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Donald Williams has a message for Black entrepreneurs eager to start their own small businesses: You eat what you kill. With that spirit, the founder and owner of Williams Accounting makes it his job to help more people achieve business ownership.
And he knows just how challenging it is to successfully do so. While Mr. Williams started his accounting company in 2005 in Louisiana, within a year he expanded to a second firm in Atlanta, Georgia. Today, Williams Accounting has over 1000 individual and business clients.
Mr. Williams knows the difficulties that go into owning and running your own business. “You must make sacrifices, you must work 80 hours a week, you must go above and beyond,” the business consultant told The Black Wall St Times. “You must make decisions not just for yourself, but for your team and your company.”
The importance of preparation
Mr. Williams knows that many people express an interest in venturing into business ownership; however the reality isn’t so easy. “Research, research, research,” he said with a chuckle, when asked what to do before starting a small business. “Know the inventory, know whether you want to do an online business or a brick and mortar store, know your competition — and know there will be problems.”
He continued, “There’s nothing small about being a small business owner.” In fact, Mr. Williams likens owning a small business to starting military boot camp. “Prepare yourself for every possible issue, from supply chain breakdowns to a paper jam in the printer.”
He also values every person within his company. “Every position is important,” he said. “It’s about teamwork.”
Williams Accounting
For Mr. Williams, his role is not just small business owner, but also as a consultant and advocate for those who want to start small businesses. To that end, he has a free eBook called The Small Business Survival Guide, as well as a book in the works, entitled “Eat What You Kill.”
And Mr. Williams’ goal as an advocate for small business ownership? “I want small business owners to know, ‘I understand you and I am here for you.’ I want to be the accountant you invite to your barbecue.”
To learn more about Donald Williams, go to Williams Accounting and Consulting.