Any entrepreneur knows that the road to prosperity can be a bumpy ride. It’s not an easy journey by any means and sometimes the road doesn’t always lead where you’d hoped. In those instances true grit and willpower are the qualities needed to go off-road and chart your own path from where the road ends. Meet Neef Akbar, a multifaceted businessman who’s clear vision and determination in the face of obstacles has led him to success in entrepreneurship.
Neef was born in Patterson, New Jersey and grew up in Newark. No stranger to the world of business, Neef started out working with his father as his assistant carrying products for his merchant company. Neef enjoyed the work, appreciating the quality time he was able to spend with his father, while gaining valuable insight into the mechanics behind running a successful business.
When discussing how the entrepreneurial spirit was sparked and nurtured from childhood into adulthood, Neef says:
“When I was six years old, I made my first sale. On the route with my dad, I ran into a car salesman that wanted to buy the sunglasses that I was wearing, which I had bought earlier that day from the wholesale district in New York City. I made that sale and it felt good to make the exchange and close the deal – ever since then it’s been a goal for me to do that for a living.”
Neef enrolled in College, completing one semester before deciding to take the calculated risk of leaving his education to pursue entrepreneurship.
“I left school because I had such a wealth of information and experience I had gained from working under my father. I knew I could take what I learned and the clientele that I already had built up and go apply that knowledge to start creating my own business,” says Neef.
Neef’s entrepreneurial journey was a bumpy one, and he found himself in a difficult situation with the business he had been working on since he left school. But at the age of 26, Neef found a new and promising opportunity in the auto industry that would keep his dream alive. It just goes to show that just because you’re down, it doesn’t mean you’re out.
Neef and his father created Ironclad Production – a business targeting struggling car dealerships that need help moving inventory and creating gross profits.
“We run ad campaigns and bring in an elite sales team to help them achieve their business goals faster and more efficiently. Ultimately we help these dealers free up their floor plan, and add to their bottom line – within 7-10 days we move 70% of their inventory and increase their average gross profit substantially, creating satisfied return customers,” says Neef.
Not only does Ironclad Production provide exemplary services for dealerships – customer and employee satisfaction are also top priorities for Neef.
“During the pandemic where unemployment is high I make sure that my sales team is well taken care of. We work diligently to restructure our clients’ financial situations through car deals, putting their dreams in their driveways. Overall creating happy employees and happy clients lead to a strong and lifelong business relationship that I work hard to maintain,” says Neef.
To date, Ironclad Production’s client base has expanded all across the United States, with a network of hundreds of employees including expert finance managers and elite sales professionals. So what does the future of Ironclad Production entail? Neef expects expansion globally, generating more business for dealerships and clients all around the world.
Building a successful business from the ground up is no small feat, and Neef faced his fair share of obstacles along the way. Starting Ironclad Production from scratch at 26 after already pouring his time and energy into another business was definitely a moment of pivotal growth in his life.
“When I stepped into the auto industry, it was like starting all over again. I had to walk away from everything that I was used to, and that was familiar to me, to learn a whole new game that I knew nothing about. I had to grow and build from scratch to where I am today,” says Neef.
In addition to being the CEO of Ironclad Production, Neef is also a successful network marketer. He is a trader in the foreign exchange market, and mentors aspiring businessmen and women on navigating their way through the entrepreneurial jungle. To get in touch with him on instagram page @kingneef_royalty to find out more about Neef and how he continues to sharpen his vision of his entrepreneurial ventures.
His best advice for network marketers and new entrepreneurs? Show people the value of your business:
“Starting the business was the easy part. It’s growing a business that can be challenging. Being an entrepreneur for so many years and sticking with it, you develop a thick skin – you no longer take things personally. In entrepreneurship people are going to tell you no all the time. But you have to just see it as an unanswered question, more of a ‘why’. If someone is telling you no it’s because you haven’t shown them enough of the value that you’re bringing to the table. You already know that what you’re offering is going to help them – you just have to make them see it,” says Neef.
With two successful businesses under his belt and a lifetime of financial security within his grasp, Neef is leading by example in traversing the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. So how does Neef stay so motivated and positive throughout the journey? According to the businessman himself, visualization is the key:
“When I first started out I had a vision board and I used to put pictures all over my wall. I grew up in a rough environment so having those pictures there helped to keep that vision alive. Entrepreneurship is not easy. It’s not for the weak hearted or minded. At those hard times you have to dig deep and find out what your ‘why’ is, why you’re really doing this. And if you have that vision and that why and if you’re concise on that, you’ll always be able to go back there and find a deeper motivation to keep going.”
