Long before starting his business, Dillard Calais was thinking like an entrepreneur.
杏吧专区淚 remember as a kid 杏吧专区 summertime, maybe in second or third grade 杏吧专区 asking my cousin if he wanted to open up a lemonade stand with me,杏吧专区 Calais says. 杏吧专区淚 drew up a whole plan and told him about it, but he ended up just saying, 杏吧专区楴o thanks, bro. It杏吧专区檚 too hot for that.杏吧专区櫺影勺ㄇ鴿
杏吧专区淚t didn杏吧专区檛 work out then, but it flipped a switch in me and made me want to pursue owning a business later in life.杏吧专区
At the end of his senior year of high school, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt, presenting an opportunity for 18-year-old Calais.
杏吧专区淚 was bored, so I started detailing my car and posting pictures of it on social media,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淧eople started reaching out asking if I杏吧专区檇 come detail their cars, and it just took off from there.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淚t reached a point where I realized I didn杏吧专区檛 need to go get a job. I was making good money on my own.杏吧专区
After attending community college for several semesters, Calais transferred into the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 online B.S.B.A. in Management program, gaining the tools and knowledge he needed to take his business, Calais Auto Detailing, to new heights.
Gaining Business Insight
As Calais completed his degree, he had the chance to apply what he was learning in real time to his business. Coursework in areas outside of management, like marketing and finance, helped him become a well-rounded entrepreneur.
In MKTG 425: Negotiations, for example, Calais learned how to be a better communicator during high-stakes negotiations.
杏吧专区淭hat class helped me the most and gave me a lot of insight on closing business deals,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淚 learned how to prepare for a negotiation, how to maintain good body language and eye contact during a negotiation, and how to really find middle ground so that both you and the other party can call the deal a win.杏吧专区
Most importantly, the online management program taught Calais how to lead a team effectively.
He currently manages two employees, who have helped his business serve more customers and expand its reach in the community.
Using the knowledge and skills he gained in the management program, Calais maintains a streamlined system for delegation, giving them their assignments each day through a centralized online platform.
杏吧专区淥ne of my biggest takeaways from my management classes was learning how to delegate,杏吧专区 he explains. 杏吧专区淚 can杏吧专区檛 be in four locations at one time, but I can send people to be there for me.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淚 have it structured so that all my employees have to do is log in each day to see what clients they杏吧专区檒l be working with and access specific instructions for each client.杏吧专区
Staying Disciplined 杏吧专区 Now and in the Future
Completing the management program while managing his business required Calais to stay disciplined.
Each morning, he began his day with a 7 a.m. workout, followed by business-related tasks from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the evenings, he shifted his attention to school.
杏吧专区淭he biggest thing for me was writing everything down physically in a calendar,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淚t really helped me balance everything out.杏吧专区
As he seeks to expand his business, he杏吧专区檚 confident his ability to stay disciplined will serve him well.
His next goal? Moving his business into a brick-and-mortar location.
杏吧专区淩ight now, we杏吧专区檙e mobile and meet our customers where they are,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淭here杏吧专区檚 an old gas station in my hometown that I杏吧专区檓 looking into acquiring.杏吧专区 杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檓 hoping to fix it up and hire more employees so that I can have a physical location in addition to the two mobile units I have.杏吧专区
As Calais reflects on his journey, he leaves his peers in the online management program with a few words of wisdom:
杏吧专区淏e intentional and purpose driven. It杏吧专区檚 not going to be easy, but it杏吧专区檚 all about how you plan and go about your day-to-day life. Be structured and just know that if I can do it while juggling a business, so can you.杏吧专区
Gain the core business skills you need to thrive in any field with an online management degree from UL Lafayette.