Today I’m welcoming on www.entrepreneurship-interviews.com Jeet, a young entrepreneur from the USA. Jeet, how old were you when you started your first business jbmediaforce.com
Jeet: Hey Christian, thanks for featuring me in your segment. I started my first business JB Media Force at the age of 17.
What exactly does jbmediaforce.com do?
Jeet: That’s a good question; JB Media Force is a web design, web development, and internet marketing company. We design and develop all kinds of websites and even help market websites on the internet through social media or search engines.
What was the process of creating jbmediaforce.com as a business? You had previous experience with web design and decided to do a business out of it, or you just followed where the money was?
Jeet: Well, I used to be an assistant at my dad’s software development company for a while before I started JB Media Force. It wasn’t that I didn’t like working there; I just hated to be told what to do by someone else. I could do what he did myself, so I decided to start my own web design and development company. The process wasn’t as easy as I had expected, but I had to start by getting my company’s website and finding a solid team who could do the designing and development for me.
What is your elevator pitch when presenting the business?
Jeet: If you have a business, you have to be online regardless of what you are selling in today’s day and age. If you aren’t online, let me help you get online with a cost-effective website that I will market for you and generate revenue.
What about the portfolio? Who do you have onboard so far?
Jeet: I have worked with all kinds of companies, individuals, and organizations. I have worked with a Forbes 500 company and a few other big-name companies.
Most young web entrepreneurs start as freelancers, but you quickly went into having a 15 people team. How hard is it to manage a team at your age?
Jeet: Yeah, I knew that if I wanted to make a lot of money….I couldn’t be a one-person show. That’s why I looked for others to the designing and developing to focus on what I do best, which was the marketing and managing of the business. Managing a team at my age does have its ups and downs; often time’s people older than me find it difficult to work under me. I think that has been one of the biggest challenges I have had to manage a big team at a young age.
What was the key to success in your case?
Jeet: I think the biggest key was my determination to succeed. I am extremely motivated and determined in whatever I do, and I am willing to do anything required to succeed. I work hard and give it my all, and I hope for the best.
I think you have a small business as your customers as well? What is important when it comes to having a site done for a small business? How does a small business entrepreneur know that the investment into a site is worthwhile?
Jeet: Yeah, we work with quite a few small businesses. Well, I think the most important thing for small businesses is to get some website up fast, so they have some sort of online presence. With so many potential customers finding companies online, all businesses must get online. Well, I try to show small businesses that their competitors are online and they have to do everything possible to keep up with their competition if they want to be successful.
And you started a second business quite fast. What is it about?
Jeet: The second business was started by a friend & me, and it’s called status. You can visit the website at www.StatFuse.com. It’s a great website that is completely free and allows students to make the transition from high school to college very simple.
How exactly does it help students?
Jeet: StatFuse offers various tools that students can utilize to help make their transition to college much easier. Our most popular tool is the “Calculator,” which allows students to plug in their high school profiles and calculate their chances to colleges around the nation. We also have other tools like College Recommendations, College Insider, and more that students can use for absolutely FREE!
How many users did you have so far? And is a matching engine better than following “what your parents are saying” when it comes to choosing a college?
Jeet: We gained about 12,000 users within the first month of launching without investing a single dollar into marketing. Well, quite often parents want you to go to the best college possible and make you apply to the top colleges. However, students waste tons of money applying to the top colleges because they can get rejected since they lack a strong academic profile. With the help of StatFuse, students & parents can get a realistic look at what schools fit their student’s profiles the best.
Interesting! How did you come up with the idea?
Jeet: My partner & I were graduating high school and contemplating various colleges that we should attend. While having this discussion, we decided to look up a website to calculate our chances to see where we can get in. However, our searches didn’t solve our problem, and then we decided to create something ourselves.
Any other plans or ideas for the future? How do you balance work, life, and friends?
Jeet: Well, it’s funny you ask because I’m currently on the verge of launching two more startup companies this summer. The first company (Hypetize) is a promotional tool that helps talented musicians and artists get heard while involving the fans like never before. The second company (Vintelli) is an internet marketing website that allows websites of all sizes to rank atop the search engines and social media.
So how does it feel to be an entrepreneur?
Jeet: The feeling of being an entrepreneur is just great! As an entrepreneur, I look for problems in the world that people face daily and then try to provide a solution. It feels great knowing that I have actually helped solve problems that many people face.