INSIDE LOOK: Michael Zaharios
Q: You are involved in so many local projects helping entrepreneurs and I am thrilled to share your story with our readers. I want to know how it all started. What was your first step towards becoming the Entrepreneur’s Entrepreneur?
A: I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs so entrepreneurship has been in my blood since the beginning. My family owns a successful automotive repair business in Daytona Beach known as Michael’s British, American & Foreign Auto Repair and it’s been in the same location for over 35 years. Growing up my dad would take me and my two younger brothers to the shop and my brothers would run to the cars while I’d run into the office and want to know how to run the business, like sell services to customers, manage the employees, order parts, make money, etc. More than 10 years ago I was pursuing my undergraduate degree at UCF (after having graduated from Daytona Beach Community College (DBCC)) and one of my business professors sent out an internship opportunity to work with DBCC’s Department of Economic Development. The department had created a beta version of an online directory geared towards helping new and growing companies identify resources to help them be successful. I interviewed, was hired and more than a decade later I serve as the director for the same program that is now statewide and known as the Florida Virtual Entrepreneur Center (FLVEC). I work directly for the Florida High Tech Corridor Council (a.k.a. The Corridor) and FLVEC is one of their entrepreneurship programs to encourage more economic development in the corridor region and throughout Florida.
Q: One of your projects is The Florida Virtual Entrepreneur Center based out of Daytona Beach. How can individuals or companies use it as a resource?
A: FLVEC.com does three primary things: 1) It provides a complete list of all the resource agencies available to help new and growing companies, 2) it provides a centralized calendar of entrepreneurship-focused events and activities, 3) it features stories of Florida-based founders/presidents/CEOs from all stages and industries. If you need help with a business plan, tax receipt, funding, mentorship, etc., the website will tell you who can help you. If you want to get involved in the community to work on your business and not just in it, the website will tell you events and activities to participate in. If you want to learn about and connect with the other amazing entrepreneurs in your community you can find their stories and contact information on FLVEC.com.
Q: The FLVEC website is like an online Rolodex of entrepreneurs. How do you choose who you feature?
A: We believe inclusiveness is what sets us apart. The only requirements to have your entrepreneurship story on the website is that you must be the president, founder or CEO of the company and that the company or individual is based in Florida. We have the full spectrum of companies, some with only one employee and others with hundreds.
Q: What do you think is the biggest struggle for aspiring entrepreneurs?
A: Honestly, I’ve met with so many entrepreneurs and this answer is different for everyone; there is no generalization. Here’s what I hear most often.
Fear. For people who have never started a business before and have worked in traditional job settings, they’re worried about maintaining their income to meet the needs of life and when leaving the comfort of a paid job to start something new, the fear of not having that income is a struggle.
Funding. For people who have been able to build a prototype of their product or get early concept design work done, the challenge is how to fund the development of their product in large scale quantity and deal with the legal costs associated with patents, trademarks and copyrights while also having cash flow to hire employees, start marketing, etc.
Focus. People get excited about ideas and often bite off more than they can chew. Entrepreneurs need to narrow their focus and only pursue the things that will get them to their goal or serve as validation that their product or service is on the right track. Don’t get sidetracked by shiny objects that pull your time and attention from what you should really be focusing on.
Q: Any given Wednesday morning you can be found at Cinematique Theater in downtown Daytona Beach, alongside other locals looking to be inspired and network with each other at 1 Million Cups. Tell me about this event and how you are involved.
A: 1 Million Cups (1MC) is a national program that is powered by the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City. 1MC Daytona Beach is our local chapter and will be three years old in November 2017. I’ve been involved as a supporter and organizer since its inception. 1MC Daytona Beach is completely volunteer lead and there are 10 official organizers who coordinate and run this weekly meet-up. Every Wednesday we bring in a new, growing or successful entrepreneur to share his or her story with the audience and then engage in Q&A, networking, book giveaways, announcements and more. Our average attendance is 42 people and more than 100 entrepreneurs have shared their story at 1MC Daytona Beach.
Q: 1 Million Cups isn’t just a local gathering of entrepreneurs; you are part of a larger group. How can being involved in a national group help an individual grow?
A: There’s 120 chapters around the country that meet on Wednesday mornings to do the same thing we’re doing in Daytona Beach. It’s like one big family, so if an individual is looking to get more feedback for an idea they have the ability to present at other 1MC chapters in Florida and the country. If someone has already launched a business and is looking to expand markets, 1MC is a great way to get connected to the local entrepreneurship community in other cities, regions and states.
Q: Let’s say a local entrepreneur wants to get involved in one of these programs but doesn’t like public speaking or is unsure of their idea or goal. Do you think they could still benefit from being involved?
A: Absolutely. Just being in the room and listening to another entrepreneurs share their story is going to inspire you, give you ideas, help you think differently about your business, even help you find solutions to challenges you’re facing. Plus, you get to feel the energy of being around like-minded individuals. The neat thing about these programs is no one is there to sell anyone anything, everyone is there to support each other. Through supporting each other, greater trust is established, and when trust is established that’s when people start to do business with each other or form partnerships and collaborations.
Q: Give me the low-down on all the events you volunteer for!
A. Startup Weekend (being rebranded this year to Kickstart Weekend): This event is about bringing together entrepreneurs or those interested in entrepreneurship to work on building companies in the course of one weekend. Participants pitch ideas on opening night, then they self-select which ideas have the most merit to move forward for the weekend and teams are formed. We bring in coaches and mentors with a variety of subject matter and expertise to help guide the teams and their projects, then we culminate the weekend with each team presenting their company to a panel of judges and first, second and third place winners are announced. It’s an exciting but challenging experience much like the journey of being a business owner is. This program is led by a volunteer team of organizers. StartupDaytona.com
Elevate Daytona Beach: A program powered by the Leadership Daytona Alumni Council at the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce. The concept is to give individuals in the community a platform to share their passion in a short presentation format. Each speaker gets five minutes and 20 PowerPoint slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds. This results in quick but exciting presentations that are very polished and direct in their message. We’ve held three events so far with 250 attendees at our first event, 300 at the second and 400 at our most recent on July 20, 2017. ElevateDaytonaBeach.com
Innovate Daytona: This is a non-profit organization with a mission to build a sustainable culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Volusia County region. Myself, along with eight other Volusia County volunteer leaders came together to form this organization to help be the champion for local entrepreneurship programs, activities and funding to name a few. InnovateDaytona.com
Leadership Daytona Alumni Council (LDAC): LDAC is a committee within the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce. I’ve served on this committee for three years and this year I’m the chairman. Our mission is to continue to cultivate and develop a broad-based network of leaders who will serve our community through active involvement resulting in positive contributions to the greater Volusia County area. DaytonaChamber.com
Q: I love that you have a “Hire Me” tab on your website. What are some of the services you offer?
A: Emceeing, keynote speeches, event management, facilitating meetings, developing targeted social media campaigns, social media education, training, workshops and webinar, and connections to resources in the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Written By: Tiffany Evers // Photos by: Laurel Higman