Having known from the time he was a teenager that he wanted to be a business owner, Steven Dale is the founder of Blind Brokers Network. “It’s all I dreamed about,” he says. “I started my first real business at the age of 16 in my parent’s garage manufacturing after-market plastic parts for cars. And I still see my product on cars 35 years later!”
That singular focus is what has enabled Steven to become the successful entrepreneur he is today. Now approaching three decades in business, he recently took some time to write down his thoughts and share his insights regarding some of the most pressing issues facing today’s business owners…
On the biggest challenge today’s entrepreneurs face:
The biggest challenge lies in deciding the direction to take. As an entrepreneur it can be difficult to choose the right course of action. If you are opening a dentist’s office all you really need to do is decide where and how to get customers. Entrepreneurs need to carve a new path, have a vision and dream big.
Another great challenge in business today is how to stay focused on what you are doing. When the economy is down, we business owners have a tendency to chase rabbits in all different directions. We need to stay focused.
On the biggest piece of advice he’d give to aspiring entrepreneurs:
My biggest piece of advice is to dream big, learn to set goals and follow through. Staying focused on the end result and basing all your decisions on that single end result is critical to success.
As Robert Kiyosaki and Donald trump say, you have to F.O.C.U.S., Follow One Course Until Successful!
On marketing:
The greatest marketing strategy is useless without implementation. Being able to communicate your vision to your customers and employees is how good businesses become great businesses.
On what a healthy obsession can do for you:
I became so obsessed with online marketing in 2010 that I changed the package we sell. It now includes an amazing online system I developed, which in turn includes a website, Google places, YouTube videos and a complex web of online services. Since 82% of our consumers go online first, we must meet them where they hang out, and that’s online!
On where he’s been and what that taught him:
Before I started my own business, I was in the mud wrestling business. I worked for a talent agency in Hollywood that specialized in male exotic dancers and female mud wrestlers (Hey, it was the 80’s!). We also sent shows all over the world. I learned how to take risks by watching the owners of the company. They taught me how to think outside the box and to always look for a new opportunity. I learned to spot opportunities very quickly.
On what it takes to make a sale:
All leads are followed up via phone, email and an auto-responder system.
On what motivates and inspires him:
I love helping people to succeed, and I love dreaming big. It’s a thrill to me to know hundreds of families are now self-employed using the systems we developed. And to think it all started with my simple blind and shutter business. I loved selling blinds and shutters. I loved the gratification of seeing my work completed and off to the next client. I loved developing new marketing ideas and testing new products.
On motivating and inspiring others:
Owning a business is an opportunity to grow. Every teacher knows the greatest growth in learning comes at the point of frustration. Push the student ten steps forward, then step back four steps. Repeat. I love helping people discover their passions.
According to scientists, we all have 300 to 400 hidden talents that we are completely unaware of. How will you know what you can do if you don’t try new things?
More about Blind Brokers Network:
Blind Brokers Network enables ambitious entrepreneurs to start their very own independent window covering business offering products and services that outpace the largest competitors in the industry. The company is dedicated to ensuring its members’ success, providing comprehensive training, pricing, systems and ongoing education and support.