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Darion Wint recently made up his mind that he did not want to make someone else’s dreams come true for the rest of his life. So he decided to take the plunge into small business ownership, while still maintaining his day job as the manager of a rental car lot.
Wint, who is a client of 1-800Accountant, is now the CEO of Wint Investment Group, LLC. The entrepreneur formally registered the startup company in October 2014 in Houston, Texas.
Wint Investment Group is a real estate investment firm. It primarily handles foreclosures, reselling, and rental property in residential areas around Houston.
Like many self-employed entrepreneurs across America, Wint says it was his past experiences that enabled him to launch his own small business.
“I’ve purchased and sold several properties in the past,” he says. “Through the last one, I was able to get enough startup capital for this business. So I figured if I could do this on the side, it would be a great opportunity for me in the future.”
Keys to Startup Success
According to the entrepreneur, there are several keys to startup success in order for him to make Wint Investment Group soar toward a prosperous future. He says these are keys all entrepreneurs should follow.
“It’s going to take lots of hard work and research on my part,” he says. “I have to find ideal properties to get into that I won’t have to sit on for a long time.”
Wint confides that the concept of real estate is right up his alley.
“Real estate is very tangible work, unlike a lot of other businesses that are based on other factors,” he explains. “In other words, a $30,000 property is a $30,000 property. You can certainly make improvements to a piece of property and increase its value, but you know that you’ll get at least what you put into it.”
Competition in the Real Estate Market
Wint admits that the real estate market is chock full of agents and investors throughout most of the country, including in the Houston area. However, he already has a game plan in mind in terms of gaining an edge over his direct competitors.
“My strategy is to stay away from larger counties and focus on auctions in smaller counties that investors are not as familiar with,” he explains. “But I will stay in my general vicinity because I think it’s important to have property in areas where you can supervise it.”
Wint confides that he has been no stranger to some of the many challenges entrepreneurs face when setting up a startup company.
“It’s been challenging finding the necessary resources to get the info on the properties I invest in,” he says. “I have to go through county appraisal websites, and sometimes I have to use a professional to get the title and case information about each piece of property. Competition from other investors is obviously another challenge as well.”
Startup Tips for Entrepreneurs
His biggest tip for entrepreneurs interested in starting a business of their own is to ensure they are getting into something they love.
“Make sure it’s something you are passionate about because it takes a lot of effort and resources in the beginning.”
1-800Accountant Client Testimonial
As a 1-800Accountant client, Wint says he has received top-notched small business accounting support that has been very helpful in navigating the complicated IRS tax code.
“1-800Accountant has been very professional and takes an educational approach to taxes that I really enjoy,” he says. “It’s been a pleasure to work with the firm.”
Photo credit: The photograph of Darion Wint was provided by Wint Investment Group, LLC and is used with permission.
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