CJ LaMora, Owner of start-up contracting company CJ Builds LLC., set out on his business venture when he was backed into a corner by the recession. In 2009, he lost his job as an intern at an architectural firm that had been hit hard by the recession. After he was laid off, his previous employer was gracious enough to be able to provide a few small jobs for C.J., but soon these jobs would dry up too. C.J. opens up, “At this point I was tired and beaten, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do or how I was going to support myself.”
C.J. did what he was supposed to do to be successful in life. He earned his degree in architecture, moved on to an internship and was taking the straight and narrow path towards success. The well lit path that he was taking up the mountain of success suddenly disappeared in the economic recession and he was forced to find another way to the top. While he was in his vocational valley, CJ started to blaze his own trail towards success by deciding to start his own business venture.
“Once I got passed this desperation and/or depression, I realized that I had the courage and the fortitude to achieve success via other avenues.”
CJ had the skills to be successful in the contracting world. He had experience as an architect and had the vision to start his own firm. The opportunity to start was brought on by a low point, but it could be a chance for him to climb a higher mountain.
Although the contracting company is still in its infancy, CJ is experiencing early success and has an opportunity to follow his own path with his Business. He has set up his company website, CJ-Builds.com, along with a Facebook page and a Twitter account (@CJbuildsllc). He explains his expectations in regards to a Social Media presence, it is important for my “friends and family to know what I am doing, and for them to tell their friends and family about me when someone they know says ‘Hey, I am thinking about re-doing my bathroom.’”
Facebook is a great opportunity to do just that. It has become a way to network through friends and family referrals and to gain the image of being ‘a good neighbor’. Social Media Guru, Gail Martin says, “being a good neighbor is essential to creating a successful business”. People trust other people that are in their community circles. If your company is trusted by a member of a community, then there is a good chance that you will be doing more work in that circle of people.
Facebook is an opportunity to be active within several communities of people. It is important that you realize that it’s more of a networking and referral tool than a selling tool. You should be fueling your network growth each time you work with a client. Ask them to write on your wall about the job you did, perhaps you can offer them a $10 Starbucks card to do so. Give them a free upgrade if they refer your business to a friend on Facebook or take them to lunch if they include your business in their status. With everyone from grandmas to grandsons on facebook, you should be maximizing your networking power!
Your Social Media pages should also have the goal of bringing traffic to your website. That is why it is important that your website is organized and professional in appearance. The website is the place that lists your products and services, and is where a customer will get a sense of what your business is really about. Bringing people to your website is one important tool to succeeding in the Internet age.
The most important aspect of getting traffic to your website is enhancing its performance in Search Engine results. Just think of how often you look up a product or service on Google and choose something off of the first page? Rarely does someone venture on to the 4th or 5th page and choose a company from there. Being on the first page of a search engine result is the best way to bring traffic and attention to your site.
If you are a Small Business owner and are interested in building a website and improving your Search Engine Results, then contact The World Advisory Company. Committed to seeing small businesses grow and succeed in the DC metro area, they will work with you to figure out your needs and to strengthen your company’s marketing efforts.
To all of you Small Business owners out there, take heart that Rags to Riches stories can and do happen in the United States. If you have a great product or service and a hard work ethic, and the right vision than you will absolutely be successful. At this time, I would like to direct you to a great article on Businesspundit.com that gives a list of 10 companies that started from nothing and turned into fortune 500 companies (http://www.businesspundit.com/fortune-500-rags-to-riches/).
If you are interested in having your business featured in Small Business View, please Contact Us
By Michael Steenstra