Posted Under: Entrepreneurship, Our Heroes

Today under the “Our Heroes” series I would like to introduce you to marketing expert David Fischer. After working for a number of years at large organizations David decided to take back control of his career and independently provide professional marketing advice to companies through his own company Solutions for Growth. Let’s read more about David’s exodus from Corporate America…

DD: Who are you and what kind of corporate job were you at?

DF: My name is David Fischer and since 1987 I had been working for several large organizations in a marketing role.  I managed marketing campaigns for Fortune 100 companies such as Citibank, non-profits such as the United States Tennis Association and family businesses.  The activities ran the gamut from retail store marketing to credit card acquisition efforts to customer retention campaigns.  The marketing was run through all channels, including web, mail, email, phone and even door-to-door.  On a consistent basis, the marketing I conducted achieved the results my employers sought, meaning their sales grew!  As my career grew, I reached the position of Senior Vice President.

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

DF: In some of the roles, I had to change position due to corporate restructurings, meaning I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  So, to take back control of my career, I decided to leave the corporate world as an employee and become an entrepreneur. My passion is to help companies grow by providing the advice and marketing know-how that I learned and experienced for over 20 years.  That’s how Solutions for Growth was born; to help other businesses grow and to allow me to take control of my work life and successes.

DD: How did you prepare yourself for the employee to entrepreneur transition?

DF: Once I made the decision to leave corporate America, I needed to “practice” my consulting capabilities on a few “test” clients.  Through friends and family, I connected with a few businesses and agreed to provide free advice in return for their references.  For some time, I provided full consulting at no cost.  The work included full marketing plans, specific advice on several aspects of their marketing and development of marketing material.  Sales at those businesses grew and I then felt confident to make the jump and begin consulting full time.  I’m proud to report that those initial business owners have now become my best referrals. At the inception of Solutions for Growth, the bulk of the work entailed substantial preparation – the development of a website, marketing collateral and very importantly, the development of clients so that I could explain to prospects what I had already provided to others.

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

DF: 1) Make sure you sell a product or service that you know very well.  Buyers can smell incompetence a mile away.

2) Be passionate about what you do.  Without passion, you’re doing mediocre work.

3) Always over-deliver to your clients.  The “surprise and delight” factor in a relationship contributes the goodwill that a new company needs.

4) Talk to everyone about your business.  You never know where leads might come from.

5) Be persistent.  You’ll come across disappointments and challenges; how you overcome them will give you an indication of your long term success.

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

DF: Solutions for Growth provides marketing advice, direct mail, email campaigns and the development of marketing material in a cost efficient manner. Today Solutions for Growth is seeing a continuous, incremental demand for its services from small businesses.  The cash flow is positive and there is real momentum in the “buzz” about the company and the prospects for this venture to succeed.  I’ve also never been happier or more satisfied than I am now.  I get up in the morning with a smile on my face and know that I will get a thrill out of providing solutions to help another business grow!

DD: Wow! Thank you David for sharing your story with us and for helping other businesses to reach their full potential! It is wonderful to hear about more entrepreneurs out there who make a living off of making other people happy and successful. I wish you the best of luck with Solutions for Growth.

DF: Thank you Devesh, for supporting entrepreneurs and for understanding the importance of small businesses and marketing to the entrepreneurial world. I wish you the best of luck with your blog and all you do. Thanks again for believing in the entrepreneurial lifestyle.

DD: That was David Fischer everyone, a marketing expert who now owns a successful business called Solutions for Growth. His company helps other businesses grow and it also allows him to live his life and enjoy what he does every day: assist others in being successful! Thank you David!

Success to all!!