Migration & Recruitment with Mark Puno + His Top Tips for Solopreneurs

In the next coming months, I have the pleasure to feature our ARISE Business Network Ninja's on my blog! I'm super excited about this as I know each of our ARISE team members have sooooo much to offer and are doing incredibly well in the biz! They are full of great insights and I know we can learn a thing of two from these amazing solopreneurs. But first off, what is ARISE Business Network and who are the Ninja's? In a nutshell, ARISE Business Network is a community that a good friend of mine Gez Perez and I have co-founded together. The community aims to bring like minded people together to connect, collaborate, grow and thrive together. You can check out more about us by clicking on the highlighted links above! We have a powerful team and support group behind us who we call NINJAS and we're so grateful for them in helping us run our monthly in person meet ups and share and really get behind the vision of our community. I'm so proud of each and everyone of our team and so i've decided to do an interview style blog so that you and I can get to know more about these amazing individuals who are so generous in serving their community!

So to kick start, we have MARK PUNO!

Mark Puno is the founder of Three Peaks International which is a migration and recruitment solutions provider established for individuals and businesses alike.

Tell us more about what you do and your how your business came about.

I’m a Registered Migration Agent (RMA) by trade but my business is more than just migration as it provides complete business solutions in the areas of migration, recruitment and outsourcing. I initially started just as a migration agent. However, in the course of business, I inevitably ended up connecting my clients with people in my network who could help them find employment. When I further investigated, I saw that there were only a few players in the market that could offer this type of service so I decided to tweak my business model, source the right partners and the rest is history.

What is your why? Why do you do what you do?

Simply put, my why is my FAMILY. The prime motivator in the key business decisions I make is always driven by how this can be beneficial for my family and will this decision bring me one step closer to that goal of being able to spend more time with family while maintaining profitability.

I also believe that each person deserves a chance to improve their quality of life for themselves and for their family, whether it’s through migration assistance helping people find jobs locally or internationally or through jobs being exported from Australia through outsourcing.

What are the challenges that you find as a solopreneur and your tips to overcoming them?

As a solopreneur, the challenges I faced were mainly

1) Having an overload of people telling me what I should and shouldn’t do,

2) Too many things to do and too little time to do it and lastly,

3) Financing

It was a journey for me addressing the 3 points but here is what I’ve learnt so far:

Be clear about your business. Being clear about what your business is and what it’s not provides you focus. Focus leads to results. Results lead to consistency. Consistency leads to competency. Competency leads to credibility. Credibility attracts more customers. More customers means more business.

Structure and Prioritise!!! Time management and structure is absolutely crucial as a solopreneur. The right structures, the right process and practical time management skills ensures your operating at a high level and not just putting out fires as they come.

Plan and Pray. Before going into the business, always consider your financial means and plan/budget accordingly. Be optimistic and realistic. If you suffer any financial setback, always remember that business is a journey and that journey has detours. However, the destination remains the same.

What are your 3 top tips for those who are still on the journey to discovering their business venture or idea?

1) Connect your business venture/idea to who you are. Your business is an extension of yourself and you will run it based on the person that you are.

2) Seek professional help. After you’ve brainstormed by yourself, the next step is to speak to a business coach. The NSW government actually provides free and subsidised business coaching and they are an excellent resource in pointing you in the right direction.

3) Take that leap! Don’t be stuck suffering from analysis-paralysis. Once you’ve prepared and been pointed in the right direction, take that leap of faith and get some skin in the game!

What does it feel like to be part of ARISE BUSINESS NETWORK and our team (Ninjas!) and what does it mean for you and your business?

Being part of ARISE Business Network has provided me opportunity to work with like minded and passionate people that fill my tank. As a solopreneur, I’m always deliberate in connecting with people who encourage me in my business walk.

Thank you so much Mark for all your love and support for our ARISE family, we're so grateful to be serving along side you and appreciate you. Looking forward to more amazing time with you and our team!

Love and Blessings,

Fideliz