneurs need to learn how to set attainable goals for themselves to be more productive - then tackle them, one step at a time.
4. Get organized
When small business owners were asked what advice they'd give someone just starting out, a top tip was to get and stay organized (42%). What does that mean? Organization entails both ordering your things (files, equipment) and structuring your time:
* Documents should be clearly labeled and easy to access, whether stored digitally or on your desk. * Color-code items - for example, red for urgent, blue for today, and yellow for later completion - to help identify hot activities. * Organize your workday by making a list of tasks and prioritizing those to be completed first. * Set a timer to dedicate yourself to each task before taking a break. Knowing you have time constraints - and something to look forward to - can help you complete tasks faster.
5. Keep learning
Entrepreneurs believe ongoing learning is essential for innovating and developing new ideas. Nearly one-third (29%) of them believe continuing education is the secret sauce that helps business owners stay on top of their game.
How can you fit learning into your busy schedule?
* Read articles and attend virtual events during breaks or evenings, thanks to content being available on demand. * Review news stories, industry blogs, and research to help you brainstorm new ideas to keep you and your business fresh. * Keep a "spark list" handy, where you can jot down thoughts and ideas to help you grow.
The survey, commissioned by Herbalife Nutrition and conducted by OnePoll, asked small business owners and employees to share lessons they've learned through workplace mishaps - and how those lessons shaped their entrepreneurial journey. Insights from 8,000 small business owners and employees across 15 countries, including 2,000 Americans (1,000 small business owners and 1,000 employees with 10 years or more of experience), can teach a great deal about what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey? Visit IAmHerbalifeNutrition.com to learn how.
Source: BPT
Good business fundamentals and hard work, combined with planning, organization, and surrounding yourself with supportive people who can offer an honest opinion, can be the essential drivers to success,” said John DeSimone, president of Herbalife Nutrition. “In business, just like in life, what matters most is seizing the opportunity to learn and improve.
COMMUNITY For 150 Years Emancipation Park Continues To Preserve Our History and Strengthen Our Community
By d-mars.com News Provider
Iith the help of several women and community leaders, Emancipation Park was founded in 1872 by four formerly enslaved men: Reverend Jack Yates, Richard Allen, Richard Brock, and Reverend Elias Dibble. These men, along with members of the Third and Fourth Ward communities, gathered about $800 to purchase ten acres of land as a place to commemorate the anniversary of their emancipation on June 19, 1865. This date is now known as Juneteenth, and the celebration still takes place in the park annually today. The purchase represented not only their freedom, but property ownership, unity, and cooperative economics amongst African Americans. Decades later in October 2013, Emancipation park broke ground on a $33.5 million renovation. The project was completed four years later in June 2017, and the dedication took place in conjunction with Emancipation Park’s 145th Annual Juneteenth Celebration.
Emancipation Park's 150th anniversary was recently celebrated this month during Juneteenth. Today, Emancipation Park Conservancy still strives to preserve Emancipation Park’s cultural integrity and enrich its heritage as a local, state, national and international landmark through world-class park management, culturally relevant, invigorating, and enriching programs/events, and improving the quality of open space for the enjoyment of all.
PHOTO SOURCE: Emancipation Park Conservancy FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Nancy K., Rich K., Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Jackie B., and Ramon Manning.
Emancipation Park is located in Third Ward. The address is 3018 Emancipation Avenue, Houston, TX 77057.
For more information, please visit epconservancy.org.
Talk about the importance of Emancipation Park, as its name and specific placement in the community are important to keep the history of the Emancipation Proclamation alive. Emancipation Park symbolizes freedom.
The park was established through a community effort to create a safe space for African Americans when no such space existed. While Juneteenth was the reason the park was founded, it was also intended to meet the needs of a newly emancipated population and build a community. Through Emancipation Park’s educational and community programming, we continue to serve the mission originally intended by the founders — serving the community. We do this through our four core pillars of education, economic empowerment, health and wellness, and the arts. Through these pillars, we strive to educate and improve the overall health of our communities. Emancipation Park is not just about recreation, it is also about re-creation.
Emancipation Park was founded when four formerly enslaved African Americans and their communities came together to purchase ten acres of land in what is now Houston’s Third Ward.
How should this encourage us to come together as a community, putting our resources together to build our communities? When you reference the community spirit that formed the Park, it is important to remember that they were less than a decade out of chattel slavery. Freedom was all they had. Reparations nor severance pay were provided. However, even with so little financially, they were abundantly wealthy in spirit. That indomitable spirit allowed them to acquire the land now known as Emancipation Park. We draw incredible
Photo Caption (Man in brown and blue at podium): Ramon Manning, board chairman of Emancipation Park Conservancy. inspiration and guidance from our ancestors who purchased this park. They are an undeniable example of what is possible when we all work together.
The goal of the founders was to carve out a place for African Americans to relish in the freedom gained.
What is your charge to us as a community so we can carve out a place for the next generation to do the same? The charge is two-fold. First, we must honor the sacrifices and investments made by our ancestors by supporting, investing in, preserving, and caring for African American cultural sites like Emancipation Park. It is our responsibility to ensure that these treasured places thrive and serve as an example for future generations. Second, we have a responsibility to tell our past and future stories to ensure that the voices of those building the foundation of future generations are heard.
Please provide us with any words or sentiments on the recent Emancipation Park 150th anniversary celebrated during Juneteenth.
The 150th Anniversary of Emancipation Park is an event well worth celebrating. The park’s founders would be amazed and filled with joy that the investment they made 150 years ago continues to support the lives of the community they helped establish. Not only has the park remained in our community over time, but Juneteenth is now a national holiday. This is a special time, and we are humbled and honored to play a part in honoring this historic occasion.
Anything else you want our readers to know? Anything special you want to say about Emancipation Park or its founders? Any words on community, culture, and history?
There has been a great deal said already, however, it is important that all understand that history is critically important to understanding who you are, where you have been, and where you are going. Together, the founders and the men and women of their community were bold enough to carve out a place for themselves and future generations. We encourage everyone to learn the history of Emancipation Park and visit the park to walk in the footsteps of history.
—Darrell Provo Chief Operating Officer
By Subcontractors USA News Provider
Brothers & Brothers Utility Services LLC (BBUS) is a recognizable and well-respected name across America in the electric and utility fields, delivering safe and quality work across
America. With highly skilled and trained professionals, the company’s mission is to keep solidarity, integrity, and safety at the forefront of the utility industry. Under the vision of co-owners, Darrell and Audrey and Darrell Provo
Audrey Provo, BBUS is a company that prioritizes quality over quantity. Through much preparation, prayer, and faith, BBUS officially opened its doors on May 21, 2021. BBUS currently serves 5 states, has 25 years of combined experience, and has serviced 250,000 customers. The company’s impressive client roster includes Eversource Energy, Con Edison,
Entergy, and National Grid. BBUS provides turnkey installation and design capabilities for substation projects and also specializes in turnkey services for the construction and maintenance of transmission lines. BBUS serves residential, commercial, and industrial loads with the installation and maintenance of overhead pole lines and underground buried cables.
BBUS understands the great importance of customers’ needs to manage their businesses and households, and is committed to restoring electrical power quickly, efficiently, and safely.
Darrell is a highly trained journeyman lineman with 7,000 hours of on-the-job training through the Southwestern Line Constructors Joint
Apprenticeship Training Program. He is certified by the Department of
Labor as a journeyman lineman. Darrell holds various certifications in the utility industry such as Quanta Helicopter Certified, Certified Energized
Conductor, Pole Top & Bucket Rescue, and OSHA 10 w/ET&D. “I always aspired to do something great in this field. Whenever I worked for other companies, I prided myself on doing an exceptional job efficiently with the crew and customers’ safety as a top priority,” said Darrell. “Through my experience, there grew a desire to run my own company that would stand on the same principles used while I was working for other utility companies.” Audrey was the rock supporting Darrell while he was building his career and still is a rock and significant component as she leads BBUS’s foundation for success. She has a genuine love for people and loves how with focus, faith, and the right perspective, a challenging situation can have a positive outcome. Audrey has worked in various management and leadership positions, with a background in human resources and a concentration in mental health. And with 10 years of experience managing her own company, her business management skills have proven invaluable for BBUS.
BBUS is family-owned and faith sits at the center of their success and future dreams, with Genesis 1:3 as one of the Provo’s favorite Scriptures which reads, “Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
You can find Brothers & Brothers Utility Services LLC on the web at www.bbusutilities.com. For more information, please call 1-888-958-5463 or email info@bbusutilities.com.
June 2022 | 11 Q&A With Brothers & Brothers Utility Services LLC:
D-MARS: How does BBUS stand out from competitors?
BBUS: BBUS prides itself on catering to our employees while maintaining great customer service. In return, our employees are dedicated and committed to completing the tasks assigned. Our hands-on experience is part of BBUS’s foundation. We are family-owned and run.
D-MARS: As a company with clients nationwide, what is your "special" approach to safe and efficient service to restore power?
BBUS: Being reliable, safe, and providing quality work are our core values. To assure these values are being exercised, communication is the key. With each project, BBUS understands what is expected of us and we in turn communicate this clearly to our employees. We ensure each employee understands their tasks as well as involve ourselves in the ever-changing safety aspect of our trade. We lead by example when it comes to safety education, so our employees live it as we do, safely servicing clients nationwide.
The safety measures, supervision, and staff are extremely helpful and on time. They made me feel like my safety was always the first priority.
—Ahmad M. Client Testimonial
D-MARS: Is there a storm/situation that was especially challenging that you can mention and what was your approach to a safe and efficient solution for this challenge?
BBUS: Hurricane IDA was challenging for our employees and management staff. After the devastation hit Louisiana, BBUS was assigned the Tickfaw area to restore power. No power, hotels, or restaurants were available in the surrounding areas. Our team banded together during those 21 days and found food and essentials during that time. We had to ensure our team received the appropriate rest and meals while maintaining a safe and productive work environment. And in the midst of those 21 days, Darrell and I tested positive for COVID-19, so we had to quarantine while making sure the project was completed and our employees were cared for. At the end of the 21 days, BBUS completed the task, over 100,000 customers’ power was restored, there were no accidents or injuries, and every employee made it home safely.
D-MARS: Long- and short-term goals?
BBUS: Long-term, BBUS desires to build one of the largest diverse utility companies in the industry. Shortterm, we aim to bring more diversity and open the door to our inner-city youth, which will spark an interest in our trade. We are dedicated to seeing our youth and the community succeed as a whole, and are hopeful that BBUS will contribute to the growth and betterment of areas and individuals in need.
D-MARS: Any certifications or memberships that you want to mention?
BBUS: Darrell and I are both members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). BBUS is a member of the Tri-County Black Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC). Our company is also certified as a HUB, SBE, BOBE, and WSBE.
