We recently connected with Ranquez Jones and have shared our conversation below.

Ranquez, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

At the start, it was just me running the entire program. It wasn’t hard for me. However, it took a lot of critiquing my program and making adjustments as needed. During my critiquing phase, I did realize I could use more help. First, I thought about where I was lacking, what jobs I needed to create and what job I needed to fill first. I reached out to a veteran driver that I knew would be a great asset to my growing team. It took some reassuring and many conversations to get him off of the road and invested in my vision. After that, I looked to family and friends that would be ideal in the other roles I had. Using people I knew already possessed the skills I needed in an employee definitely helped me build a great team from the start. If I were starting today I would hire help sooner.

Ranquez, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m the Founder and Director of R&J Elite CDL Training. I began in the transportation industry as a company driver, transitioning to owner operator then to owner. After seeing the need for more qualified drivers, I decided to train those who were interested. I saw my strategies working so I decided to expand into a full truck driving school. I’m in a league of my own because of my affordable tuition compared to others in my field. I’m always proud when I’m on the yard witnessing my students pass their CDL Skills Assessment. We are a new but rapidly growing school. We have a diverse demographic and welcome all that are interested in becoming a trucker.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding a new business is a complex process. Being that I was already in the trucking industry as an owner, I was able to set aside funds to fund my new vision. That could mean for some that you make sacrifices from your “9-5” to pay for your passion. In the event you don’t have access to immediate funds, there are starter loans you can apply for with the government and even on a state level. Some banks also offer start up loans. Another option is to build business credit to make your company desirable to loan agencies. The biggest idea is to have a plan for funding your business before you start it.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Word of mouth has been and probably always will be a top contender for building clientele. Social media is an asset in today’s techy time and we do market on various platforms. However, most inquiries we receive come from referrals from alumni or friends.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rjelitetraining.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjelitetraining/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076114099229