Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Simmons.
Lisa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After 34 years of working in Corporate America, I decided it was time to follow my dreams. From 2016 – 2018, life events opened my eyes; after divorce, death of two brothers, taking care of a sister with cancer and my mom who had two heart attacks; I knew I had to step out on faith and begin to live my dream.
My dream was to have my own business and leave a legacy for my only child (Alissa). I knew with me working in Corporate America this would not be possible. So, in October of 2018, when the opportunity was given to me to help start and run a company from the ground up the way I wanted to; I didn’t hesitate. This was perfect timing, nothing stood in my way. My daughter had graduated from college, my sister was cancer free, my mom was healthy again and my divorce was final.
I knew ZK was what I was looking for; mainly because its vision focused on core values that are dear to me. It is Family Oriented, A Place of Integrity, We love Helping Others, We make people smile and Have Great Quality Products.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road. The two biggest struggles are cash flow management and marketing.
The first struggle is cash flow, which is very important to small business survival. Many times we often have delays with invoices because we are waiting on checks. We do an estimate, perform the job, send the invoice and then get paid. This could sometimes take up to 30 days and in the meantime, we still have to pay for everything else, which at times can cause stress when it comes to paying the bills. So, we have to make sure proper budgeting and planning happens with our cash flow. Such as requesting a down payment so we are not left paying others’ bills.
The second biggest struggle is marketing. With this being my first business I knew nothing about the best way to market our product. But I knew we had a great product and we needed to maximize our return on investment with efficient targeted marketing that got results. So, we hired a person and it was a waste of money because the person did not have our best interest at heart.
After three months of nothing, I knew we had to make changes. We needed someone who could see our vision and believer in a new small business owner. So, I prayed for a person who was passionate about their own business and valued their reputation. Within a few weeks, my prayer was answered and we hired the perfect person to market our business. In exactly one-week leads started coming in and our name was out there. She had a marketing plan that worked.
We have had some dark days and I’m sure it’s not over. However, I would not change it because I am living my dream. I wish I would have done this 15 years ago because right now, I love doing what I do.
Please tell us about ZK Floors & Furniture.
At ZK Floors and Furniture, we are different from our competitors because we offer an incredible selection of products you can choose from. We cater to investors, builders, contractor and interior decorators. Offering them discounts where they can save time and money. We service both commercial and residential customers. No job is ever too big or too small for us.
What sets us apart from others is we are a family friendly business that offers personalized services and we are interested in building long term relationships with our clients. Our passion and drive is to help others.
What I am most proud of is the mentoring program my business partner Teddrick Scott has implemented. He works very closely with the community by mentoring and training younger boys in the business. Our goal is to give back what has been given to us so we can build a better tomorrow.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory would be playing sports. When I ran track or played basketball there was no greater peace for me. Sports is where I always found solitude even though others were involved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zkfloorsandfurniture.com/
- Phone: 18772953566
- Email: lsimmons@zksurplusfloorsandfurniture.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZKFloorsandFurniture/
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