First off, you need to define your goals and why you have them. Then, set a strategy and discuss it with different groups of trusted people. Assign roles and tasks by incentivizing and explaining the big-picture importance of the project. Then, get going!
Geno Roefaro is an Internet entrepreneur who has founded several web and mobile app companies.
Geno has been an entrepreneur since a young age, first selling stereo equipment in middle school to his friends. In high school, he sold consumer electronic products online during the emergence of eBay, and he later hired multiple web developers and designers to create and run his own e-commerce website.
While attending Florida Atlantic University, Geno founded the Keys to Success Series, a compilation of seminars, interviews, and publications geared toward helping young entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. He enlisted the likes of Bob Parsons (founder of GoDaddy), Mike Levy (founder of CBS’ SportsLine.com), Daniel Cane (co-founder of Blackboard), and other notable figures to share their “keys to success” with up-and-coming generations of entrepreneurs.
Geno is currently president of WebDevelop.com, a company that helps businesses, entrepreneurs, and governments reach their goals through the development of web and mobile platforms. He has provided consulting services to thousands of organizations across the globe, including Live Nation, DISH Network, Florida Atlantic University, Moocho, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Where did the idea for WebDevelop.com come from?
I founded Boca Web Design in 2011 that focused on smaller, more localized businesses. Everything changed two years later when Internet mogul Mike Mann became my client. He quickly expressed a desire to buy my company, but I wanted to continue what I was doing, so I offered him the opportunity to become my partner.
He invested in the business, and with him as our CEO, we rebranded to WebDevelop.com and began focusing on larger clients, taking the company national.
What does your typical day look like, and how do you make it productive?
I try to outsource all of my daily tasks to save time and stay focused on bigger-picture items.
I go for a run on the beach almost every morning while listening to music and drink a green smoothie afterward. It gets my energy going and builds momentum that carries me through the day.
Before work, I send and respond to emails and make phone calls on the way to the office. I typically arrive at 9 a.m. and prepare for a daily staff meeting that happens religiously at 9:30. At least one person from every department attends and gives quick updates on every single active client and project we have in the pipeline. This daily gathering usually lasts an hour.
After that, my day mostly consists of client meetings, emails, and various off-site meetings. I also typically have a combination of client and partner breakfasts, lunches, or dinners during the week. I go home only when the priorities of the day are completed to my satisfaction. This is usually anywhere from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., but some days it might not be until 9.
How do you bring ideas to life?
First off, you need to define your goals and why you have them. Then, set a strategy and discuss it with different groups of trusted people. Assign roles and tasks by incentivizing and explaining the big-picture importance of the project. Then, get going!
Too much talking and too much planning are never good. What I’ve learned from owning a software company is that it’s 10 times more valuable to have buggy code than no code at all. All software and applications are created in small iterations over time, and that’s the approach I take in running my company. I tend to take risks quickly and see what’s working or not working, then I make swift adjustments.
One step forward is worth more than a thousand years of “thinking about it.”
Trust the people doing the work, but still track the work they’re doing. The purpose of setting a goal is to see a result, so I closely monitor everything in our system using a combination of strategy and data-driven analytics.
Finally, I like to get as much feedback as I can before making decisions. I can be wrong — I often am — so the point is to understand more angles than just my own. I can change quickly, and I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Mobile payments. They turn everything into the candy or gum you see in the checkout aisle at the grocery store. So many products are bought on impulse, so the easier it is to make a purchase, the better. Mobile payments ensure a sellers’ market for whatever is being sold.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
When you run or start a business, you can easily get lost in the hurdles and never finish the race. You have to be able to cut through all of that or you’ll never get anywhere. Be direct with people, and get things done.
What was the worst job you ever had, and what did you learn from it?
By far, the worst job I ever had was being an assistant to the assistant on a construction site. My dad happened to own the company, and we didn’t want the workers to know I was his son, so I filled the absolute lowest position. My job was to sweep, pick up trash, keep the site clean, and throw out scraps. I was basically the errand boy.
But because of this, I learned to respect all types of people and appreciate hard work and hard workers. I also learned that I never again wanted to have a manual labor job. Office work is the life for me. Nevertheless, I’m always respectful to the staff at every restaurant, hotel, carwash, or any other place I visit, and I always will be.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
I think I would’ve benefitted from working for a large company before starting my own just to see how they operate. I’d be willing to pay a lot of money right now to see the insides of a big corporation and learn its tactics.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I never give up. It’s cliché, but it’s true. I never, ever give up.
I see failures and setbacks as learning experiences and valuable lessons. The only time you ever really fail is when you quit. You’ll never know how close you are to succeeding unless you continue to push forward. If you truly believe in what you’re doing, never quit no matter what.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Above all, partnerships. We’ve developed strategic relationships that offer complementary services that don’t directly compete with our business. Our referral and partnership program is key for growing and generating business while doing the same for those who support us.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I’ve had many, but one was that I took on projects for too low of a price tag. I think a lot of service entrepreneurs fall into this trap.
Many times in business, especially with large overhead and so many expenses, you become tempted to make deals happen just to bring cash in the door and worry about the delivery later. I think the main way to solve this problem is by understanding and setting clear expectations on both sides — and definitely getting them in writing.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Essentially, anything that has a supply and demand side that involves people and services can be “Uber-ized” and turned into a mobile app. Look for industries and marketplaces that have unused capacity. For example, a masseur who is consistently booked for only five out of eight hours every day can offer those three extra hours at a discount. It’s easy to do things like that through mobile apps.
There are several untapped commodities with unused capacity that could be sold on demand and in real time. Uber and Airbnb do it, and there are countless other opportunities just waiting to be capitalized on.
Tell us something about you that few people know?
I’m dyslexic and was diagnosed with ADD as a child. I don’t read very quickly, I’m not a very good speller, and I’ve always struggled in a classroom setting. I probably had a C average throughout my schooling.
As soon as I got to college, I was able to find myself by getting involved in student government and a business fraternity. I’ve always had people skills, and I soon began to realize how I was going to excel.
During my freshman year, I started my first software company in my dorm room. Once we became successful, I dropped out of school and focused on my company full time. I still struggle with writing emails and proposals, but I manage to get by.
The lesson here is that you shouldn’t beat yourself up for not being good at the things society says you should be good at. We all learn and communicate differently, so put yourself out there, try different things, and find what you’re great at. Embrace and accept the things you aren’t the best at, but own and master the skills you enjoy.
What software and web services do you use? What do you love about them?
I love the custom-based web application my company developed. It runs every aspect of our business. We can make real-time changes that mirror our business model as it grows, and we can get analytics on things no one else is tracking or even thinking about — all in real time.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
My business partner Mike’s book, “Make Millions and Make Change.” It’s practical and gives great insight into how he became so successful. More importantly, it’s directly tied to why he works so hard and why he chooses to give back to his community.
What people have influenced your thinking and might be of interest to others?
Every person I interviewed for Keys to Success taught me a lot, but no one can teach me more than Mike has.
Connect:
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Geno on Twitter: @geno
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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.