Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eliza Harper. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Eliza, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I came up with the idea for my business while thinking of ways I could earn income outside of my day job. A business that would operate mainly during the evenings and weekends. I also wanted a business that I could run once I retired. While I brainstormed about the business that I wanted to operate, I also had to think about a need in the community. I knew whatever business I ran there would be others who might be doing the same thing. But I wanted to provide a need and make obtaining that need affordable. While planning various events I attempted to reserve venues that were expensive, far away and they always upsold their services. I came up with a plan to open Az Diamond Event Center. A nice facility that the average person could afford without going broke. Operating a business was new to me and I did not have the capital or credit to purchase land and build a venue. So I started with event rentals to establish the business and build up my business credit. I am hoping to cross over into operating the event center sooner than later. I am believing it will happen all in God’s timing.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a native of Phoenix. Raised to be very independent. I’ve been through some rough times, but I am thankful for every situation because they have helped me to become the person I am today. I chose the red diamond as my business logo because I feel that it’s meaning reflects who I am. Rare, beautiful, strength of character and ethics. I began working at 14 and by the time I was 19 I started working multiple jobs at the same time. For years I have always had my main job and one or two side jobs to supplement my income. It took me a while to figure this out but a couple of years ago, I decided it made more sense to invest in myself and start a business versus working multiple side jobs for someone else. It was tough at first. Running a business is time consuming. I didn’t have much of a social life. And the first year I spent more money than I was bringing in. I tried to do a lot by myself because I couldn’t afford employees. Still to this day you might see me riding alone in the box truck to drop off and pick up equipment. I’ve learned to manage. I only call on my family of awesome volunteers if I feel the order will need more than just me to complete in a timely manner.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Customer word of mouth helped to build my reputation within my market. I believe my character reflects in the services I offer. I care more about the person than I do with making money. I don’t up sale and I don’t try to hold on to a customer so that I can make money. I’ve referred customers to other businesses that I thought would be more beneficial to them. And if I can’t help someone, I help them to find someone who could. I don’t let them walk away without a resolution. My flexibility and my desire to put the customer first keeps my customers coming back and referring others.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I believe my business as a whole was one big pivot for me. When I decided to start a business, it was my intent to have an event center. A facility where the customers came to me. Unfortunately at the time it was not attainable. So I had to pivot.  I am an army of one. Loading, unloading, cleaning equipment, repairing equipment and driving around town in my box truck all weekend was not the job I had planned on. It’s a lot of work for one person. And I definitely can’t do this in retirement. So yeah, I would say a time where I had to pivot would be in the beginning stages of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @AzDiamondEvents
• Facebook: @AzDiamondEvents

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