The Virtual Virtuoso: Mark Cuban Is Born
The Virtual Virtuoso: Mark Cuban Is Born
Mark Cuban was born on July 31, 1958 in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania as the oldest of three boys. His upbringing was middle class, with a housewife for a mother and his father and uncle working in an upholstery shop. He graduated from Mount Lebanon High School in 1976, but not before establishing a reputation as a hustler. Looking back, Cuban guesses that his classmates would have predicted he would either wind up in jail or owning a business. Thankfully, it was the latter that would prove to be correct.
When Cuban was 12 years old, he started his first business selling garbage bags door-to-door. “It was a box of a hundred of these nasty, skinny, you know, probably not very good garbage bags that I sold $6.00 a box,” recalls Cuban. “But who’s going to say no to a 12-year-old?” When he was 16 years old, Cuban became a regular at stamp shows, buying stamps for 50 cents and selling them for $5. To his friends, Cuban was the ultimate hustler.
After graduating from high school, Cuban enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh, but later transferred to Indiana University, which was said to have an excellent business program at a fraction of the cost of other schools. Here, he started up a bar called Motley’s Pub, which thrived until they were caught with minors inside. Although he was an excellent student, Cuban got into trouble with the dean for taking graduate level courses during his freshman year. He graduated with a degree in management but was barred from applying to their graduate program as a result.
Cuban got his first real job selling franchises for a company called Tronics 2000, a TV repair shop. He left after just four months when his idea to branch out into computer repairs was met with rejection. “They just didn’t see a future in computers,” Cuban recalls. Unemployed, Cuban began to ask himself what kind of business he could start on his own. “I saw an ad for somebody selling powdered milk and I thought everybody needs milk like they need garbage bags,” he said. So, Cuban created a company to sell powdered milk but it was a self-admitted disaster.
With four failed businesses under his belt, Cuban was now ready to step it up a notch. He moved to Dallas, Texas in 1982 and found work first as a bartender at Elans and later as a sales assistant with Your Business Software despite never having worked with a PC before. He dedicated his nights to reading as many computer software manuals as he could and was soon thriving in the position and generating a loyal clientele. When he one day decided to close a $10,000 deal instead of open the store, Cuban was fired.
But, he had finally found his niche and getting let go would prove to be the fuel Cuban needed to make it big.
The Virtual Virtuoso Mark Cuban Is Born
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To sports fans across America, Mark Cuban is the well-known outspoken and brash owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team who wears his heart on his sleeve and, as a result, is prone to many well-publicized outbursts. But, the billionaire Cuban is also an entrepreneur at heart, having created more startups in his early years than most others in a lifetime.
Mark Cuban was born on July 31, 1958 in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania as the oldest of three boys. His upbringing was middle class, with a housewife for a mother and his father and uncle working in an upholstery shop. He graduated from Mount Lebanon High School in 1976, but not before establishing a reputation as a hustler. Looking back, Cuban guesses that his classmates would have predicted he would either wind up in jail or owning a business. Thankfully, it was the latter that would prove to be correct.
When Cuban was 12 years old, he started his first business selling garbage bags door-to-door. “It was a box of a hundred of these nasty, skinny, you know, probably not very good garbage bags that I sold $6.00 a box,” recalls Cuban. “But who’s going to say no to a 12-year-old?” When he was 16 years old, Cuban became a regular at stamp shows, buying stamps for 50 cents and selling them for $5. To his friends, Cuban was the ultimate hustler.
After graduating from high school, Cuban enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh, but later transferred to Indiana University, which was said to have an excellent business program at a fraction of the cost of other schools. Here, he started up a bar called Motley’s Pub, which thrived until they were caught with minors inside. Although he was an excellent student, Cuban got into trouble with the dean for taking graduate level courses during his freshman year. He graduated with a degree in management but was barred from applying to their graduate program as a result.
Cuban got his first real job selling franchises for a company called Tronics 2000, a TV repair shop. He left after just four months when his idea to branch out into computer repairs was met with rejection. “They just didn’t see a future in computers,” Cuban recalls. Unemployed, Cuban began to ask himself what kind of business he could start on his own. “I saw an ad for somebody selling powdered milk and I thought everybody needs milk like they need garbage bags,” he said. So, Cuban created a company to sell powdered milk but it was a self-admitted disaster.
With four failed businesses under his belt, Cuban was now ready to step it up a notch. He moved to Dallas, Texas in 1982 and found work first as a bartender at Elans and later as a sales assistant with Your Business Software despite never having worked with a PC before. He dedicated his nights to reading as many computer software manuals as he could and was soon thriving in the position and generating a loyal clientele. When he one day decided to close a $10,000 deal instead of open the store, Cuban was fired.
But, he had finally found his niche and getting let go would prove to be the fuel Cuban needed to make it big.
The Virtual Virtuoso Mark Cuban Is Born
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 The Virtual Virtuoso: Mark Cuban Is Born
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 To sports fans across America, Mark Cuban is the well-known outspoken and brash owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team who wears his heart on his sleeve and, as a result, is prone to many well-publicized ... |
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From Garbage Bags to Bags of Billions: How Cuban Made His Wealth
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| Cuban was once asked how he defined success. He replied, “Being able to wake up every day with a smile on my face, looking forward to the day. Which is exactly how I described it when I was broke, sleeping on the fl... |
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Seek and ye shall find – the right information
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| Good information is all around you |
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Lesson #2: Don’t Take The Shortcut
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| “There are no shortcuts,” says Cuban. “Everyone tells you how they are going to be ‘special,’ but few do the work to get there. Do the work.” |
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Lesson #1: Do Your Homework
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| “Do your homework and know your business better than anyone,” says Cuban. “Otherwise, someone who knows more and works harder will kick your ass.” |
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Bernard ReberBack in late 1992, MS Access hit the streets. About that time the company I managed needed new software to handle their growing client base and I decided to try this new product. I had little difficulty writing and adapting a database to suit us and discovered a hidden talent for programming. A business was born. With business studies and 25 years of management experience in three different countries under my belt, I could offer a unique combination of skills and my customers agreed. From these humble beginnings my software 'invoiceit' emerged in 1999 and has since been taken to 49 states (hello Wyoming, won't you join us?), all across Canada and more than 70 other countries. From the very beginning the program included cashbook accounting, the simplest form of keeping financial business records. The Dictionary.com defines 'cashbook' as "A 'book' in which to record money received and paid out". For 'book' substitute 'simple software' and that's what I'm about. Now I have published Simple Accounting, an inexpensive spreadsheet solution which even you can master. For just $14.95 it costs less than a takeout meal! More at http://www.scrambled-card.com/simple_accounting_main.htm - Visit Bernard Reber's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) Jay Kubassek is a Canadian born entrepreneur, internet marketing genius, professional speaker, international real estate developer/investor, executive film producer, extreme sport enthusiast and a passionate supporter of several charities worldwide. In 2007, Jay's vision and dedication to help other entrepreneurs and business owners duplicate his marketing success led to the creation of his fourth company CarbonCopyPRO, an internet marketing firm already worth over 15 million dollars that has over 20 employees and contract workers with clients is 12 different countries. Jay resides in NYC with his girlfriend Jamie, three year old son Milo and dog Cooper. As executive producer he recently premiered his first film in the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. As an adventurist he is racing the 2008 Baja 1000 off-road race and is a member of the 2008 U.S. National Elephant Polo Team, The New York Blue who will be representing the US in the 2008 World Championships in Nepal. Visit Jay's Blog: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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