When Phoenix Aficionado founder Lisa Marie “Phoenix†Jackson enrolled in the Black Enterprise Small Business University (SBU) powered by Dell Inc. in 2012, she was looking for practical strategies she could put into play immediately. The eight-week program of online video courses provided original tutorials featuring a team of rotating business, marketing, and technology experts.
“For me, SBU was the equivalent of an M.B.A. It helped me to navigate some of the pitfalls of running a business before I could fall into them. SBU helped me bring my vision board [for my company] to life,†says Jackson. Launched in January 2012, Phoenix Aficionado is a social media consulting firm.
Not only did participating in SBU help Jackson hit the ground running, she also was chosen out of thousands of SBU registrants as the coveted grand-prize winner of a package that included a $10,000 Dell office setup.
At the time of Jackson’s lucky win, Phoenix Aficionado averaged $3,000 to $4,000 in monthly income. Today, Jackson averages about $6,000 in monthly incomes and maintains a diversified portfolio of six ongoing clients, and serves a social media consultant for Highbrid Media, and a project management consultant for Shore Associates Group.
“I went from having to take on pro bono cases just to build my portfolio nearly a year in operation to having business leads flowing in continuously,†she says. Being profiled in the our November 2012 issue helped to increase her customer base substantially. “Prior to the article, I had clients in the tri-state area as well as Chicago. After the article ran I was covering clients nationwide,†recalls Jackson. “I got a lot of quality leads due to the exposure.â€
Winning SBU made a major dent in the business also in terms of resources. “I was buying one item at a time. The most significant items that Dell provided were a desktop station which I used to make my home office. I had an old laptop that had broken right before the notification of the win.” She also won three Dell laptops. “I carry the XPS13 with me everywhere I go. One I use to run social media software,” she says. “One of the other general laptop units I leverage whenever I’m working remotely to continue to run social media software programs efficiently when I’m away from my Desktop for a significant period of time.”
Jackson’s journey to entrepreneurship began after holding jobs in sales, customer service, and accounting at companies such as Sprint. She decided to give up the stability of a steady paycheck in 2011 to become a businesswoman at age 26. The Brooklyn, New York, native had developed a knack for building online relationships and helping her employers connect with customers using sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. So she created a business plan to launch her company.
She used personal savings of $2,500 to cover startup costs for Web design, photography, marketing software, an iPhone, a tablet, and a professional camera. She also bartered with local entrepreneurs such as a graphic designer to help set up her Facebook and Twitter pages.
The SBU win also helped Jackson with hiring. “Initially I invested in part-time employees, but I have since shifted that structure. I am using independent contractors, consultants in the tri-state area. I also use remote workers around the country,†she says. “I learned from SBU, you can’t be an island to successfully grow your business.â€
Jackson continues to apply the lesions she learned from SBU experts to help her both maintain and grow her business. Another big move she says is that she has since redefined her business model.
“Before SBU, I would describe my company as a digital project management consultancy because I looked at myself as a one-stop shop. But my strong suite really is in social media,†she explains. “I have been focusing on that area more. I also have been focusing on and working with businesses in the fashion and education industries.â€
In fact, she recently launched her first event under the Phoenix Aficionado banner, entitled SMWiFashion. The debut event, which is being held Tuesday, February 18th, is a panel discussion tailored towards sharing best practices on multicultural marketing in indie fashion.
In addition, she joined forces with a local advertising agency, Highbrid Media, also a small black owned business. That relationship came about after meeting the owners, Juan Perez and Daniel Gutzmore, at an event. “The one thing that SBU emphasized is the importance of building relationships. I stayed in contact and shared information with Highbrid, and about six months later they bought on board as social media consultant.â€
Now you can move your business forward as Jackson did: SBU is back by popular demand. AARP, one of the world’s largest member organizations with more than 37 million members, has partnered with Black Enterprise to present SBU. Once again, the online video course offers expert advice to entrepreneurs looking to start and grow profitable small businesses.
SBU’s team of rotating business, marketing, branding, and technology all-stars include ‘SmallBizLady’ Melinda Emerson; Vanguarde Consulting Group CEO Derrick Webster; Ramon Ray, Regional Development Director for InfusionSoft and Editor of Smallbiztechnology.com; and Alfred Edmond Jr., SVP/Chief Content Officer of Black Enterprise.
In addition, SBU experts and the Black Enterprise editorial team are available via Twitter chats to connect directly with participants, answer questions, and provide additional resources.
The 2014 SBU grand prize is a trip for two to the 2014 Entrepreneurs Conference featuring keynote speaker T.D. Jakes.
To register for the Small Business University and for additional information, tools, and resources about small business success, visit www.blackenterprise.com/sbu and www.aarp.org/blackcommunity. Follow us on Twitter @BlackEnterprise and @AARPBlackCom and join the conversation using hashtag #SmallBizU.