Sarah and Jerry Cook

Sarah Cook knows first-hand what it is like to have grown up in an entrepreneurial home. Sarah’s father owned his own successful computer programming business as did her grandfather. Their example left a huge impact on Sarah who received her BA in Family Studies from Utah State University and has owned her own successful national-wide direct sales skin care business for nearly 16 years. In the last three years Sarah has worked diligently with her own three children to help bring their business ideas to life. In this interview, learn how Sarah is sharing what she has learned with CEO Kids and their parents from around the world.

Raising CEO Kids is a valuable resource for parents of kid entrepreneurs. Can you tell us how you came up with the idea?

The idea of “Raising CEO Kids” was inspired by my children. Jacob has always wanted to earn money. He started selling on e-Bay when he was 10. He consistently made the money he needed to get the things he wanted and bought himself a laptop. Learning and fixing things on the computer brought him so much joy. He started fixing things for people for free and finally began charging as his confidence grew. In May 2009 at 12 years old he officially started his business, Jake’s Tutorials and Tech Support. My daughter got excited about the money Jake was making along the way and began her own business, Creating with CC at just 10 years old. Jon is coming up behind them starting his business, Jumping Jack Jon at 6 years old. As I worked with each of my children, I sensed their excitement in creating their own money. I saw them gain confidence in so many areas: money management, public speaking, leadership and so much more. It was heart-warming to also see them increase in their desire to give – 10% to our church as well as donations of time and products to school fundraisers and the homeless. In my heart I wondered if what we were learning and what we were doing could somehow be of benefit to other families. As I talked with other families from around the world who either had kids in business or who had kids who wanted to be in business, I had so much encouragement to put together resources to support families in raising entrepreneurs. We have only just begun putting together the resources that we want to make available for kids and families around the world.

What kind of resources are offered by Raising CEO Kids for kid entrepreneurs and their parents?

Right now we offer inspirational and educational articles, audio interviews and clickable resources such as business plans, tax work sheets and the biz expert’s directory. I hosted a teleseminar in Nov 2009 and those resources are available for purchase. I host a weekly free mastermind call, The Saturday Morning Mastermind where I interview “CEO Kids” and one of their parents. At the end I open up the line for questions so that families from around the world can get their questions answered by “real kids making money” and “real parents raising them”. This month we are launching our monthly web TV show about different aspects of Raising CEO Kids. In April we are hosting a free webinar/teleseries called, Cash Savvvy Kids in conjunction with National Financial Literacy Month. The replays and resources from the series will also be available for purchase. In May we plan to launch classes for kids who want to make money by kids who are making money. We already have a waiting list of people who want to take some of the classes! Very soon our CEO Kids directory will be launched to offer kids in business a venue for advertising as well as a forum for both parents and kids. Of course there is also the book that I am writing which includes over 110 kids that I have interviewed. I am hoping to have it published by our one year anniversary!

You grew up in an entrepreneurial family. What valuable tools did you learn that inspired you to carry on the tradition of being an entrepreneur?

Some of the tools I learned were people skills, public speaking, personal management, goal setting, creativity, focus, and my work ethic. I was inspired by the ability that entrepreneurs had to choose when they wanted to work as well as the tax advantages that having a business offered. I was highly motivated to make my own money as the minimum wage was only $4 per hour and you can hardly buy groceries on that amount per hour. I made and sold jewelry in high school and then went on to become a Mary Kay Sales Director my 2nd year in college.

And now your three kids that each have their own businesses. What advice could you give other parents of kids wanting to start a business?

There are a couple of things that I always tell parents who have entrepreneurial minded kids and then there are some things I share only if it specifically applies to their children. The first thing is to encourage their children to do what they LOVE! When children can make money doing what they love, they learn to create money without experiencing the burn out because it doesn’t really feel like “work” to them! The second thing I would tell them is to “let them do it”. I see some parents trying to run their children’s businesses for them. Yes some kids do need a bit of a nudge to get going at times but mostly we just need to be there to advise, drive around, love them unconditionally and make sure they are covering their bases. Depending on their child’s business idea, I also share about getting press, using social media, blogging, tax resources, legal resources, and people they should connect with.

What part do you and your husband play in your kids businesses?

In Jacob’s business we serve as advisor, driver (to local client’s homes), encourager, and his PR service. I am always so proud of him, that I tell everyone about the work he does. In Clarissa’s business we play the same rolls as in Jacob’s but I also offer her a lot of tech support and confidence boosting since she is still a bit shy. Jon’s business is just starting. I film him for his videos and sports reviews. I also role play with him on things he can say. I take him shopping to find products he would like to review that he can then offer as affiliate links on his website.

Do you find that being a kid entrepreneur helps them in school?

The children are advanced in their schooling. They all know they have to get their school work done before they can work on their businesses. They work hard and get their stuff done quickly so that they can have plenty of time to work on business.

Is there anything you would like add?

I would add that I believe it is a huge advantage for parents to have their own business so that they can model business skills in the home. This really helped my own children. They have all been born into an entrepreneurial home. It is what they know! They see all the benefits as well as the pitfalls. I don’t know if they will ever choose to work for someone else now that they have fallen in love with working for themselves.

For more information on Sarah and Raising CEO Kids visit http://raisingceokids.com. To find out more about the Saturday Morning Mastermind visit http://www.saturdaymorningmastermind.com/.

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” (Available on Amazon) in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

Jim Garland is an entrepreneur, business owner, author, professional speaker and business consultant.  He started his first company Sharp Details, Inc. from the trunk of his car as a boat cleaning service in 1991. Today Sharp Details, Inc provides corporate aircraft cleaning and support services to fortune 100 and 500 companies, has 60 employees and produces $3,500,000 in annual revenue. Jim is the author of The Practical Guide to Exceptional Living. In this interview, learn the tools Jim used to become a success in all areas of his life.

You started Sharp Details, Inc out of the trunk of your car 1991. How did you grow Sharp Details, Inc. into a company that produces $3,500,000 in annual revenue?

Most of the growth came from old fashioned cold calling and referrals; I banged on a lot of doors. As we got into aviation in 1994 people would see us working and like what they saw and would recruit us to do their aircraft. The big growth began in 1998 to the present when we were able to use our reputation in the industry to get government contracts with the FAA and the US Air Force. In 2002 we also began working with some large fractional ownership programs that currently use us at all of our locations from VA-CT. Again this came from referrals, reputation and simply asking for the business.

You began your business providing boat cleaning services. What made you decide to change your company’s direction to providing corporate aircraft cleaning and support services?

After doing the boat cleaning for two seasons we began to look for ways to turn it into more of a full time year round venture. The natural progression was to start detailing cars on site at people’s homes and offices. While detailing a client’s car she noticed what a great job we had done and how professional we were and she mentioned that her dad managed corporate jets. This was in 1994 and we landed the contract after our first meeting. After this first contract we saw the opportunity for growth and fell in love with the industry. We also realized that in the aviation industry we could provide services 24 hours per day

Has your business felt any affects of the economy?

The corporate and private aviation industry was hit very hard by the down turn in the economy. This was coupled with the notion created by Washington over the past 12-18 months that private aviation is excessive and bad. We had one customer whose volume with us was cut by 80% over a 60 day period. We had others who simply parked their aircraft for 90 days and did not fly. We have also seen a slowdown in payments from customers, everyone still pays but some take as long as 90 days now. To combat all of this we are constantly looking for new streams of revenue and additional services we can offer new clients. This has helped us stabilize our revenue. From an operations side we have a very secure line of credit (a solid banking relationship goes a long way) to help with cash flow and we watch our P&L like a hawk. In 2009 we made a lot of adjustments related to the efficiency of our operations and this helped us weather the changes in the economy as well. In 2009, our revenue was even with 2008, but we saw an increase in profit because of our increased efficiencies.

You credit much of your success to reading and studying self development, health and business concepts. What top five books or programs would recommend?

There are so many great books and programs out there but a few clearly stand out. The E-Myth is the only modern era book–the others were written 40-50 years ago, but the lessons they contain are timeless.

Books

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
How to win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Programs

The Strategic Coach by Dan Sullivan www.strategiccoach.com. I was in this program for four years from 1999-2003. The claim is they can double your income and free time in three years and they delivered.

This success led you to develop Garland Communications, LLC along with the release of your first book The Practical Guide to Exceptional Living. Congratulations! Can you tell us a little about your book and why readers might be able to use it as a success tool?

I wanted to provide a simple guide that could help people improve their lives on many levels. The goal of the book is to get people to think differently about their life and their life’s purpose. I have great tips on improving health, which I feel is the base of any successful person. There are chapters on faith, goal setting, attitude and money. The beauty of this book is it can be read in one day and referenced over and over again. I pose many questions and encourage the reader to take action by answering a series of questions. This book can truly transform your thinking which will change your actions and in turn produce better results.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Your thoughts and how you think will have a far greater impact on your business than any outside influence. As an entrepreneur you must constantly find the good in any obstacles you face and start each day as a new adventure no matter what the circumstances. I learned this going through a frivolous law suit that almost bankrupt my company several years ago. What I realized was this. I have control over one thing every day and that one thing is my thoughts. I could not control the attorneys, the company that was suing me, or the opinions that some had formed because of poor information. By focusing on my business and all of the things that were working, I was able to overcome the suit, grow my business and make it stronger than ever, while improving my business reputation by leaps and bounds.

For more information on Jim Garland and his book visit http://www.sharpdetails.com/ or http://www.jim-garland.com/

…

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

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Brain Linton is the definition of a young entrepreneur.  He is the founder of Sand Shack, a business that he started in college.  He recently launched Daily Entrepreneur Tip, a site offering its readers short insight about being an entrepreneur.  Brian gives great advice in a fantastic interview.  Thanks Brian!

What is it like being a young entrepreneur?

It’s great! I love the challenge and excitement I have everyday.

Can you tell us about Sand Shack?

Sand Shack is an environmentally friendly brand of apparel and accessories dedicated to the conservation of our world’s oceans and beaches. In addition to organizing and hosting beach clean-ups, Sand Shack donates 5% of all proceeds to ocean conservation efforts outside of our company. Sand Shack is primarily a wholesale company, and we sell to stores across the United States. Currently Sand Shack products can be found in nearly 150 stores.

Sand Shack’s current products include flip-flops, hats, belts, and jewelry.

How did it all begin? How were you able to fund it?

It began in 2006, right after my freshman year in college. I was bored with school and decided I needed something a little challenging to do. I first thought of buying remote islands in the Philippines, developing them, and reselling them to rich Chinese business moguls. Quickly realizing that this would require more than the $600 dollars I had, I began brainstorming other ways to make money. Sand Shack began that summer as a jewelry company in Cape Cod, MA. I bought $600 dollars worth of jewelry from Thailand and found stores willing to sell my Sand Shack brand jewelry. By the end of that first summer I had revenues of $10,000.

Sand Shack was originally self-funded. However, since then family investors have put a great deal of money into it, and recently one angel investor bought a portion of the company.

Have you made all the designs for Sand Shack?

I come up with the majority of the designs for Sand Shack – I also have freelance designers.

What have been your strategies to promote Sand Shack and get it into stores?

I am a salesperson. I love walking into stores, finding the decision maker, and making a sale. So this has been the primary means to get Sand Shack into stores. Also, I exhibit my products at tradeshows and have numerous sales reps selling Sand Shack products.

What are you currently working on with Sand Shack?

Sand Shack is currently hiring. I’ve been focusing on growth despite the poor economy and things are going great. This year Sand Shack launched a new hat and flip-flop line to add to our already popular hat and jewelry lines.

We are currently also coming up with more apparel products for launch in 2010 – in an effort to make Sand Shack a more well-rounded brand of apparel.

What problems have you faced and how have you overcome them?

I have faced numerous problems. Getting customers to pay is always difficult. I currently have one customer that owes me over $8,000 and my chances of being able to collect that without legal action are getting slimmer each day.

Also, cash flow has always been a problem as my company is product based and needs to manufacture products and deliver them before we are paid for them.

Overcoming problems such as these requires guts. Many of the problems I face are daunting and somewhat overwhelming – I just always remind myself of the positive things and work hard to solve any problems in a timely manner.

What are your goals?

My goals are to build Sand Shack into a prominent brand of apparel and accessories in the resort market. Ultimately I would like to sell Sand Shack.

You have a lot going on right now between Sand Shack, dailyentrepreneurtip.com, your personal blog and your personal life of course. How do you make time for all these things?

I don’t. This is our busiest season and I regularly work 16 to 18 hour days. As a result of this my personal blog and dailyentrepreneurtip.com are suffering. Although I love both of these websites and want to work hard on them I have had to put my time and effort into making Sand Shack a success. When things slow down a little with Sand Shack I’ll be able to spend more time on my other projects.

What advice can you give to young aspiring entrepreneurs?

You don’t have to have an innovative product to build a company from. I started with simple beaded jewelry, but the way I branded it and sold it has allowed me to create a successful company from un-innovative products such as apparel and accessories.

Any last words?

Keep it blue!

Be sure to check out Daily Entrepreneur Tip and Sand Shack.

Stay tuned next week for another interview at GetYourBizSavvy.com

Here is Tim Besse, Co-Founder and Vice President of Product and Marketing at Glassdoor.com. Tim tells us all about Glassdoor, his background and gives lots of great advice.

Can you begin by telling us about your background? Where you are from, age, college education, etc.

I’m originally from Ohio where I attended and earned my bachelor’s degree from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Prior to co-founding Glassdoor.com, I worked with Expedia where I helped launch early stage businesses, including Expedia’s telesales and private label businesses as well as its online luxury offering, Classic Custom Vacations. However, my most recent role at Expedia was the director of product management and online marketing for the Asia Pacific division of Expedia. In this role, I developed new markets in Australia, Japan, and China, and assumed general management responsibility of the Hotels.com business in Asia.

When did you begin to develop your idea for Glassdoor.com? What gave you the idea to do this? What do you compare the site to if anything?

The idea of Glassdoor.com began in the summer of 2007, when my co-founder Robert Hohman (CEO of Glassdoor) was busy taking time off after having left his position as president of Hotwire.com. His long-time friend Rich Barton called up with an interesting question:

“What would happen if someone left the unedited employee survey for the whole company on the printer and it got posted to the Web?”

The two had previously worked together at Microsoft and then Expedia, which Rich founded in 1994. Expedia ultimately transformed travel by opening up information once available only to travel agents and insiders. Rich then went on to transform real estate with the launch of Zillow.com, allowing anyone to find and research home values from their personal computer.

Robert and Rich contemplated why it’s so difficult to find helpful information about jobs and workplaces. Robert called on me and we expanded the survey concept to include salary details down to the job level and CEO approval ratings, just like politician approval ratings. And thus, Glassdoor was born to deliver new transparency to an incredibly important part of our lives — our work.

To give you a comparison, think of Glassdoor.com as the TripAdvisor or Yelp of jobs and workplaces that uses employee-generated content to provide a free inside look at companies from those who know best – employees.

How did you go about taking Glassdoor.com to where it is today?

We worked on appealing to an individual’s curiosity – There’s always a natural curiosity around the competitiveness of compensation and finding out what others think. Through media relations and word of mouth , we have been able to virally spread the word about Glassdoor so as to show that there are answers out there to questions specific to one’s job title, workplace and even geographic location.

The site definitely seems to get a lot of traffic. What do you recommend to other entrepreneurs who are just starting out and trying to get their site exposure?

Learn from what others have done before you. We have had the benefit of learning from the experiences of members of our Board. For example, Stephen Kaufer (Board Member, Trip Advisor founder and CEO) has been extremely helpful in sharing his lessons learned from building the largest travel community in the world. In addition, we have spent time with other executives at some of the largest community / UGC driven services out there to help us think through the ways on which to build up site exposure. We also continue to hire community experts from local companies like Yahoo! /Flickr.

How do you see Glassdoor.com in the future?

This is a good question as it depends a lot on the needs of the employee and employer. Our goal is to continually improve upon Glassdoor so that it changes the existing paradigm to bring more transparency to the workplace to help people make critical choices about their career.

Are there any ventures you plan on pursuing after Glassdoor.com?

I’m fortunate that I have a job that I love and see plenty of potential in the future in which I can help to make Glassdoor a better career and workplace community.

How has your life changed since you started the site?

Well first I now live in the Bay Area whereas before I lived in Seattle and so I have had the chance to experience a new environment. In addition, I have been exposed to advantages and drawbacks that many individuals share when it comes to their work and careers. With this, I have been able to see that with transparency comes understanding and opportunity.

Can you tell us what inspires you?

In terms of Glassdoor, I am inspired all the time by the feedback and community engagement within the site. It’s a really exciting time for Glassdoor and feel fortunate to have the opportunity to help other people by giving them the tools and resources to make more informed decisions that impact the workplace and their careers.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?

I really enjoy traveling with my wife, Wendy, and we also like to get out into nature for a hike when the weather permits. When at home, you’ll probably find me curled up with a John Grisham novel unless a good football game is on TV. I’ve also been known to enjoy a nice bottle of wine now and then.

Do you have any experiences, advice, or anything else that you would like to share?

Don’t be afraid to take a chance if you are willing to work hard at an option that may seem more risky. I walked away from a secure job at Expedia with a good steady paycheck to try my hand at a start-up (Glassdoor). When we began last year, I was investing in the company rather than being paid to work there, but the opportunity to do this was something I knew I could believe in and in turn something that I could put my heart and mind into.

Thanks for taking time to do this great interview Tim!

Be sure to check out our review of Glassdoor.com