Originally from Denver, Colorado, 47-year old Mark Groussman started his first business when he was a kid. Mowing lawns, shoveling driveways, and trading baseball cards, Mark did anything he could to make money. After getting his bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, he went on to earn his master’s in real estate finance from NYU.
Mark is extremely self-motivated and is now the President of Stoners Pizza Joint. He also is involved in a Bitcoin mining company and several marijuana companies, including Pure Kana. He also works with his wife, Erica Groussman, as a consultant for her business, TruWomen. Outside of his many companies, Mark is an avid golfer, and he loves spending time with his wife and two children.
Please tell us a little bit about your company
We specialize in high-quality pizza and quality service. We’re known for our take on the growth of the franchise industry. Stoner’s Pizza Joint features fresh, high-quality non-GMO food prepared in-house daily. We offer specialty pizzas, calzones, strombolis, sandwiches, chicken wings, freshly prepared salads, and the best baked chocolate chip cookies. We are most proud of our high-quality product at an affordable price!
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I started my first business when I was a kid. Mowing lawns, shoveling driveways, and trading baseball cards, I did anything I could to make money. After getting my bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, I got my master’s in real estate finance from NYU. I’ve been in finance and funding early-stage businesses for over 20 years; then, I became an investor in Stoners. I saw the potential of the company, so I became chairman to work on growth. I’m also involved in a Bitcoin mining company and several marijuana companies, including Pure Kana. I even work with my wife, Erica Groussman, as a consultant for her business, TruWomen. I’m also an avid golfer, and I love spending time with my family.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
The top three skills someone needs are commitment, problem-solving, and drive. You need to commit to your business every day even if you don’t want to some days.
You need to solve problems and find out how to get through the ups and downs of running a business.
Lastly, you need a personal drive to make sure your business gets where you want it to. Although these skills are important, it’s more important to learn more and gain more skills while you run your business.
What are your plans for the future? How do you plan to grow this company?
We have daily talks to new franchise owners, and we’re continually finding new locations. There are even talks of opening locations on the west coast. I’m really excited about the continuous expansion of our business, and the possibility of the future.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
We are focused on consistency and quality. Many pizza franchises are inconsistent with their pizzas, which can be a big disappointment for customers. We also are focused on takeout and delivery, so we have improved our processes for takeout and delivery, whereas other competitors focus heavily on their dine-in experience.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
I was not careful with overspending, so I had to redo my budget and make sure our money was going to the right places.
Another mistake I made was I had different stores with different computer systems. I made sure to correct this by replacing them with the same systems to connect the stores and employees.
Also, we let the restaurants have their food ideas, but that was inconsistent. Consistency is vital, so we made sure every franchise sold the same food, with the same quality.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process. What has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Our process for marketing is purely old-school marketing. We’ve been going door-to-door, and we have been focusing on marketing towards college students. College kids love pizza, and so we used that to our advantage. Most people have been moving away from this type of marketing and heading towards social media. However, we have realized that since there’s so much on social media, our delicious pizza could be looked over. We realized that it would be more effective to go straight to the source and cut out the middleman.
What have been your biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge is being consistent with all of the stores. It’s essential to make sure their look and feel are similar in each franchise. We got everyone on board, and we now make sure every new franchise stays consistent with our other franchises. Consistency is extremely important, especially when customers order from other franchises.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
Make sure your deliveries are consistent and the food is delivered fresh and hot. Customers expect the best and provide the best. It’s essential to examine your delivery and take-out processes. Upset and disappointed customers talk, especially to their friends. If the pizza shows up cold, or if it’s not the right order, people will not be happy.
For a book, I would recommend Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, the Tony Robbins Podcast, and the Franchise your Business course by Lisa Newton.
If you only had $1000 to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I would build a website. Being able to connect with potential new customers online allows you access to so many people you would not normally have access to if you were only operating on a local level. It doesn’t cost any extra money to include an SEO-optimized blog so that people can find you when searching for your product or service. You can also feature leaders and influencers in your industry on your blog, and then have them cross-promote it when the article goes live. This will drive traffic to your new website and create greater visibility for your product or service.
What is your favorite quote?
“The Best Way to teach your kids about taxes is by eating 30% of their ice cream”
— Bill Murray.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Never give up and stay committed to your business. It’s easy to get down on yourself, especially when struggles come up while running a business. Step yourself away from the situation for a little bit, analyze the problem, then find a solution. It’s important to stay focused and to be level-headed. When you run a business, you can’t just throw it all away after one bad situation. Give it all you got, and just don’t give up.
How can we get in touch with you?
You can get in touch with me via email mark@stonerspizzajoint.com
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