Change of Plans

     Plans change. As competent adults, we know this. I had plans to earn my masters degree, and then go on to gain my doctorates shortly after. I had plans to become a licensed real estate broker, turned lawyer, turned Supreme Court Justice, and have had to make a few changes.

     I have had some minor setbacks, and feel like these setbacks have only given me the ability to see the bigger picture. My career plan has been clearer than ever before.  Although, my plans have changed, they are now in the proper order. This month, I would have completed my journey in obtaining my masters degree in business. I’ve even had to take a break in managing my startup companies. My next three plans, and details on achieving them, are as follows:

     Work: Before I go on to tackle anything else, I want to get a job that pays more than my current one. During the tax season, I was making over $18 an hour, before bonuses and incentives. That job was seasonal, and still was not enough for my monthly expenses. I feel like I’ll be able to find a better paying job, after this month. My bills currently exceed my pay grade.

     Gain Real Estate Salesperson License: I already paid for the training courses, in order to grain my certification. But, I have not been able to attend the classes. I have to let the school know when I can start the class, and once I do, I won’t be able to change the date. So, I would rather do that after this month. After doing so, I would then have my bachelors, masters, and real estate license under my belt.

     Improve Credit Score: Getting my car affected my credit score, more than anything. It was a complete nightmare. I’ll have to wait for all the dealership inquires to fall off, and then I’ll have to work on strengthening my credit score, as a whole. A person can do so much with a strong credit score.

     The above plans are ones that I will be working on and completing in the near future. The below plans might take a few months to years, in order to complete them:

1. Apply for Better Paying Job 
2. Move
3. Enroll in School to Gain My Doctorates Degree
4. Enroll in Law School
5. Become Real Estate and Entertainment Attorney
6. Become Supreme Court Justice
7. Retire

     If I ever needed assistance in funding any of my business ventures, I would either go with EDA or OFN.

     The U.S. Economic Development Administration (E.D.A.) provides technical assistance in locally planning communicative and regional development programs. They also provide federal funding, in grants, for economic development in both rural and urban areas. Some requirements are that the applicant be either a private institution of higher education, or that they be a city, township, state, or county government.

     The Opportunity Finance Network (O.F.N.) provides windows and contacts through small business financers. They also offer alternative credit, federal credit union loans, business loans, and community lending. Anyone is welcome to become a member of OFN. It is their lists of contact’s that have their own requirements and qualifications.

     Some advantages of alternative financing would include the fact that it is easier to get approved. There are also repayments terms that are longer and more flexible. The disadvantages of alternative financing are that they would include less laws and regulations. The lenders can pretty much do as they please, and can make up their rules as they see fit. The borrower has less protection. 

Beware of Racism within the Entertainment Business Industry

It’s hard to imagine racism being alive in America in this day and age; especially when you see so many faces of color. You see people of color within the media, Hollywood, on TV, and even in office. But, with all the attacks, systematic discrimination, setbacks, and the downfall of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity, it is hard to ignore the fact that racism is very much so alive.

As a south Floridian, I have had a firsthand experience of racism. I decided, a long time ago, that the entertainment industry would be the safest place for a person of color to work. I say this because over the years, I noticed more and more that transgenders, homosexuals, and non-Caucasians were being accepted within the industry… or, at least I thought. The Los Angeles Times (2012) quickly set my presumptions straight, explaining that Oscar voters are still predominately Caucasian (94%).

Have you ever qualified for a job, had all the credentials, educational level, and skills in order to properly do the job, walked into the interview, and never received a courtesy call afterwards? I have.

BuzzFeed.com Reveals Hollywood Facts That Will Make You Cringe: 

After receiving my bachelors and having two years of experience within the management industry, I decided to apply for a higher paying job elsewhere. I received a call that week and was asked if I could do a phone interview. I completed the phone interview and was called back to come in. I was asked to dress casually, and told that the spot needed to be filled quickly.

I arrived 30 minutes early. I reviewed all of the subjects they told me would be mentioned. I met with the store manager who spent less than 15 minutes interviewing me. The last question she asked me was when I could start. She even told me that she only had one more person to interview and that she would call me later on in the week to discuss the next steps. To make a long story short, I never received a call.

Become Your Own Boss:

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I factored out everything I could have possibly done incorrectly. There was absolutely nothing I could think of to throw off my chances of employment. And, that’s when it hit me… it wasn’t me that caused my own demise; it was the color of my skin.

This was not the first time a situation like the above happened, and I am sure it will not be the last. According to a 2011 BET movie consumption study, “81% of the movies seen by black Americans do not feature a black-American cast, storyline, or even a lead black star”. What does that tell you? It is time non-Caucasian entrepreneurs start building corporately successful businesses.

Do You Suspect You're Being Discriminated Against? Seek Help:

• Know your rights.
• File a civil rights complaint.
• Ask a lawyer.

BPW1: Experts Views on the Value of Business Plans

Business Planning Expert: Tim Berry

Tim Berry is an entrepreneur, published business author, and a professional business planner. He also happens to be the founder of Palo Alto Software. The website for his company is called Bplans.com. According to Tim Berry, the key components that investors are looking for in a business plan include the following:

1. Executive Summary: Would be considered your company’s first impression.
2. Products and Services: Explains what you’re trying to achieve and technologies you’re using to do so 
3. Target Market: Lets your investors know whom you are selling to, and how you are solving their problems.
4. Management Team: Includes team biographies, and would be what is most needed for those seeking investments.
5. Financial Plan: Releases information on how much money you are spending and how much you are bringing in.

I will consider including the target market section in my business plan. The reason why is because I want to make sure it is known that my company is not just targeted for a certain type of stereotypical person. I want it to be known that any and everyone can take advantage of my products and services.

Expert Business Planning Consultant: Akira Hirai

Akira Hirai also happens to have experience in entrepreneurship. He has a combined 20 years of experience in management, business planning, financial analysis, software engineering, operations, and decision analysis. He is the CEO and founder of Cyenne Consulting, LLC. The website for his company is called Caycon.com. According to Akira Hirai, the key components that investors are looking for in a business plan include the following:

1. Pick one business model: In order to focus on making your plan appealing to a specific possible audience.
2. Keep the investor interested, beginning with the executive summary.
3. Promises: Don’t make big ones unless you are confident you can keep them. Don’t be too optimistic when it comes to measuring the size of the market.
4. Refrain from being repetitive: We should avoid repeating catchphrases and ourselves.
5. Acknowledging competition: Make sure that all information isn’t a carbon copy of another person’s business plan and works.

I will consider including the acknowledging competition section in my business plan. The reason why is because I want to ensure that I am able to be different from my competitor. I don’t want to make it look like I am trying to copy anyone. 

Success within the Business Industry

Whenever people ask me what my major is, I tell them that its in business. I can't count how many times someone has questioned, belittled, and just ridiculed my major. People tend to think that a business major is worthless or too broad of a subject to grasp. I've had people tell me that the major is worthless, or that it is the second to last major that wont get me anywhere in life… they’ve called an Art major the worst one to have. CBS News has even listed 8 reasons as to why you should not get a business degree. 

But, that simply is not true. I have learned so much as a business major. I have learned how to successfully manage my own finances, how to pitch a business idea, how to create a presentation, and way more than what I'd be able to list right now. I have so much that I want to do in life, and this major has helped in every single one of my desires. 

My desires are to become: 

• Real Estate Broker 
• Lawyer
• Judge 
• Supreme Court Justice

This year, I am now in enrolled to become a real estate agent. Becoming a real estate agent will put me on the right path in order to become a real estate broker. I have to take the GMAT in order to get enrolled for my Doctorates in real estate. I also have to take the LSAT in order to go to law school. Fortune.com even called business school a waste of time. But, this is something that I would still want to pursue. 

Dean Amy Hillman explains the importance of business education:

After completing that, I am going to become a Real Estate attorney. I will only have 2 other desires that I need to fulfill and then everything will be crossed off my list, in the name of Jesus. This is why I can’t agree with anyone when they tell me that my major is worthless. By the grace of God, I have accomplished so much in such a small amount of time. My journey does not stop here.  

Learn more about my business plan here.

Read about my chosen career field here.  

Career Field

     I have so many chosen career fields. I talked about them in some of my previous blog posts and in class as well. I am going to talk about 3 that will connect to one another by the end of this blog post.

     Being an entrepreneur is harder than most think. I started selling things for my school fundraisers at the age of 8. When I saw how easy it was to get people to buy stuff from me, my friend and I started an in school business that focused on the sale of homemade rulers.

     I would color the top of a large or small storage box container with a crayon in order to get the color that the customer desired. After doing that, I would put glue over it. We would come back the next day and peel the dried ruler off.

     We would sell the small one for ten cents ($0.10) and the larger one for twenty-five cents ($0.25). The only thing my friend had to do was a find potential customer to sell them to. We would split the revenue 50/50. When I think about it now, I was getting cheated because the cost of goods came from out of my pocket, due to my supplying the glue, crayons, and storage containers.

     All of my career fields are in so many different industry categories... from the law field, to the hair and beauty field, to the real estate industry, and even in the telemarketing industry. You can really sum my area of business and professional interest into one category, customer service. I want to service customers as an attorney, as a real estate broker, as a life insurance broker, as a doctor, as a salon owner, as a hair extension distributor, as a telemarketing company owner, and as a retail storeowner.

Distribution Issue Examples

Real Estate: There may be a time where property owners go through a divorce, family issues, someone dies, franchise issues, and or partnership issues. Distribution laws can help a lot with that, but it could still take a while to resolve the issue.

Budget: Not setting a budget for the distribution of items, products, or inventory can be very bad for your business. Where else would you get the money to do it?

E-Commerce: Being an online store could be hard for distribution because I would have to ensure that inventory levels are always correct.