Ray Lamboy, LAEDA’s President and Chief Executive Officer concluded the session by bringing back the first day’s conversation and asking the class to reflect back on what they have learned.

“Keep this new routine because you are off the launching pad of the rocket, and now it is vital to keep working toward your success and continue working on your business daily,” Ray explains.

What are the next steps from here? Ray lists many valuable steps to take onward:

• Finish your business plan
• Apply what you learned; this is the beginning of your future
• Be a life learner
• Work on your skills
• Protect your investment
• Success is a journey it is not a destination so keep on working toward your success and take advantage of information, resources and professionals around you.
• Take a tool box for example: It has screwdrivers, nails, sockets, wrenches, hammers, tape measures, and levels and etc. These classes that you were in within these nine weeks consisted of the tools of business planning, business law, accounting, real estate, marketing, personal & professional development, personnel, insurance, credit management, accessing capital, time management and financial literacy.

Ray Lamboy used this tool box and classes example to symbolize that we each have the right tools in our tool box and the knowledge, but now we must apply what we learned and use the tools that we have to continue onto the path of success and opportunities.

Our Networking Queens, alumni Barbara Hall-Bryant and Crystal Lewis from I Say Yes Salon & Spa, LLC joined the class tonight to share their experience as business owners and being part of our alumni family since Session 62 and graduated from our EDTP in October 2012.

Barbara Hall-Bryant and Crystal Lewis have been in business for 30 years and they opened the room to vital information and shared their valuable experiences to help the entrepreneurs in the class.

• Always be ready to network and have your business cards and samples ready to go!
• You have got to know the business side to be able to survive as an entrepreneur
• Structure and trademark your business- trademark is for the entire United States of America
• Work on your customer experience- look at sales like you are telling a story and providing a service because people will buy from you because they trust you first
• Do your business research through IBISWorld and other research databases
• Be able to answer the following question: “Who is your customer?”
• Give back to the community
• Surround yourself with good people
• Get mentors
• Marketing is important and LAEDA has a digest that comes out every month and subscribing to it will be a really helpful tool that will answer many questions

“Stay connected to LAEDA for everything and go over your business plan every three months, make changes, and make sure that all the pieces are working accurately,” Barbara Hall-Bryant explains, “In addition, branding is crucial so you should brand the image of your business, your social media and logo should all look the same everywhere. Ask yourself the following vital question because the answer that goes into this recipe will help bake a successful venture: ‘What messages are you sending out there?'”

Next the floor opened to LAEDA staff…

Sophie Werner, Program Manager at LAEDA’s Business Service Center shares, “We have upcoming opportunities such as business counseling and funding programs. Please stay connected with us at the office and through social media; welcome to our family and thank you for everything! We love all the connections each one of you have made.”

Annabel Soto, LAEDA’s Office Administrator expresses, “When you start something new you are scared and this is the beginning of your journey, use your tools and do not let your success fall and please clean up the social media platforms by only having messages there that you would want the world to read and hear.”

Mariana Hinojosa, LAEDA’s Women Business Center Assistant Program Manager discloses, “Keep working hard because work never ends and remember we are here to help you succeed.”

Nayezge Heyer, LAEDA’s Operations Support Coordinator reflects, “Congratulations and thank you for your amazing energy that each one of you brought to the classes and I am excited to see you guys keep on growing.”

Jamila Powell, LAEDA’s Program Manager at the Women’s Business Center shares, “See the value of our program, from here please take it and push forward and connect the dots and keep on going because this is only the beginning and remember to always keep on believing in yourself and making those connections in your community a part of your entrepreneurial journey.”

Sehrish Khan, LAEDA’s Training Coordinator at LAEDA’s Business Service Center expresses, “The connections that each one of you have in this room are of essence. Stay in touch and help each other because entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs is really valuable. This is not just your networking system, but your support system as well, both of which are important components to have.”

Barbara Hall-Bryant left the students with a well-known success story that resulted from persistence, “It took Thomas Edison a thousand tries to get light in that bulb not a thousand failures, but a thousand steps.”

“So let’s take those valuable steps and stay connected with LAEDA and us,” Crystal Lewis added.

LAEDA offers seminars and short-term courses in various counties of South Jersey throughout the year. A long-term course is also offered three times per year where entrepreneurs receive 72 + hours of training from industry professionals, business planning, and business counseling. The program is free, but you must qualify.