At 20 years outdated, Voyo Popovic, now the founder and CEO of Piece of Cake Transferring & Storage, immigrated to the U.S. from Montenegro and took a job at a McDonald’s to make ends meet.
Nevertheless, only a few months in, Popovic was already searching for his subsequent alternative, one that will permit him to work longer hours, have extra management and earn more cash. However he was nonetheless enhancing his English and had «no particular ability set» on the time, so his choices had been restricted, he says — till a buddy and fellow countryman informed him shifting firms had been at all times in want of additional assist.
So Popovic started working as a mover in New York Metropolis. «I fell in love with the job instantly,» Popovic tells Entrepreneur. «It was simply so lively, and from the attitude of a mover, you can see all these completely different life in New York Metropolis, which for somebody coming from overseas, and I believe for anybody actually, is fascinating.»
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After a yr on the job, Popovic grew to become a driver and crew chief; he loved caring for his workforce and the place total. However, ultimately, he grew «too comfy» and wished one other problem. So Popovic moved into the corporate’s gross sales division. He learn books, watched YouTube movies and labored on his English to reach the position, which he additionally loved.
«I cherished the truth that I used to be in a position to actually push myself. There was no restrict.»
«I cherished the truth that I used to be in a position to actually push myself,» Popovic says. «There was no restrict. There have been no particular hours. It wasn’t like an eight-hour shift, and also you’re achieved. Just about it was such as you work so long as you want, and also you’re liable for outcomes.»
Nonetheless, after a few years in gross sales, Popovic felt a well-recognized restlessness; it was time to set one other aim. By that time, Popovic’s years of expertise within the shifting trade had given him an inside look into a few of its inefficiencies. He knew he might do it higher. «The trade was very outdated, from communication to emails, customer support expertise, operations — every thing,» Popovic explains. «There was a lot room for enchancment. I noticed my probability there.»
So in 2018, at 24 years outdated, Popovic purchased a single shifting truck for $20,000 and set to work creating a model that will stand out from the competitors — in additional methods than one. That started with the corporate’s identify and branding: «Piece of Cake» alongside sizzling pink and purple. The identify «was in contrast to anything out there on the time,» Popovic remembers, and the brilliant colours would make sure the enterprise’s vehicles captured consideration «in a line of 100 vehicles.»
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Piece of Cake Transferring & Storage
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«Having each single buyer comfortable has at all times been on the core of our enterprise.»
Popovic was additionally dedicated to doing issues in another way when it got here to customer support, properly conscious that comfortable shoppers had been key to word-of-mouth referrals and new enterprise. «So each contact level is thoughtfully achieved,» Popovic says, «from the primary time a shopper calls to the e-mail correspondence, to the shifting day, to the precise follow-up after the transfer, having each single buyer comfortable has at all times been on the core of our enterprise.»
Piece of Cake additionally leverages knowledge, like buyer suggestions, to enhance its operations and assist with decision-making. For instance, if clients report extra broken TVs than ordinary, Piece of Cake schedules additional coaching for crew members. Moreover, the corporate pays shut consideration to which zip codes see probably the most shoppers, analyzing why some may need decrease numbers so it may handle the discrepancy.
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The progressive method has paid off. At present, Piece of Cake is a quickly rising firm with headquarters in New York and hubs in Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas. The corporate does greater than 100,000 strikes yearly throughout all 50 states and boasts 800 workers and 350 vehicles — and it nonetheless hasn’t taken any outdoors funding.
«Seeing that one thing that we began so small with one truck and few workers 1718351838 dwelling and supporting tons of and seeing that model that we sketched in a pocket book in each main metropolis of the U.S. — that is positively one thing that excites me and evokes me to get up day-after-day and to serve the corporate one of the best I can,» Popovic says.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Piece of Cake Transferring & Storage
«How do we now have sufficient data to deal with the following section of the corporate?»
Nevertheless, Piece of Cake’s flourishing success hasn’t been with out some challenges, Popovic says, particularly, discovering sufficient workers to help its growth and fast-tracking their progress throughout the firm, as most leaders within the trade work their means into senior roles from the bottom up. «How can we velocity up the method?» Popovic says. «How do we now have sufficient data to deal with the following section of the corporate? Together with me, how do I study and develop to have the ability to do my place of CEO one of the best I can?»
The secret is to give individuals loads of alternatives to study and degree up, Popovic says — and to ensure they’ve these possibilities early on.
«So not not ready till somebody says, ‘Hey, I have been on this place. I really feel caught. I am searching for enchancment,'» Popovic explains. «We method the individual and say, ‘Hey, you are doing a extremely good job. Why do not we sort out one other problem?’ [We’re] consistently pushing individuals out of their consolation zone, and folks [are] proving us proper.»
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Repeatedly getting out of his personal consolation zone is what allowed Popovic to rework his dream right into a actuality — and he suggests all aspiring entrepreneurs do the identical.
«Assume huge and do not put any limitations in your dream as a result of it is attainable you probably have a great product and a great service,» Popovic says. «When you have some worth that you simply’re offering to customers, it is [just] a matter of time [before] it’ll choose up. It is going to get to the fitting individuals, after which when all of it will get rolling, it may change into actually huge. So suppose huge. Dream huge.»
