Posted Under: Entrepreneurship, Our Heroes

Happy Saturday People!!

Today, we are going to talk to Jim Garland, who is an entrepreneur, business owner, author, professional speaker and business consultant. He started his first company Sharp Details, Inc. literally from the trunk of his car as a boat cleaning service in 1991. Today Sharp Details, Inc provides corporate aircraft cleaning and support services to fortune 100 and 500 companies, has 60 employees and produces $3,500,000 in annual revenue. But guess what? Jim also was an employee once, just like you so lets talk to him and find out how he broke out of the 9-5 jail?

DD: Jim, welcome & thanks for your time! Now, lets start, tell me who you are and what kind of corporate job were you at?

JG: My name is Jim Garland and I am a husband to my wonderful wife (high school sweet heart) and a father to our four great kids.  I am an entrepreneur, author, and business consultant. I am the CEO of two companies, Sharp Details, Inc., a private and corporate aircraft cleaning and support company which started in the trunk of my car in 1991, and Garland Communication, LLC, which started in 2009.  This second company promotes my book and provides small business consulting and seminars.  I held two corporate jobs before moving out on my own.  One job was selling office coffee services/supplies and the other was selling medical supplies.  I did each for less than a year.

DD: What made you leave the job? When did you realize that you wanted to be an entrepreneur & why?

JG: I left my second corporate job because I could see that if I wanted to succeed on a large scale I would have to dedicate myself to my business venture full time.  I also wanted to be in control of my own destiny and the only way this was possible was to go out on my own.  I can remember sitting at my desk at my second corporate job, looking at the numbers I produced and then thinking, “There is no way I can do this for 40 more years, I have so much more to offer!”  That was the day I gave my notice.

DD: What did you do to break the corporate jail? How were the initial days/months/challenges of the transition?

JG: When I stopped my day job I continued waiting tables at night, something I was already doing for extra income.  My thought process was that I could wait tables at night 4-5 times per week and pursue my boat cleaning service during the day.  In this way, money was coming in to pay the bills and I wouldn’t starve to death.  I took the leap of faith; it had to work or I would be stuck waiting tables for the rest of my life!!

DD: What are your Top 5 (or more) tips for employees who want to be entrepreneurs but are hung up on something?

JG: 1) Figure out what you are passionate about and find a way to turn that into a business.  This way no matter how hard you have to work you will still love it.

2) Start the business while you still have a full time job.

3) Start it from home and on a shoestring so that you have very little capital exposure.  Remember Bill Gates started Microsoft in his parent’s garage.

4) Plow every penny you make back into the business for the first 12-24 months to give it a good base of cash.

5) BE PATIENT!

6) Read the following books: Think and Grow Rich, The E-Myth , The Secret and How To Win Friends and Influence People.  These will guide you along your journey.

DD: How are you now? Are you still in the same business, and how do you feel?

JG: My original business, Barnacle Jim’s Boat Service that started in 1991 cleaning boats is now called Sharp Details, Inc.  We are a $3,500,000 business with 60 employees from VA to CT and we clean corporate and private jets.  I feel great about the business right now and I can see the economy and the private aviation industry start to come back.  I have built a company that runs day to day with a management team in place.  This has allowed me to spend more time with my wife and four kids and write my first book, “The Practical Guide To Exceptional Living”, which is now available on Amazon.  I am enjoying my business more now and having more fun than I have had in the last 20 years.

DD: Wow Jim! What a great story! Thank you so much for sharing it with me and good luck with your company in the future. It seems your idea literally managed to take off!

JG: Thank you, Devesh, for having an interest in my story of becoming an entrepreneur. It’s great to know there is such an interest out there in what people like me have done with their otherwise boring 9to5 lives. Good luck in all you do.

DD: Well everyone, that was Jim Garland the entrepreneur, author, and business consultant. Please keep in mind the books he suggested, as well as his first book, “The Practical Guide To Exceptional Living”, which is currently available. It sounds like that read could do us all some good!