Do you ever dream of quitting your job, throwing caution to the wind and beginning a business venture of your own?
Aside from the whole ‘throwing caution to the wind’ thing, that’s essentially what small business owners do when building an enterprise from the ground up. That and, well, embarking on a grueling and extremely difficult journey to create something profitable out of almost nothing.
To highlight the trials and tribulations of being at the head of a new company, we’ve partnered with Intuit, makers of QuickBooks, to speak with small business owners from a variety of different fields — including law, retail and professional services — for their take on getting started, overcoming obstacles and facing challenges along the road to success.
First up, we have Joseph Indusi from London Indusi LLP, a full-service criminal and civil litigation law firm with offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Along with partner Cary London, Indusi officially opened doors for business in October of 2014. Already, the partners have an impressive resume of clients with successful outcomes, including dropped assault charges for the defendant in the NYC-infamous ‘Subway Slapper’ case.
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HP: What are the most important qualities you think a small business owner should posses?
I think the ability to manage time, the ability to take risks and the ability to hustle [are all important]. When the phone rings, you need to be able to go. We’ve been able to help a lot of people and take in a lot of new clients by being available at the drop of a dime. When the phone rings at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve, we’re ready to go — we’re ready to drive out to Nassau County, the Hamptons, or do whatever it takes.
If you’re not willing to drop everything and hustle, I think that can hurt a small business owner. I was told at a very young age that if there’s an opportunity in front of you, it’s not about that opportunity — it’s about what you do with that opportunity. If you leave it hanging because you’re tired, or don’t want to go out in the cold, that could be a mistake. That could be the one client that can give you another 15 clients. Seize that opportunity, and do not let those opportunities pass you.
Intuit QuickBooks provides small business owners cloud-based tools to run and grow their business. From creating invoices and paying bills, to managing payroll and monitoring expenses, QuickBooks is the operating system that supports small business.
