Jose has always been driven by ingenuity and perseverance, which have been the crucial factors in his success. He is certified from IES in digital communication and multimedia. He started his entrepreneurial career in the form of Business Alumni Network, which he cofounded with Rishi Mathur. It is a Spain based startup offering an innovative platform where anyone & everyone, who think about business, can actually connect & network in real time, and grow together.
The platform has already garnered much appreciation from businesses offering a range of extensions like Business Angel Network World premier network forum, B.A.N ® Partners and B.A.N ® #ScaleUp.
Please provide a brief overview of your product/ service.
Headquartered in Spain, co-founded by Rishi Mathur and myself in 2015, and representative offices 7 countries, the Business Alumni Network ® believe in ‘let’s connect’ and help each & every aspiring business unit, startup, entrepreneur, etc. to grow, by connecting and sharing each other’s success, struggles, experiences, which gives a learning experience and makes you grow faster. At B.A.N ®, the activities & services include:
– Real-Time Network Meetups (Majorly Offline, but also Hybrid)
– Referral Business Exchange
- Workshops
- Conferences
– Talk Shows
- Trade Shows
- Chapter Memberships and Chapter Hosting
- Fellowships
What inspired you to build the above product/ service?
I have been to various ventures prior to Business Alumni Network ®, and this time something that facilitates real-time business & professional network, and enable growth of a larger aspiring business community. Though there are so many online networking websites existing, but no platform facilitates an affordable real-time, genuine, growth enabling connection and business referral exchange. Thus the Business Alumni Network ® came into existence.
What is your life mantra?
Always build the product which you believe is the best & unique for the society.
What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?
Like my earlier ventures, rejection of the idea was the prime feedback received while we were initiating work on Business Alumni Network ® in 2015. But we still appreciate that besides criticism, there had been some people who truly encouraged us on the idea of initiating Business Alumni Network ® and given their valuable inputs. Financial limitations and lack of large team were other challenges we faced.
How did you overcome those challenges?
Challenges are the road to success in each & every new and disruptive business startup. We took all challenges and criticisms in spirited manner, and keep on building our venture, fetching the right inputs even from our criticizers and lessons from the challenges, and utilizing them as bricks for building our aspiring company.
Share some details about the investments that you have been able to fetch for the business till now.
We have raised an undisclosed funding from IOWA Global of Finland. Moreover, our extension, Business Angel Network is home to global Angel Investors, Seed Investors, VCs, HNIs, Private Funders, Bankers, Fund Finders, Fund Seekers, Business Incubators, Growth Accelerators, Business Enablers, Educational Organizations, Research Organization, Consultants, Mentors, Startups, Entrepreneurs, and more.
How do you protect yourself from the problem of Brain Drain?
We are a small team, still we believe in making every member in our group feel as a Co-Founder instead of just a staff member. All efforts are made to make them feel a major pillar of an organization and motivate them financially and non-financially both.
According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?
- Experimentation
- Observation
- Exploration
Which online tools/ services/ apps do you use the most and would like to recommend as well?
I mostly use WhatsApp, Google Suite, Hootsuite and Virtual Box
Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.
I don’t give up easily once I am determined about my business idea is right.
Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.
My impatience and OCD.
Answer in less than 50 words
Never give up if you think you’re right.
- One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:
Understand the big difference between Spending and Investing.
- One most important lesson that you have learnt till now:
Empires are not build overnight. If it has been so easy, then everyone had been an emperor.
What are your plans for next 3 years?
- Expand the Business Alumni Network ® worldwide.
- Open more than 500 chapters
- Start new and interactive extensions & initiatives that makes global business ecosystem easy and accessible to everyone without prejudice.
If you get a chance to start your career again what would you do differently this time?
Undoubtedly I would love to become an entrepreneur all over again.
What are your top three getaway destinations?
- Goa
- Rishikesh
- Colombo
Share a quote that inspires you the most.
Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream… You got to protect it. People cannot do something themselves, they want to tell you cannot do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.