BE Next 2009: Where Are They Now?

What a difference a year makes! In January 2009, Black Enterprise launched BE Next, introducing the world to the new face of business — young, fearless, successful, and poised to take over. To help represent this tenacious crop, we profiled five gifted entrepreneurs (all under the age of 35) making a measurable impact within their respective industry, business networks and social circles. Revealing to us their M.V.P — Most Valuable Play — each spoke candidly to us about the challenges and successes they encountered along the way.

But what have they been up to since we first featured their stories a year ago? And what’s on the horizon for them and their entrepreneurial endeavors? As the January 2010 issue hits newsstands with our newest BE Nexters, BlackEnterprise.com checks in with our inaugural crew:

Jerome Boykin Jr., 27
JB Sweeping
Houma, LA

When Black Enterprise last caught up with Jerome Boykin Jr., he was at the helm of a nine-employee commercial parking lot maintenance company in southern Louisiana. Launching the company in January 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Boykin frankly explained during the photo shoot how he “saw the opportunity, saw a need, and filled it.” But while many of Boykin’s friends scoffed at the idea of cleaning parking lots, the young businessman followed his father’s advice and did it anyway, grossing $850,000 in revenue in 2008. With major local contracts from large retailers — Wal-Mart and Lowe’s — Boykin found his competitive advantage: customer service.

“We purposely set the bar high for ourselves,” Boykin says. “Of course, there are a few people who’ve tried to underbid me, but I have good relationships with my clients and offer such quality work that they’re not even entertaining the idea of taking a chance on them.”

Last year was good to the Louisiana native. Forging ahead with a formula for success that includes great customer service continues to pay off. JB Sweeping is steadily growing at a rate of 17% year-over-year. Boykin was awarded a statewide contract from Lowe’s and is currently pursuing a nationwide contract with Wal-Mart.

“I don’t want to grow [the company] too fast because that’s often the downfall of most organizations,” says Boykin. “I’m also making sure that the team I put together is good, because I want things done a certain way.”

For instance, the company is gradually taking on each new Lowe’s store as Boykin trains his teams, some of them new employees, and adds more sweeper trucks. JB Sweeping closed out 2009 raking in $1 million in revenues, but Boykin remains grounded in his mission. He’s not centered on revenue but on the value he brings to clients. “I’m not focused on the money but rather on my brand,” he says. “And what I’m known for is customer service and quality work.”

Boykin’s tip for young entrepreneurs: “If you want to get into business, become a problem solver. When I got into this industry I found a big problem — there was only one guy cleaning the parking lots in my area and he wasn’t doing a good job. That’s when I decided to step in and step up with the best customer service. When you find your niche and are able to not only do what the competition isn’t doing but do it well, you establish your brand and ultimately grow your company.”

Sirena C. Moore, 28
Elohim Cleaning Contractors
Bristol, PA

To a 17-year-old single mother of twins, the idea of running a multimillion-dollar company may seem more of a dream than a reality. But it became Sirena C. Moore’s reality in 2002 when she, her father, and younger brother pooled their resources to start a construction site cleanup company. “In the early days we had no money. Our office was my brother’s old bedroom,” she told Black Enterprise. “We used my father’s old pickup truck — we called it the “Sanford and Son” truck.

And in 2008, this BE Nexter’s company generated $2 million in revenue operating debt-free. Having no debt, the company was able to maneuver through the shaky economy rather stealthily, even expanding, adding eight new full-time employees.

Moore is more motivated than ever. Armed with an 8(a) certification which gives minority-

and women-owned businesses competitive positioning in applying for federal contracts, the company was awarded a federal contract which takes effect in December 2009. And Moore excitedly hints that federal contracts will play a big part in the future of Elohim Cleaning Contractors. “I dedicated a good year and a half to just learning the federal procurement data system,” reveals the savvy businesswoman. “[I spent time] finding out contractors who were expiring from the program, finding their contracts, and coming up with partnered arrangements.”

The company also secured its first line of credit in November 2009 as it took on a six-figure casino construction cleanup job that her father, Theodore Moore, senior vice president of the company, was instrumental in securing. Elohim Cleaning Contractors generated $2.7 million in 2009, and as Moore expands into government contracts and janitorial services, she projects that the company will rake in $10 million in revenue in 2010.

Last year, Moore was recognized as a Black Enterprise BE Next Award nominee, and more recently she was named the 2010 Small Business Person of the Year by the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

Moore’s tip for young entrepreneurs: “As young people, we are risk-takers and we can afford to take those risks. That’s what sets us apart from older people. Our risk isn’t scary to us because we know we can recover. Take risks that you can afford to take. Be innovative. Be creative.”

Julius Erving III, 35
Erving Carter Entertainment
Atlanta

After selling his Philadelphia-based entertainment management company for a reported $12 million in 2004, Julius Erving III took his share of the sale and launched Julius Erving Group (JEG), another entertainment management company.

“We were definitely hesitant at first, because the offer came to us after only 18 months in business,” Erving said when Black Enterprise first spoke to him. “More than the money, we wanted to be in a position to be successful.”

Indeed, the young deal maker was successfully expanding his ventures, opening an Atlanta-based boxing gym with R&B singer Mario (who he also manages), and partnering with three friends to develop two sneaker collections (Jhung Yuro and Caesar Lunix). In 2008, the combined revenue of the shoe lines and gyms was $3.5 million.

Erving’s entertainment management company has been thriving and he’s added two new acts to its roster. R&B singer Mario also released an album in October 2009, which reached No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Erving says his sneaker collections, Jhung Yuro and Caesar Lunix, are still thriving with the volume of shoes being sold steadily increasing. He also expanded his Atlanta-based gym, adding on to the space in order to host spectator boxing matches.

Erving is also stepping into the academic arena with Street Smarts, a line of urban-inspired school supplies, complete with pens, pencils, and book bags. With four animated characters associated with the line, Erving is looking to get kids excited about things like class assignments and homework. He is optimistic that this new venture will resonate, adding, “[Street Smarts] is an attempt to try to make school cool.”

Erving’s tip for young entrepreneurs: A lot of times [young people] are their own trendsetters. Being young, you have a pulse for what’s hot and what’s not working, and it gives us an advantage. So follow your passion and pursue what you like.

Lorielle and Brandon Broussard, 29 and 33
Barackawear Inc.
Los Angeles

In August 2007, the sibling duo quit their day jobs to go full force with their clothing line, Barackawear Inc. The company aggressively touted t-shirts and other apparel with the ’90s-inspired slogan Barack the Vote, in support of the then-Illinois senator and presidential candidate who became the nation’s first black president. Their risk-taking teamwork paid off and the popular t-shirt line generated $600,000 in revenue in 2008.

“Every end product that you see is something that we both completely agreed upon,” Brandon told Black Enterprise about his and his sister’s business strategy. “What makes the product extra great is that, if one of us doesn’t like something, we won’t put it out.”

And betting on President Barack Obama was just the beginning. Business-savvy and ready to expand, the two

went on to launch YOTOWN, a line of nonpolitical shirts featuring personalized maps of any U.S. city. They’d also made plans to launch Qreative Jeanius, a fashion company and denim line using high-end raw, salvaged denim.

Today, Lorielle and Brandon Broussard remain a dynamic duo. Also recognized as Black Enterprise BE Next Award nominees this past year, the two are now working on a licensing deal to take their t-shirt line nationwide and possibly worldwide. Products would include Barackawear umbrellas, coffee mugs, and other paraphernalia. “[Barackawear] is a brand that can be around forever, not just for a season,” says Lorielle. “And that’s what we’re planning this time.”

The response from Barackawear customers remained solid well after the election, so much that with inventory running low but popularity still high, the Broussards shut down production on Barackawear this past fall to gear up for the upcoming 2012 election.

And after realizing that their passion for YOTOWN had waned, the Broussards stopped production on the clothing line in October 2009. “The hardest thing is realizing when to stop,” admits Lorielle. “YOTOWN was something we liked but it wasn’t necessarily something we loved.”

Drawing upon their entertainment backgrounds, Brandon and Lorielle are currently putting their energy and enthusiasm into Purple Stuff TV, a sketch comedy Web-based series. So far they have produced 20 sketches. “We’re hoping to get it on the air after the third season in January 2010,” says Lorielle. “We got an investor [for Purple Stuff TV] based on our success with Barackawear.”

Lorielle and Brandon’s tip for young entrepreneurs: “Follow your gut and love whatever the project or product is that you’re putting out. But do know when to quit a project because you don’t want to waste your money, time, and energy. And above all be fearless. Because the world is a scary place and stepping out on your own is risky.”

Check out our behind-the-scenes footage from Black Enterprise magazine’s January 2010 BE Next cover shoot here.

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BE Next 2010: Blazing a Path to Success