We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Daniel Aguilera. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Daniel below.
Daniel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so one thing we think people don’t talk about nearly enough is investments – either time or money. What’s one of the best or worst investments you’ve made and what did you learned from the experience?
The worst investment I ever made was purchasing a franchise. There are pros and cons; however, for me the cons outweighed the pros. I believe most people go into business for the autonomy. A franchise offers the opportunity to be a business owner; however, the franchisor has a significant amount of control over how the business is operated including office furniture, color schemes, systems, advertising, product offerings, etc. In addition, franchisees pay royalties on sales to the franchisor. I invested nearly $100,000 in my first franchise business. The business was bankrupt after 18 months. A year later, I started my current business out of my home. I took the experiences and systems I learned from the franchise and applied them in my current business. Within two years the business grew and I leased my first office. Five years later I owned to locations.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Policital Science from the University of Arizona. I was employed as a Juvenile Probation Officer, and later as a Federal Probation Officer for 12 years; however, I always had the itch to own my own business. In 2012, I resigned my posiions as a probation officer and opened by first business. 18 months later was business was bankrupt; however, I did not see it as anegative. I learned from the experience and decided to give it another go. In November 2013, I founded Chainfruit Services. I began offering services as an independent paralegal, mostly offering immigration document preparation services. A few months later I began offering tax preparati0n services. By 2015, I began offering Property & Casualty insurance products. I was able to scale my business by offering services needed by the demographic I serve. 90% of my clients are Spanish speaking immigrants from Latin American countries. This demographic likes the one on one service and relationship they have with me and my team. We view our clients as an extension of our family.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients are referrals from existing clients. I have tried investing in marketing such as radio, magazines, and social media. I have found that happy customers are more likley to refer new business than any other source.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In June 2013, I filed for bankruptcy after my first business and marriage failed. I hit rock bottom financially. My only asset was a 1964 Ford F100. It was my daily driver. I went from owning a business to driving a cab for three months. In Aigist 2013, I took a job as a pretrial services officer; however, I quickly learned that I was no longer a good employee. I had the desire to be in business for my own. I resigned from my position in October 2023, and with less than $100 in my pocket I started my current business out of my home. I printed business cards and handed them out everywhere I went. Within months I had a styeady stream of clients asking for immigration document and tax preparations services. I believe every negative can be turned into a positive. Bad things happend and how we react defines our character.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chainfruitservices.com
- Instagram: @chainfruitservices
