We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joshua Thompson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joshua below.
Joshua, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
It was 2020, the pandemic was in full swing. I was sent home from a job for 6 months. With nothing to do but sit back and think. I was fortunate to still continue receiving full pay while at home. So I got the opportunity to see what it was like, being my own boss being that money was still coming in. So I used that time to come up with a business plan. I have loved smoking hookah since I went to Turkey several years ago and was introduced to it. I have been to cities where hookah lounges were a happening thing. I met some of the owners who also did private parties. So one night while at home I was sitting down listening to music having a drink and smoking hookah. It dawned on me, I have a good chunk of change set aside let me see what it takes to start up my own mobile hookah service. Now then in San Antonio, there are a few lounges and most night clubs offer hookah which I see to be being successful but I never seen anyone willing to cater to private parties, weddings or any event someone could think it to enhance the atmosphere. I didn’t want to petition on social media as I didn’t want someone established with a hookah business to strike before I was able to. So I just started attending events as the world opened back up. Speaking to event organizers asking if they think adding hookah would benefit them. To my surprise the answer was an astounding yes. So I took the necessary steps, got my DBA, got me a tobacco license and bought 20 hookahs and all the accessories needed. Haven’t looked back since, I do wish I would have done it years ago. I was just overwhelmed with my job it never struck me to think about.
Joshua, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am self driven, self motivated individual who has taught himself most everything he knows. Networking with like minded individuals leaning on them for guidance and answers to questions I could not find the answers to my self. Being able to have that you help me I help you mentality with other entrepreneurs has been a great asset to my life. I have over 10 years experience in the travel industry, over 20 years in the music industry and just getting my feet wet with real estate and still wet behind the ears as a small business owner. I started up J’s Hookah with a friend of mine catering to peoples private events (house parties, weddings or any other kind of event you think of). We bring a Five-Star rated experience to every event we cater and strive to still get better. Keeping up with new flavors and new industry technology. I am proud to know that a guy who never thought he would be able to do something like start his own business growing up. Having not grown up around anyone with their own business. I didn’t know what to do or where to start. I just knew I didn’t want to “work for the man” my entire life.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Starting off we were setting up at bars and venues hosting our own events to get our name out there. Eventually getting ourself built up enough to take the leap into being strictly a private event catering service. To jump from not being a business to jumping fully out there and having to rely on word of mouth is a hard feat to face, but rewarding in its own mind. To stay the course and not give up when that was the easier step is just something I am not willing to do.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I had a good amount in my savings, and being it was during the pandemic so I didn’t have any unnecessary expenses like eating out or doing anything extracurricular. I took the additional funds and invested in an opportunity with low overhead. I was able to make back my initial investment within two months. From that point I just took my intake and re-invested purchasing more hookahs making way to have the ability to cater 3 events at any given time at once.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jshookah210
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JsHookah210
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/j-s-hookah-san-antonio