A Better Approach to Brand Building: Q&A With Zee Ali of Zee Group

First of all, how is business these days?

Saying “busy” would be an understatement. This past year has been our best year to date. We have grown tremendously since I started the company, expanding from one product offering to over 1 million customizable products. Internally, we have invested a lot of time in building infrastructure to enable us to continue to grow.

What led you to start your own business?

At one point in time, I was known as the guy that would “open up his trench coat” and sell you something. A friend in culinary school approached me to see if I would be interested in selling chef coats with him. I was curious to learn more and see how far we could go, so I agreed. I was later referred to sell at another culinary school where they requested a copy of my W-9 form. Thanks to Google, two days later I became a legal entity.

What sources did you use for startup capital?

My company was completely bootstrapped. I had about $1,600 saved up from working at Classic Residence by Hyatt as a cook. I used half of it to form the LLC and become a legal entity. Then, I used the remaining $800 along with six credit cards (with credit limits ranging from $200 to $400) to help fund my first purchase orders and get things going. It was rough.

What do you think is your biggest business strength?

No matter how difficult the circumstances may be, I have the ability to control my emotions and actions. Having the ability to control the mind is the most powerful strength any person can have. Knowing how to deal with failure, lost deals, and a variety of personalities is manageable with a strong mindset.

What do you enjoy most about owning your own business?

I enjoy being creative and testing unconventional methods without having the limits or restrictions that one might encounter in a corporate setting. Life as a business owner is constantly challenging, which keeps me on my toes and allows me to continuously learn and grow. I enjoy the freedom to experiment with different tactics and strategies.

What’s your least favorite part of running a business?

Project management is my least favorite part. I don’t enjoy the back-and-forth and tight deadlines, which are understandably a part of each project. That is why I have an awesome team that manages these processes, enabling me to focus my time on what I do best: business development.

What do you think are important entrepreneurial skills to have?

People skills are the most critical to have in order to start a business and make it successful. It’s not the grades you make; it’s the hands you shake. Business is all about building and nourishing relationships, which requires a skill to connect and build rapport with your prospects and customers.

What are some challenges you’ve faced in business and how did you overcome them?

Competing with online e-commerce businesses is a challenge for smaller companies like us. We have overcome this by demonstrating the value our organization brings. We offer a personalized consultative approach and invest the time to understand the goal of our clients’ marketing campaigns. We then tailor our services to help them achieve that goal. E-commerce sites in the apparel and promotional “swag” arena are all cookie cutters, and everyone is offering the same mundane products, but we provide creative strategies and innovative concepts to elevate our clients’ brand and message.

What do you wish you’d known before you started out?

The most critical elements I wish I had known when I started out would be to have and understand what a clearly defined and ideal customer profile looks like. I also wish I implemented a customer relationship management tool (CRM), which would have saved me hundreds of hours. If I had these two components in place at the start, I would be much farther along in terms of growth.

What is the smartest move you have made with your business so far?

The smartest move so far has been hiring a consulting firm to work with me. They help me understand the key areas that I need to pay attention to, advise me on what to improve, and answer any questions that I have. Although I have been in business for six years and I am confident in the decisions that I make, there is always room for advice and always a question that needs answering.

How do you find new customers? What do you do to make sure they become return customers?

There are a number of methods that help us acquire new business: new opportunities may come from search engine optimization (SEO), referrals, direct mail, or networking events. We have also implemented a proprietary acquisition system that was specifically designed for us; we use this to grow our client base. To keep them as returning customers, we use several marketing channels to stay top-of-mind. Email marketing is one area that we are making a point of focusing on.

What’s your management style with employees?

My management style offers inclusive, open communication that engages my employees as peers and teammates. I want everyone to be a leader of their own work. This means that when they are pulling me into their area of responsibility, I have no issue in taking direction from my staff. This works because our organization adheres to a well-understood standard of excellence that we all strive to achieve. We function as one cohesive entity.

What are some other companies or entrepreneurs you admire, and why?

Hands down, I admire Zappos because their customer service is the best in the world. They will go out of their way to make sure each customer is satisfied. This is something we strongly believe will make or break a business. No matter how the industry moves into mobile or e-commerce, the human element of service can never be truly replaced. Service is one of our best strengths.

Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?

“To learn to succeed, you must learn to fail.” —Michael Jordan

I have failed in every aspect of my business and have learned from trial and error. This quote is a testament to six years of failing and learning.

What new initiatives are you working on?

We are working on new inbound lead generation tactics to acquire new clients and help us scale. They include e-commerce, retargeting, and standalone niche websites. We will also be offering custom branded swag packages for businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies.

What advice would you give to someone hoping to start a business similar to yours?

I would be foolish if I were to invite you to become a competitor in an already saturated market. Having said that, I love competition and it pushes me to improve my business every day. I believe that the best way to get started is to take action and know that it’s OK to fail. An alternative is to go work for someone who is already doing what you want to do. We are looking to hire back office support and fill sales positions.

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