In an interview with Insights Success, Shawn Hull the founder and CEO of Blue Coast Savings Consultants shares the story of his company’s world-class business model and the secrets behind the unique savings opportunities.
The company takes pride in providing its advisors with outstanding support and training. The process begins with training and mentoring, continues with marketing, and then finishes with a National Account Managers that help the advisors engage their clients and manage their business.
Describe your background and what did you do before you started or came into this business?
I am the definition of a lifelong entrepreneur. While still a student at the University of Arizona, I became one of the country’s youngest scuba instructors and began running my own diving business. In the early 1990s, I founded my first business venture, Custom CardTel, one of the first companies to introduce customized prepaid phone cards to the U.S. market. My next business venture was New Century Marketing, an Internet marketing company which I founded, that consulted with some of the largest Internet companies at that time in the world such as Yahoo, Tucows and Network Solutions.
In 2001, I founded Taxback, a tax savings company that helped clients claim refunds in their tax refunds. Five years later, our services outgrew tax savings and Blue Coast Savings Consultants was born. For almost 15 years, Blue Coast has been the nation’s largest cost-savings company and has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one America’s fastest-growing Companies.
What is your role in the company?
I am the founder and CEO of Blue Coast Savings Consultants. I run the day-to-day operations of the business, helping our advisors grow their business by guiding them through our unique process and services. It’s not about me, it’s about a great team I have around me that makes all this work. I build a custom business plan for each advisor to fit their individual needs and financial goals. I’m a visionary, so my main role is to create incredible value by finding services that companies want and need, but can’t do themselves. I also find valuable marketing programs through 3rd parties so our advisors can talk with companies that need and want their services, so they don’t have to cold call.
What are the cutting-edge franchise services/solutions offered by Blue Coast Savings Consultants?
Blue Coast offers a full suite of innovative cost savings solutions. Our services include specialized tax incentives, expense reduction, and revenue gains. Best of all, if we cannot find a company savings, we charge no fee. Essentially, we provide a no-risk services for companies that are looking for much-needed savings. We bring services that are in the early adoption phase, but will become widely adopted and pay our advisors monthly for the next 8-12 years. The key is that we have services that our clients can’t do themselves, which in turn creates value no matter how big or small the company may be.
What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?
I was fortunate to learn a good work ethic early on in my life. God has always driven my path as all things come from him. In my early businesses, I looked for mentors that were much more successful than myself and learned invaluable lessons to avoid costly mistakes. As an avid reader, I loved the classics like Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” and Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” just to name a few.
What is the operating philosophy that the business has been built on?
I believe that everyone can be their own boss. Being an entrepreneur myself, I believe that everyone can be in business for themselves and love what they do. I learned early on in my life that residual income was the best and smartest way to make money and that I could teach others how to do the same.
What are some of the vital attributes, in your opinion, that every leader should possess?
I believe that work ethic is crucial to be a successful leader. Being willing to go the extra mile and put in the extra effort for clients and customers is the most important thing if you want to succeed in business. I also believe that business leaders should be willing to take risks, no matter the situation. Being a scuba diver, I’m no stranger to risk-taking.
How do you sustain your entrepreneurial/leadership spirit in this changing technological era?
What Blue Coast offers is a business opportunity that is relevant no matter the technological advances or the state of the economy.
While technology is constantly changing, the keys to being a successful businessman is fairly consistent. Hard work and a love of what you do will always be important, no matter what technology you use. We are constantly finding the most innovate cost-savings services in the country that can provide more value to our advisors and their clients.
Provide one line that best describes your vision and approach to business.
I show willing and passionate individuals a smarter business model by offering services that companies need in any economy, keeping their overhead low and profits high, so that our advisors can do the work once and get paid monthly for the next decade or more
Shawn Hull | Founder & CEO | Blue Coast Savings Consultants
