Good afternoon!

Welcome to the Raleigh Roundtable, a weekly email digest that offers you takeaways from my conversations with Raleigh business owners + small business news.

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The hardest (and most rewarding) part of creating the Roundtable is getting in touch with business owners to interview. If you have a connection to a Raleigh business owner who'd like to be featured, please email me.

On to this week's conversation and news!

This week, I sat down with Abdel to learn about the electronics industry and get his advice for success in small business. Read on!  

Abdel started out tinkering with computers when he was younger and always had a gift for fixing things. Eventually, he realized that his hobby could turn into an actual business and started Undead Electronics. Undead specializes in refurbishing computers, and they operate locally here in Raleigh.

With the effects of COVID still impacting the business world, computers are vital for most people's daily lives (Zoom calls, virtual learning, web portals, etc.). According to Abdel, they're busier than ever, and he's excited for the continued expansion of the company.

JP: What's your biggest piece of advice for other business owners?

AB: "Be upfront and honest with your customers. It will pay off in the long run. And specialize. In the beginning, we were servicing TVs and phones as well, but they became a major distraction from the primary product of our business, servicing and refurbishing computers. Once we dialed in our focus, we became much more successful."

Abdel highlighted the importance of customer experience (see Undead's Google Reviews). This is a similar theme from Carlo, last week's guest. It really boils down to offering a great product and following up to make sure the customer is satisfied.

Another lesson is the importance of focusing on fewer things but doing them better. Carlo highlighted this to me, "be known for one thing instead of being known as mediocre at a lot of things. That's how you'll stand out."

At MidStreet, we've narrowed our focus to selling companies primarily in North Carolina in specific industries and have benefited greatly. Countless business owners we work with share a similar mindset with becoming a master at fewer things vs. being a jack of all trades. How can you apply this principle to your life/business?

1. Bongiorno & Son Italian restaurant opened last weekend in Lafayette Village in Raleigh. Per the TBJ, they offer everything from sandwiches and imported cheese to pasta and sausage. Growing up half Italian, I'll definitely be stopping by.
2. The owners of Porch Conversion Sunrooms sold their business to Tom & Taylor Waddle. Porch Conversion operates primarily out of Wilmington but provides sunroom construction to homeowners throughout Raleigh via a franchise office. Full disclosure - my colleague Jeff Baxter Jr. with MidStreet was heavily involved in facilitating the transaction, and I couldn't be more proud of him. Good luck Tom & Taylor!