SBE 310 Week 3 Part 1 – Entrepreneur Interview Paper

Entrepreneur Interview Paper Small Business and Entrepreneurship DeVry University Interviewee: Dshondria Pritchett Business Name: Xplicit Hair Occupation: Master Cosmetologist Number: 404*453* 1994 Interviewer: Chrishondra Fields • What challenges did you face and overcome? I had several challenges that I faced, like being single mother, not really knowing what I want to accomplish in life, trying to start a business without the proper finances, not fully knowing the business (Pritchett, D., 2014). • What failures did you have? When the recession hit I didn’t have a back-up plan, I took a hit, but I didn’t give up. I had to make a few changes to my plans and I had to take a part-time job just to make ends meet, but I got through that rough pack and got back on the road to success (Pritchett, D., 2014). • How many companies you started? Just one. Like, I said before I had to make changes. I want to have my own space, but I decided to go into business with a partner doing free-lance beauty services. I will be looking to open a small space in the next year or two and work my way up from there (Pritchett, D., 2014). • How successful are you? Not as successful as I want to be, but I can say business is doing good. I still work in a salon behind a chair and do free-lance work to build the new business. We are targeting weddings, photo shoots, movie sets birthdays, etc. to satisfy clients beauty needs (Pritchett, D., 2014). • Why are you successful? I believe because I didn’t give up, although there were times when I wanted to, but I kept on going. I am determined to be successful no matter what it takes, I believe more I strive to be successful, the more successful I will be (Pritchett, D., 2014). • Why you become an entrepreneur? I became an entrepreneur because I wanted to work for myself. I wanted the freedom to make my own schedule vs. punching in on someone’s clock. Doing this granted me the liberty to have set times and days to work and have time to spend with my family (Pritchett, D., 2014). • What did you learn about entrepreneurship from this interview? I learned that becoming an entrepreneur is not easy, that it is very hard work. I have to learn from every mistake that I may make, knowing that it will only make me a better business owner. I cannot be afraid to fail‼! I often hear people say, “Failure is not an option.” When it the total opposite…it is an option, it needs to be an option. If you do not have a well thought out business plan, nine times out of ten you will fail. Failing does not mean that you lose, it merely means that know what it takes to become a successful business owner. If you fail, don’t give up. Continue to persevere because you will become a better business owner in the end. References Pritchett, D. (2014, February 27). (Fields, C. Interviewer) Show Less