I Started Jersey Champs. Here’s My Advice for New Entrepreneurs
When I went to Rutgers University, I was miserable, taking classes I wasn’t interested in because I wasn’t accepted into business school. I noticed college was not the best path as an entrepreneur and decided to drop out at the start of my sophomore year with a 1.9 GPA.
Shortly before leaving, I founded Jersey Champs—the first company to really make jerseys that offered a classy artistic touch, as opposed to just sticking to regular sports team jerseys. Using the influence of social media and the power of Instagram, I was able to create a company that gained international appreciation and was also a pioneer in hip hop fashion.
As easy as running a company seems, I quickly learned that there are quite a lot of things I wish people would have told me before I ran my startup. There were many moments where I wanted to give up, or where I felt it was too hard.
The number one rule of being a CEO is that you better be ready to work.
The very first thing I hope people understand is that hard work alone doesn’t determine success. To really succeed in today’s economy, you must have a solid team, an impressive work ethic, and you really must have the ability to take risks. After all, if you risk nothing, you lose everything.
However, everybody tells you that running a company is going to be hard work. If it wasn’t stuffed with hard work and risk, everybody would do it, right? That’s true, but even so, the enormity of the risk and the work can never be emphasised enough.
Speaking of risks, let me tell you a wild story…
Risk is inherently part of the learning process, and most of us do not have parents who can show us the ins and outs of each little aspect of a business. For many people, this means that you cannot really find out how to run a business like a pro without being prepared to make mistakes.
One of the worst mistakes I made when I was just starting out was selling Chance the Rapper’s Jersey Coloring Book without his permission. It was sold out, but Chance’s lawyer contacted me. I soon learned my lesson, and understand copyright a little better. I would not have learned that if I hadn’t taken the risk.
Your team is more important than your money.
You do not need quite a lot of money to start a successful business, and I actually hope people will remember that. I personally just started the Jersey Champs with $1,000 and a very crappy website. Since then, we have been able to grow.
You know what you cannot start a good business without? Nice team. I have great mentors with local businesses who help inspire me. I have an incredible team that makes the Jersey Champs even more successful. I can not do without them. Every business is a team, and you really cannot do everything alone. (Trust me, I attempted. Being a solopreneur just did not work.)
Showcase your concept to see if people will buy it, and understand how to market it well.
To start a business, you need two things: a viable marketing concept and plan. I have both, which is why I was able to start my business on a shoestring budget. I learned how to use social media for marketing through videos & online courses, networking and much of audiobooks and lectures.
Showing the concept, which in my case means the jersey, is the most vital thing. The next thing I needed was to understand how to market it. It is the power of the internet that has allowed my business to survive. To this day, I still spend quite a lot of money on Facebook advertisements.
Finally, do not try to start a business dealing with things you do not like.
I chose a Champs Jersey because I like sportswear and hip hop. I wanted to combine the two elements into something unique. I love the idea of giving people their own shot at personal style, and it is something I do well. Before you even consider starting your own company, ask yourself if you are into it. If yes, then go for it and chase your dreams!
For more information, see Jersey Champs:
