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Entrepreneurship

Ask Oscar Rodriguez about the dot-com burst and he may smile at you as if to say, “What burst? ” Rodriguez, a 38- years-old entrepreneur, owns an Internet business that sells loose diamond to varied buyers. Business is flourishing for Rodriguez, In 2005, he provides sales of $2. 06 million-a 140 percent maximize from 2003.

Rodriguez’s repository of almost 60000 diamonds is among the largest and is also valued, relating to Rodriguez, at more than $350 million. Needless to say, Oscar Rodriguez is definitely optimistic about his business.

The future had not been always thus bright pertaining to Rodriguez, nevertheless. In 1985, Rodriguez shifted from his country, Muelle Rico, to Gainesville, California, with small ability to speak English. Presently there, he joined community college or university and proved helpful at the regional mall to compliment himself. After graduation, his roommate’s girl suggested that he work at a local jewelry salesman. “I thought she was crazy. My spouse and i didn’t understand anything about earrings, ” says Rodriguez, whom took her advice. Although he performed hard and received his Diamonds and Diamonds Grading certification from the Gemological institute of America, he had not been satisfied with this kind of progress. “I quickly noticed that working there, I was merely going to get yourself a salary using a raise here and there. I would under no circumstances become anything. That forced me to explore other businesses. I as well came to really know diamonds-their pricing and the quality. “

In 97, tired of employed by someone else, Rodriguez decided to wide open his personal jewelry store. However , business don’t boom. “Some of my own customers had been telling myself they could find diamonds for sale on the Internet. It blew my mind. ” Rodriguez acknowledged an opportunity and began contacting well-known diamond dealers to verify that they would be thinking about selling all their gems on the net. Roriguez recalls one discussion with a visible dealer whom told him, “You simply cannot sell gemstones on the Net. You will not survive. ” Disappointed, Rodriguez after that says that he made a blunder. “I ceased working on this. If you have a dream, you have to keep working harder at it. “

A year later, Rodriguez did work harder at his dream and found a supplier who consented to provide him with a few diamonds. Says Rodriguez, “Once I had 1, I could approach others. Business started to build. The initial three months I actually sold two-hundred dollar, 000 worth of expensive diamonds right off the bat. Which was simply me. My spouse and i started to add employees and ultimately closed a jewelry store and got out of full. “Although Rodriquez does have some diamonds in inventory, this individual primarily acts as a connection point between buyers and suppliers, giving his customers an exceptional selection from which to choose.

Rodriguez is currently a savvy businessperson, and his company, Abazias. com, went public in Oct 2003. Why is Rodriguez effective? Just ask two people who have known Rodriguez over the years. Whilst gary Schneider, a realtor who helped build Rodriguez’s building, says, “Oscar is an extremely ambitious young man. I am not amazed at all how successful he can. He is a business owner in the truest sense in the word. ” One of Rodriguez’s former real-estate instructors, Howard Freeman, , the burkha. “I was not surprised at all for his accomplishment, ” says Freeman. “Oscar has always been a very motivated specific with a wide range of resources. This individual has a wonderful personality and pays close attention to depth. He has an ability to stick to issues. You could tell from beginning that he was going to keep working at it, and I was proud of him. “

Rodriguez is keeping his success in perspective, but he also realizes his business’ potential: “I take a really small salary, and our expense is $250, 000 12 months. I was not in debt, and the business is disregarding even. I actually care about the business. I want to maintain everything actually until put into effect off, after which it may be one other ball game. “