Antonio Brown aims to legitimize your hustle with new book 'Moving from Bidness to Business'

FLINT, Michigan — Antonio Brown references his knowledge of success while giving new business owners a cheat code to achieve entrepreneurship in his new book 'Moving from Bidness to Business.' An entrepreneur himself, he understands many of the paths and hardships new business owners may be faced with.

In June 2019, Brown and his brothers established The John L Group, a logistics service in Flint. Together, they created a business that upholds values like hard work, integrity, and competence. 

During the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, the Brown brothers were faced with some of the same stumbling blocks new business owners experienced because of the pandemic. Brown’s expertise is a combination of education and his personal testimony of successful business development. During an interview with Flintside, Brown shared his insights on his new book, his Flint roots, and vital tips for new entrepreneurs. 

Flintside: Who is Antonio Brown?

Antonio Brown: "I am Flint educated. I graduated from the University of Michigan-Flint with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. I went back for my MBA and then received my CPA certification in 2007. I’ve been doing taxation and CPA work for the last 15, or 16 years."

Flintside: What inspired 'Moving from Bidness to Business?'

A. Brown: "I started having reoccurring conversations with new business owners so I believed it was time. I had enough life experience and enough management experience to really start to piece things together. I’ve been an entrepreneur myself for quite some time, but when my brothers and I developed our own company, it was the first time I had to be accountable to somebody else in business. That’s when our business decisions became a shared experience.

We had to have meetings, we had to discuss contracts. I had to take my own advice that I had been giving to other small business owners and entrepreneurs. That’s what inspired the book. It’s really me telling a story about my experience as a professional coupled with my experience as an entrepreneur."

Flintside: How did you decide on the title of the book?

A. Brown: "I think all of us can identify with businesses that have done ‘bidness.’ Customers might like the product, but the organization can improve. The first thing I ask entrepreneurs is what’s your business plan? And without fail, 90% to 95% of the time, their business plan is still an idea or a thought. I tell them that if it’s not on paper, it’s not real. So, it’s an idea of “how do I move?” “How do I get my business to scale, and grow it to a point of potential?”

The book is literally me having a conversation with an entrepreneur as if they were sitting across my desk receiving a CPA consultation. It’s also an easy read and less than 100 pages. It answers questions like, “How do I get my legal documents in place?” And I also provide free resources my brothers and I have used for our own business."

Flintside: Where can we buy the book?

A. Brown: "Amazon or anyone can buy directly from me at book signings."

Flintside: Do you have plans for another book?

A. Brown: "I do have another book in mind that I will likely publish sometime in the future. This is my twenty-first tax season, and I want to share my experience."

Flintside: Is there a key piece of advice you like to leave new business owners with?

A. Brown: "There are three people that every entrepreneur should have on call. You need to have a lawyer. You need to have an insurance agent, and you need a certified public accountant (CPA). Business is an investment and it can be risky. Your lawyer is going to make sure that your contracts are written properly. Your insurance agent is going to make sure that in the event something happens, there’s liability on your behalf and you’re covered.

Your CPA is going to make sure that your business is overall healthy. They are going to evaluate your property, loss statements, your balance, and your financial position. All these things can cripple the business if you don’t have this in place. I would tell any entrepreneur, that if they don’t buy the book, to at least secure these three things."

Flintside: Is there anything that I didn’t ask that you want the community to know about you or your book?

A. Brown: "I’ve been serving both the for-profit and the non-profit sectors for 20 years. The foreword in my book was written by attorney Aaron Burrell who is a corporate lawyer for Dickinson Wright in Detroit. So, I would like people to understand that the content in my book was read and reviewed by a corporate lawyer, and he was so compelled after reading the material that he decided to write the foreword."

For more on Antonio Brown and The John L Group, visit: thejohnlgroup.com
'Moving from Bidness to Business' is available for purchase on Amazon.