“Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” – Rocky Balboa.
Do you feel like you’ve found your calling in life? More than 50 percent of our clients say they had a dream and acted on it…and are now successful small business owners.
James Deoria’s success story is no different.
He got into the sport of boxing around age 12 and would travel 30+ miles to train and compete. His talents took him to the professional level by age 20 where he amassed an impressive 20 wins and seven losses in his career.
But boxing isn’t easy on an athlete’s body. As a backup plan to fighting, Deoria entered the police force where he’s now served as an officer for 21 years. The really cool part about this whole story is that Deoria has been able to combine both of his passions into one really incredible nonprofit organization.
A Police Athletic League (PAL) is basically a juvenile crime prevention program designed to help keep kids of the streets and out of trouble. Deoria opened a chapter in Phoenixville, PA, and continues to inspire day in and day out. With after-school classes in things like boxing (of course) and even babysitting training, local kids are able to have a sense of community.
“My dad was like ‘look, you’ve been on the police force for a few years now. You were a boxer. Why don’t you start a PAL?’” explained Deoria. And those words of encouragement are all it took.
So whatever your entrepreneurial dream may be, why haven’t you gone after it yet? See below for some common hurdles or excuses you may have that stop you from going for it:
I don’t have enough time
We all have the same amount of hours in a day. You can’t somehow magically buy extra hours, but you can use the ones you have wisely.
Deoria is able to balance working on the police force full-time with educating and training kids after hours. This goes to show, if you want something badly enough, you’ll make it work. If that means you get one less hour of sleep each day, prioritizing your time efficiently will help you get to where you want to be.
I don’t have money
“I took money out of my pocket to open up a checking account at the bank and we were off and running,” Deoria explained. He was willing to do whatever it took to get his dream off the ground. With a nonprofit, it’s a bit different than just a regular business. Fundraising efforts are on the forefront and owners/directors must find creative ways to get support. Deoria was able to use his connections to obtain funding and grants to continue to pursue this dream.
For even more advice, check out this video from Entrepreneur that explains how to start a business with little to no capital.
I don’t have the right connections
In this day and age, it’s beyond easy to make connections. Social media alone can open doors to so many opportunities if you take the time to find those influencers in your niche. The Phoenixville Area PAL has an online presence, hosts golf outings and in-house events that all place emphasis on awareness for the organization and present networking opportunities.
Whether your story is like Deoria’s or you have your own mental obstacles to overcome, here at PrimePay we believe in the power of small business. And it’s our job to ensure you have time to achieve your dreams by taking burdens off your plate. You all continue to inspire us and we’re glad to be a part of your journey.