Interview with Mr. S.B. Francois, Owner/CEO of SBF Investments, LLC
by Rebecca Casey
Mr. Francois’s Background:
Mr. Francois is an Air Force Veteran and a Government Contractor, however he had the feeling he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life “punching the clock”. That is what first gave him the idea he should start his own business. His company currently invests primarily in Personal and Commercial Real Estate and also does some property management.
Q1) What inspired you to start your business?
Response:
“I was fortunately invited to a free seminar which introduced me to real estate investing. At the time, I went in with an open mind and found it to be very interesting to me. The speakers were self-made millionaires who made it seem that with hard work, I could achieve the same results. The key was that I was motivated to change my life.”
Q2) What type of learning curve did you experience when entering the business?
Response:
“Well I signed up for some training which was very fast paced, because I really didn’t have any business experience. It was a two week course, almost like a boot camp for real estate investing. The training also included information about how to set up your company properly, such as my LLC, and most importantly the legal aspects of protecting my interests.”
Q3) Could you provide some examples of challenges you faced?
Response:
” I have found that the biggest challenge in this business and probably any is marketing to clientele. This can be your biggest assets if you master it, but alternately it can be your biggest problem if you don’t get the hang of it. I feel that I have overcome it and found a good system, but honestly it’s a continuous thing. Personally I rely on internet, door-to-door and rferalls.”
Q4) How has your company evolved and what experiences were the changes based on?
Response:
“Well I started the company always wanting to grow it. So over time I’ve acquired more properties, but I also had to add the management aspect. Oringally the intention was to flip properties or fix them up and sell them again within a short amount of time, but the market really dictated to me that wasn’t going to be an option here recently. So you have to evolve, you have to adapt and overcome. I changed gears, rented the properties and started managing them myself.”
Q5) How do you decide upon partnerships and contractors?
Response:
“With partners I look for someone who is trustworthy, has the same goals and mindset. It required someone with a certain level of drive and motivation to achieve and take initiative. For now I typically partner with personal acquaintances, but in the future as the company grows I may move more towards professional references. As for contractors that I hire, I really take the time to research the individuals and their businesses. Even if I get a word of mouth referral, I always take the time to go online and check the BBB along with their licensing information and any reviews.”
Q6) What advice would you give to someone starting out in your field?
Response:
“Don’t believe everything you hear, make sure to do your own research. The more knowledge you have, the less you will have to pay others or pay for yourself to be trained and given that specialized knowledge. Build a power team that consists of professionals you can rely on and bring together to accomplish your goals. Mine consists of a core network of accountants, legal advisors, contractors and bankers. It may be a bit different in other fields, but everyone needs this resource to turn to.”
Thank you Mr. Francois for your time and effort in completing this interview.
Sincerely, Rebecca Casey
