Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Adrian Betts, Operations & Business Development Consultant of Xpandur, LLC, located in Atlanta, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Getting Warehouses MORE thruput with the SAME hours. My customers are small and medium-sized warehouse companies that want to be the next medium and large-sized warehouse companies. I have experience with Warehouses as small as 10,000 sq ft all the way up to 2,800,000 sq ft. Wherever there is a jacked-up warehouse, I'll go there. If it's a jacked-up warehouse in space, then "Beam me up, Scotty!" Everything I do is at scale. It's why we're named the way we are. Xpandur, LLC. When you want to expand your business operations.
Tell us about yourself
I started Xpandur, Inc in 2004 when I turned 21. I said to myself, "I want my name in bold in the textbooks." "I want my name to be an answer on a test." I wanted to go around and fix flow problems. I've worked at the following companies, each time hoping to be a company man. Work their 30 years and retire.-UPS, FedEx, Target, Nike, Walmart, Luxottica, GenPro/Club Chef, Amazon. I folded the company after the first mistake and said: "Welp, maybe business ain't for me." Nah, hell no. In 2017, I started Xpandur, LLC. I said to myself, "I'll never shut this down. Ever." Remember... Pontiac Aztek, Crystal Clear Pepsi, Purple, and Green Heinz Ketchup. All these things were massive failures, but the company still made billions. Why should I be any different? I niched down over the past 2 years. I REALLY love the sound of a moving operation. It IS music to my ears, and it DOES have a beat. Every operation has a nice flow. My job is to find it. For me, it's 3 main parts to that:
- Building the Best Team FAST
- Getting all departments to work better together
- Getting the most out of your floor space, so you make money all 4 quarters.
It doesn't guarantee you'll win. But it makes it incredibly hard for you to lose.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is my network. I have my 3 core services, but whatever you need, I've worked with many in that field like IC, IT, HR, SaaS, Legal, Payroll, Finance, Funding, Robotics, Engineers, Procurement, Transportation, Cyber Security, Financial, Planners, and Industrial Real Estate. I'm not impressed with what I do. It's what I do. Big whoop, however, being able to provide reasonable solutions in a timely manner outside the scope of work means a lot. If my network is trash, then so am I. And I ain't trash. Whatever gap you have preventing us from moving our project forward, I more than likely have a "guy/girl/person" for that.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
It's harder being an employee. I've worked at the following companies.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Get your LLC, EIN, and Bank Account.
- Build a team (you can only grow so much solo)
- Never Give up. It doesn't get any easier; you just get better.
Oh, you'll fail. Probably a lot. But remember...Pontiac Aztek, Crystal Clear, Pepsi, Purple, and Green Heinz Ketchup. All these things were massive failures, but the company still made billions. Why should you be any different? Good luck!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://xpandur.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-betts/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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