Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Steven J. Anderson, Founder of The Steven J Anderson Companies, located in Dallas, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Our customers are private practice dentists all over the world who have a desire to deliver quality care with exceptional patient service. They consist of some of the best clinically trained dentists in the world and the most prominent in their communities. They are constantly working to lead the profession and find new and innovative ways to deliver quality care.

Tell us about yourself

My first lessons in business were learned on a purple Schwinn Stingray bicycle delivering newspapers when I was 12 years old. I was raised by great parents. My father was CEO of the largest advertising agency in the western United States and made it a point to teach dinner table seminars every night on the topics of customer service, sales, marketing, and running a business. I immediately applied these lessons to my paper route/business and all of my businesses since then. Having to figure out the timely delivery and quality product each day, rain or shine, sun or snow, and meet face to face with every customer every month to collect their monthly payment gave me an early experience in marketing, sales, customer service, and operating a consistent and reliable business. I've applied those lessons throughout the years through all of our businesses as well as through our client businesses. Twelve of those essential lessons are embodied in The Bicycle Book: The Story of a Boy, His Father, a Paper Route and 12 Secrets of Serving Others in Business and Life (StevenJAnderson.com) in an easy-to-read format every member of a business team can learn and apply the lessons that will improve the quality of their service and their life. Those lessons learned early on created the motivation to not only build quality businesses but also to help others do the same.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I love to grow businesses and help others do the same. I believe that it is the responsibility of every business and every business owner to constantly engage in Doing Good. There is a big difference between giving back and Doing Good. We have gotten used to using the term giving back to describe an individual and a business's effort to do charitable things. But, giving back implies that something was taken in the first place; otherwise, why would you need to give it back? I prefer to describe a business's efforts to do charitable and other worthwhile things as Doing Good because Doing Good is broader and includes charitable as well as other efforts that a business engages in to improve the community, world, and people in it. Included in those efforts to Do Good are The Smiles for Life Foundation (SmilesForLife.org), which has raised nearly 50 million dollars for children and dental-related charitable projects, and Eagle U (EagleUniversity.org), which provides week-long training experiences for high school and college-age students to give them a 7-year head start on their career. In our organizations, whether they be for-profit businesses or charity, we measure our effort based on lives impacted and changed for the better and the degree to which they are engaged in Doing Good at every level.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Start-up mode for any business can be one of the most challenging because it's the belief in something that can't be seen in the early stages that have to drive performance. It required a lot of faith and believing without seeing. It takes endurance, determination, and, many times, seeing something that others cannot see. You have to believe it!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Who is more important than what? The people you choose to have on your team and work with making the organization will determine the path. Choose carefully because the path will always be changing, so who you choose to travel with is more important than the destination where you think you are going. If you don't like the people you are working with, you won't want to go to work. If you don't want to go to work, you'll never build a business. So... choose wisely!
  2. Know your personal strengths and be very aware of your weaknesses. Early on, I took an aptitude test and discovered that I had very few natural aptitudes. The career advice I received was to surround myself with people who were much more talented in different areas than I was. With very few aptitudes of my own, that hasn't been very hard! One of the biggest challenges in starting a business is having to do everything yourself. As it grows, it is easier to bring in people who are experts in specific areas of the business. Hire who covers your weaknesses first so that you have more time to focus on your strengths and what you do best.
  3. Love what you do because if you don't, you won't want to do it. My favorite activity as a kid was building with Legos back before the company went all out on pre-designed building sets. The only thing I had to go on was my own creative imagination. I love to build! It taught me that I have a passion for creating, building, and bringing things to life, whether it be a product, an idea, or developing people to reach their potential. Some of the earliest experiences that I had with Legos, on my purple Schwinn Stingray delivering newspapers, and other activities, taught me volumes about myself that laid the groundwork for my career. Pay attention to where you naturally find yourself spending your time and where your interests are because those things can be building blocks for a very successful future.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I've always considered the two most valuable things in life to be:

  1. The relationships you develop.
  2. The things you learn and apply.

Next to the amazing people that are a part of my life, I consider my personal library to be one of my most valuable possessions because of the things I've learned and been able to apply. Learning from mentors, whether that's a personal relationship or reading what someone you admire has written, is one of the most valuable business-building tools. For my list of top 20 personal development and business books for every business owner, go to StevenJAnderson.com.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.stevenjanderson.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steven.j.anderson1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestevenjanderson/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenjanderson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenjanderson1/

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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