You have to think a certain way, and that includes never giving up and constantly working on your craft. Even if you fail, the fact that you can continue to work hard makes the difference.
Ali Mayar is an entrepreneur and business owner located in Long Island, New York. He is the CEO of Platinum Rapid Funding Group, and is a rising star in the merchant cash advance industry. He started his professional career in the world of corporate security, and after being introduced to the arena of alternative finance industries, Ali Mayar decided to shift gears. Knowing that his relentless desire to succeed, coupled with his determining work ethic, Ali Mayar created Platinum Rapid Funding Group. Ali Mayar devotes the majority of his time and efforts into giving his team at Platinum Rapid Funding Group the proper guidance and skills in order to provide efficient funding solutions for businesses of all sorts.
Outside of his work life, Ali Mayar enjoys spending time with those close to him, whether they are his friends or family. Other interests of Ali Mayar include his curiosity for automobiles, and a true passion for music. Even though it is work related, Ali Mayar has also been known to share his entrepreneurial spirit with others, including his own employees. He enjoys sharing advice to help people progress in their careers, in addition to sharing motivational tips to help encourage others to perform at the peak of their abilities.
Where did the idea for Platinum Rapid Funding Group come from?
Throughout the course of my early career, I was introduced to multiple areas of alternative finance. Even though I enjoyed my professional career up to that point, I wanted a new challenge, and knew that if I put forth the effort that I could succeed with what would end up becoming my company, Platinum Rapid Funding Group.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I like to start every day and finish every day strong. Our team has meetings and we go over everything that we want to accomplish short and long term. Productivity throughout the day can be achieved by taking different avenues, but my route is simple. I want to make sure everyone is properly motivated, and I also want to acknowledge his or her hard work and efforts. If I show my team that I care, that in turn makes what we do a much more seamless effort.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Simply put, if I envision it, any idea I have will eventually meet reality. You have to really put forth the work ethic to make sure your plans and goals are met, but if I don’t believe an idea is possible then why bother? I believe in myself, and I believe in my team, and our drive to make things happen always works out.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
I’ve said this before to others, but a trend I find very exciting is seeing all these young entrepreneurs popping up all over the place. The Millennial generation has seen so many people before them have trouble finding jobs the past decade or so, to the point where they are starting to take matters into their own hands. I think this is absolutely fantastic and I hope to see that trend continue.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I think this is shared by many successful entrepreneurs, but constant, relentless work ethic for my business. Being an entrepreneur is an interesting thing when you think about it. The guidelines to being successful are pretty clear, yet many people can’t reach their goals. You have to think a certain way, and that includes never giving up and constantly working on your craft. Even if you fail, the fact that you can continue to work hard makes the difference.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
I’ve never really had a bad job, thankfully. I will say that the greatest things I’ve learned in my business ventures would have occurred when I met forms of failure. I don’t have any specific examples off the top of my head, but I find that failure helps mold you and teaches you want to avoid in the future.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
I can’t really say I’d do anything differently to be honest. I am very happy with the choices I’ve made, past and present. The team I have surrounded myself with has been astounding, and I am very proud on what we have accomplished together.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I am constantly thinking of ways to grow my business, and grow as a person. A mistake I see a lot of entrepreneurs make is becoming comfortable. If you aren’t actively attempting to grow, whether in business or personally, the only place to go is down and that happens more so than not. Even if you are in a static position with the growth of your business, the effort to progress is extremely important in making sure your company stays relevant.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
I have probably touched on this already, but it shouldn’t be understated how important it is to surround yourself with the best talent. Making sure I know what skills are needed, as well as the type of people I want on board with me, is the best strategy I have implemented in order to find constant and growing success throughout the years. You are only as good as the people around you, so make sure you know what you need and seek the proper talent to make up your team.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I can’t think of a particular example that would be deemed a major failure that forced me to change the course of my company. We have been very fortunate in that regard, however, there have been minor road blocks along the way. Whenever you come across a type of failure the best way to handle it is by treating it as a learning experience. Failure can be very disheartening to some, because it exposes things about us that we don’t want to face. But instead of letting it harm your growth in business, if you let it teach you a lesson it makes the next hardships much easier to identify, and ultimately avoid.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I’ve seen plenty of small businesses come and go, but the ones that stay are usually the ones that offer a solution to a problem in specific industries. This would obviously be tailored to ones passions or talents so it is hard to say one particular idea is the end all be all for starting a new business. I would say though, if you have above average skills with computers, whether that be through web design or video editing etc., a small business helping companies by using knowledge computer technology provides a lot of opportunities to work for yourself with low overhead. Get creative and you can do all sorts of things.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I really enjoy reading books on entrepreneurship, or how companies started and such. I feel like the more knowledge of different types of successes I can gather will make me a better business owner myself. Recently I purchased a lot of great books online, probably worth around $100, so I would say that would be the best $100 I’ve spent recently.
What software and web services do you use? What do you love about them?
I just use the usual social media websites, my favorite being LinkedIn. I love LinkedIn from the beginning, because it really gives you the ability to show credibility to others as well as see what other professionals are doing in their businesses.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
A must read for your community is a book called “How Google Works”, by Eric Schmidt. I’m in the middle of it currently, but it is a fantastic look inside the beginnings of the goliath that is now Google, including the culture they built, talent they gathered, and how they really changed the internet landscape.
What people have influenced your thinking and might be of interest to others?
I actually watch a lot of motivational videos, and there are so many great speakers and success stories out there. Some of the people that have influenced my thinking would be pretty obvious in the entrepreneur community, such as the late Steve Jobs, or someone like Tony Robbins etc. But interestingly enough, I was surprised hearing speeches from actor Will Smith or Jim Carrey depicting their entrepreneurial spirit. Most people look at those two as entertainers, but listening to the path they both took individually to where they are now is always inspiring to me.
Will Smith Video –
Jim Carrey Video –
Connect:
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Ali Mayar on Twitter: @alimayar400
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Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.