This is our third interview on FlowingEvents. We started publishing interview of successful small business owners and Social media people to know more about their business and social media engagements. You can see our first two interview from
2.In first place believe in yourself and your product-Oly
Today Jeff Block is going to talk with us about his business. He is the owner of Justpaperroses.
1. FlowingEvent: Tell us something about you and your business?
Jeff Block: 57 years old, BSME Cornell University ’76 and MBA University of Chicago ’78. I grew up as the son, grandson, nephew, and great-nephew of entrepreneurs and small business owners. When we had family occasions the men didn’t talk about sports, they talked about business. My grandfather used to take me for walks and tell me business stories.
http://www.justpaperroses.com/
FE: Thank You Jeff Block for this nice Interview...........:)
Jeff Block: Thank you too..
2.In first place believe in yourself and your product-Oly
Today Jeff Block is going to talk with us about his business. He is the owner of Justpaperroses.
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| glass roses |
1. FlowingEvent: Tell us something about you and your business?
Jeff Block: 57 years old, BSME Cornell University ’76 and MBA University of Chicago ’78. I grew up as the son, grandson, nephew, and great-nephew of entrepreneurs and small business owners. When we had family occasions the men didn’t talk about sports, they talked about business. My grandfather used to take me for walks and tell me business stories.
I entered the corporate world in 1978 in a job in the finance department
in the headquarters of a large conglomerate/holding-company (about $2 billion
in revenue). My grandfather asked me
“what’s happening to all the entrepreneurs today?” and I told him “Grandpa,
they offered me $19,500 per year! Why
should I risk my money?” (about $65,000 today).
I worked in the corporate world until 1993 when the latest company where
I was working was sold by our parent company to our major competitor. I had a choice to dust off my resume and seek
another corporate job, or try to create my own business. I had already created a unique Origami
foldout heart-shaped greeting card so I thought I’d give it a try to create a
greeting card business. The business
morphed into JustPaperRoses in 1999, and the rest as they say “is history”!
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| Bronze stork figurine |
2.FlowingEvents: What
big difficulties you faced or facing in this business?
Jeff Block: I can’t think of any big difficulty,
other than the daily frustration of not enough income in the early days. At the moment our sales level has flat-lined
since 2008 and it’s frustrating that nothing I do seems to work, to bring us to
the next level, but I’m very happy at the current level.
3. FlowingEvents: Your business website? Facebook page?
Website:
Facebook Page:
4. FE: Are
you promoting your business in internet/online? What is the result?
J.B: 100% online and has been since day
1. We’ve had over 45,000 customers,
mostly USA but also we’ve shipped to about 20 foreign countries and to US
Military on active duty around the world.
5.FE: Which
social site you prefer to promote your business?
J.B: I’m somewhat active on Facebook, but
my promoting there has yielded no results.
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| PotteryRose |
6. FE: What
is your future plan about your business?
J.B:
My future plan has
never changed…grow, grow, grow. My
step-daughter works for me fulltime, so eventually the business will be owned
by her and our other 2 children. There’s
no need to think about my own retirement as it’s the type of business I can
continue until the day before I have no more days.
7. FE: Do
you think you as a successful small business owner? If yes then Why?
J.B :
1. YES !!! When I left the corporate world I had, and still
do have, only one objective – to never work for anyone else again, to never
have a boss. I’ve accomplished that so I
am successful.
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| Creative Toilet Papers |
8. FE: Tell something for new people who are trying to start a business?
J.B:
1. First, do what you love. This is a well worn cliché. You’re going to be putting in lots of hours
and especially in the early years the financial rewards will not be there, so
you better love what you are doing. This
includes the whole picture – love your family, love where you work (city,
building, etc.), love whomever is working with you, love the dog/cat who shares
your office, love the car you drive, etc.
The challenge of your business will be very challenging, so everything
surrounding you has to be positive. I
was once asked by a business consultant
“if needed, would your wife quit her job/career to help you with your
business?” and he continued “if the
answer is “no” then I can’t help you”.
If you are going to start a business you need supportive and positive
people around you.
9. FE: What is your favorite quote?
J.B: 1. I’m a quotaholic, but my all time favorite is : “Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not. A sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.” ~ Horace Walpole. I’m not religious but do have a spirituality orienting around Universal principals, especially “what goes around, comes around” or “you receive what you give” or Newton’s 2nd Law: “for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction”. During the frustrating years I kept telling myself “just keep putting good stuff out there…”
I’ll add that my business is successful ONLY because somebody created the material traditions for Anniversaries – paper, cotton, leather, etc. If it were not for these traditions, we’d only be some unique artificial roses, and I’d be looking for my next corporate job. Recently an Entrepreneur Magazine Facebook question asked “what would you recommend to new startups to make their product or service a “must have””. My answer is to create a business or service “on the back” of a tradition. What is it that potential customers “must have” because a tradition says they must have it. Our cultures are filled with tradition, religious or non-religious. Here in the USA if you want to be in the turkey business, well then we have Thanksgiving where EVERYBODY “must have” a turkey.
I wrote a book, http://www.JustPaperRoses.com/Steel-Wool-on-a-Stick which is a 200 page answer to “how did you create your business?” It’s not a short answer and I only touched on answers in this interview. I will say I did not sit on the couch and one day have a brilliant thought of “I’m going to create JustPaperRoses”. My business grew from my hobby of Origami, my twirling cocktail napkin roses around my fingers to impress the ladies, and from my enjoyment of teaching kids Origami. Most businesses grow from something the person is already doing, and it morphs and grows over time.
J.B: 1. I’m a quotaholic, but my all time favorite is : “Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not. A sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.” ~ Horace Walpole. I’m not religious but do have a spirituality orienting around Universal principals, especially “what goes around, comes around” or “you receive what you give” or Newton’s 2nd Law: “for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction”. During the frustrating years I kept telling myself “just keep putting good stuff out there…”
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| Add caption |
I’ll add that my business is successful ONLY because somebody created the material traditions for Anniversaries – paper, cotton, leather, etc. If it were not for these traditions, we’d only be some unique artificial roses, and I’d be looking for my next corporate job. Recently an Entrepreneur Magazine Facebook question asked “what would you recommend to new startups to make their product or service a “must have””. My answer is to create a business or service “on the back” of a tradition. What is it that potential customers “must have” because a tradition says they must have it. Our cultures are filled with tradition, religious or non-religious. Here in the USA if you want to be in the turkey business, well then we have Thanksgiving where EVERYBODY “must have” a turkey.
I wrote a book, http://www.JustPaperRoses.com/Steel-Wool-on-a-Stick which is a 200 page answer to “how did you create your business?” It’s not a short answer and I only touched on answers in this interview. I will say I did not sit on the couch and one day have a brilliant thought of “I’m going to create JustPaperRoses”. My business grew from my hobby of Origami, my twirling cocktail napkin roses around my fingers to impress the ladies, and from my enjoyment of teaching kids Origami. Most businesses grow from something the person is already doing, and it morphs and grows over time.
Jeff Block: Thank you too..
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