Jack Aspenson is the CEO and President of S3 Surface Solutions, a disruptive, client driven organization that focuses on providing environmentally friendly, simple surface systems that are long lasting and cost-effective. With more than 25 years of experience in entrepreneurial business development, consulting, and sales management, Jack knows how to develop a competitive advantage.
Entrepreneurial Role Models:
Jack’s Grandfather
When business started difficulties overcame:
“The toughest part of starting a business is you need to write the plan. One of the things I realised after my second one is you need a plan. If I didn’t have the plant to start it you don’t get to the point of execution fast enough or in an organised manner and you end up costing yourself money, time and confidence of your intended customers. Banks… You got to get a good relationship with the banks. Try to bootstrap it as much as you can from the beginning – in other words you pay for it without bringing onto many investors. If you need investors pick people who can contribute to your business. In other words, introduce you to customers, help you with technology… Then don’t be afraid to constantly review your business plan… That is a living document. You have to be able to not necessarily turn on a dime but be able to adjust your business model”…[Listen for More]
Favourite Books:
- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant Book by Renee Mauborgne W. Chan Kim
- Blue Ocean Shift: Beyond Competing – Proven Steps to Inspire Confidence and Seize New Growth Book by Renee Mauborgne W. Chan Kim
- If You Really Want to Change the World: A Guide to Creating, Building, and Sustaining Breakthrough Ventures Book by Kressel/Winarsky
Also mentioned:
- Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done Book by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
- Visionary Selling: How to Get to Top Executives and How to Sell Them When You’re There book Book by Barbara Geraghty
Favourite Quote:
“There are probably hundreds or even thousands of individuals around the world who have had the same idea you have had. The primary difference between you and them will be your ability to execute”
Recommended Online Resources:
- The Wall Street Journal – Breaking news and analysis from the U S and around the world. Politics, Economics, Markets, Life Arts, and in-depth reporting.
- Investopedia is the world’s leading source of financial content on the web, ranging from market news to retirement strategies, investing education to insights from advisors
- Mordor Intelligence provides Market Research Consulting, Reports, Advisory, Sizing Consulting Client Research, Market Analysis, Competitive Landscape Analysis, Global Strategic Business Reports and Custom Market Research
Best Advice to Other Entrepreneurs:
“accept risk. It’s going to happen… Accept change, be ready for it… Manage your personal cash flow as well as you do your business cash flow and don’t overspend. I don’t care if you are worth three or 4,000,000 dollars in the bank you can overspend and cause yourself to go down quickly… Plan… If you don’t have a plan you are planning to fail ”…[Listen for More]
More About Jack Aspenson:
Neil’s Quote at the Beginning:
“Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.” Pema Chodron
Other Quotes From the Chat with Jack Aspenson:
- “If you can’t differentiate yourself you are going to be stuck in what they call red ocean which is a price competitive market and that leads to price compression and it gives the ability for a larger company to crush you. You have got to have that differentiation”
- “We have been lucky to make small mistakes and recover from them pretty quickly because we’ve taken the time to allow things to come to fruition to bring on the right people at the right time.”
- “One of the deaf nails of the business is hiring people to soon – hiring a salesman when you don’t have a product to sell – hiring a manufacturing partner when you don’t have enough product coming through the door to pay his salary ”
- “I don’t think there is anything I would have done to shortcut it on this business, other businesses there are things I would have done but this one”
- “The drive to not fail. You have got so that next step every time. Fear or not move forward”
- “Take one little step forward, just keep walking, making little successes and you will become big successes. You don’t have to hit a home run every time a base hit works just as well”
- “When you are younger you are bullet-proof”
- “As an entrepreneur if you are not learning every day something new whether it’s within your business or within yourself you are not going to be around long not from a death stand point you are not going to carry your business forward”
- “The key to the whole thing…are you willing to put forth the effort to execute”
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