Catalyst Magazine http://www.catalystmag.com Starting a business can be a scary process. But whether you're just exploring the possibilities as to what kind of business to start, developing a business plan, raising capital, or already looking for customers for your new business, we can help guide you through the maze with original articles and edited links to the best online resources available. Starting a business can be a scary process. But whether you're just exploring the possibilities as to what kind of business to start, developing a business plan, raising capital, or already looking for customers for your new business, we can help. Starting a business can be a scary process. But whether you're just exploring the possibilities as to what kind of business to start, developing a business plan, raising capital, or already looking for customers for your new business, we can help guide you through the maze with original articles and edited links to the best online resources available. en-us webmaster@billian.com webmaster@billian.com (Catalyst Magazine) (c) 2007 Catalyst Magazine no Catalyst Magazine webmaster@billian.com Business Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:42:38 -0500 November 24, 2008 http://feeds.feedburner.com/catalystmag/MivY Catalyst Magazine http://www.catalystmag.com/Multimedia/files/JerryWilsonManagingBrandYOU.mp3 Catalyst Magazine November 24, 2008 Business RSS_BUDDY_226035-4 no business, investing http://www.catalystmag.com Catalyst Magazine http://www.catalystmag.com/Multimedia/files/JonathanRosen.mp3
A snapshot of the questions Jonathan answers in this 30-minute interview:

• How did this happen?
• What does this mean for small business?
• What can business owners do in the meantime?
• What are the signs that might indicate we're near the end of this credit squeeze – or are we nowhere close?
• Where is the best place to put money right now?

]]>
A snapshot of the questions Jonathan answers in this 30-minute interview:

• How did this happen?
• What does this mean for small business?
• What can business owners do in the meantime?
• What are the signs that might indicate we're near the end of this credit squeeze – or are we nowhere close?
• Where is the best place to put money right now?

]]> Catalyst Magazine October 28, 2008 Business RSS_BUDDY_226035-4 no business, investing http://www.catalystmag.com Catalyst Magazine http://www.catalystmag.com/Multimedia/files/GregoirePodcast.mp3 Catalyst Magazine October 17, 2008 Business RSS_BUDDY_226035-4 no business, investing http://www.catalystmag.com Catalyst Magazine http://www.catalystmag.com/Multimedia/files/Raising_Capital_REVISED.mp3
It's the million-dollar question. Whether your company is encountering consistent annual revenue growth, or you're just tired of bootstrapping your start-up, how does an entrepreneur find capital to grow a small business? On the panel:

Braxton Jarratt, CEO & Co-Founder, Clearleap
In March 2008, Braxton's tech startup, Clearleap, announced a first round of venture capital funding of $9 million from industry leaders Trinity Ventures of Menlo Park, California, and Noro-Moseley Partners.

Greg Foster, General Partner, Noro-Moseley Partners
Greg joined NMP in 2008 and has focused his investment activities in technology with an emphasis on digital media. Prior to joining NMP, Greg served as Vice-President of Corporate Development for Turner Broadcasting, where he was responsible for Turner New Media Investments, the company's early stage strategic investment arm, as well as M&A activities.

Brian Patrick Cork, Managing Partner & Cultural Architect, brian cork Human Capital
Brian has helped a wide range of companies raise more than $500 million dollars in private placement capital and has recruited and counseled hundreds of executives and other decision-makers. He has actively participated in building dozens of successful organizations.

Moderated by: Scott Burkett, Co-Founder, StartupLounge.com
 
A successful serial entrepreneur, Scott co-founded StartupLounge, an Atlanta-based grassroots organization with a mission to support the investment process in the development of emerging high-growth companies. He also co-hosts the popular StartupLounge podcast, a show that helps bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and private capital.]]>
It's the million-dollar question. Whether your company is encountering consistent annual revenue growth, or you're just tired of bootstrapping your start-up, how does an entrepreneur find capital to grow a small business? On the panel:

Braxton Jarratt, CEO & Co-Founder, Clearleap
In March 2008, Braxton's tech startup, Clearleap, announced a first round of venture capital funding of $9 million from industry leaders Trinity Ventures of Menlo Park, California, and Noro-Moseley Partners.

Greg Foster, General Partner, Noro-Moseley Partners
Greg joined NMP in 2008 and has focused his investment activities in technology with an emphasis on digital media. Prior to joining NMP, Greg served as Vice-President of Corporate Development for Turner Broadcasting, where he was responsible for Turner New Media Investments, the company's early stage strategic investment arm, as well as M&A activities.

Brian Patrick Cork, Managing Partner & Cultural Architect, brian cork Human Capital
Brian has helped a wide range of companies raise more than $500 million dollars in private placement capital and has recruited and counseled hundreds of executives and other decision-makers. He has actively participated in building dozens of successful organizations.

Moderated by: Scott Burkett, Co-Founder, StartupLounge.com
 
A successful serial entrepreneur, Scott co-founded StartupLounge, an Atlanta-based grassroots organization with a mission to support the investment process in the development of emerging high-growth companies. He also co-hosts the popular StartupLounge podcast, a show that helps bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and private capital.]]> Catalyst Magazine September 15, 2008 Business RSS_BUDDY_226035-4 no business, investing http://www.catalystmag.com Catalyst Magazine http://www.catalystmag.com/Multimedia/files/SimmsJenkinsPodcast1.mp3
This podcast runs about 17:35 in length.]]>
This podcast runs about 17:35 in length.]]> Catalyst Magazine September 3, 2008 Business RSS_BUDDY_226035-4 no business, investing http://www.catalystmag.com Catalyst Magazine http://www.catalystmag.com/Multimedia/files/21Q_-_MarvinDavis.mp3 Take No Prisoners, talks with Drew about his 12-step approach to preparing your business for a recession. Find out the importance of a 13-week cash flow forecast, how to take advantage of the weak dollar and why it's important to increase your advertising in a down business cycle.]]> Take No Prisoners, talks with Drew about his 12-step approach to preparing your business for a recession. Find out the importance of a 13-week cash flow forecast, how to take advantage of the weak dollar and why it's important to increase your advertising in a down business cycle.]]> Catalyst Magazine February 27, 2008 Business RSS_BUDDY_226035-4 no business, investing http://www.catalystmag.com Catalyst Magazine http://www.catalystmag.com/Multimedia/files/21QAlanUrechPod.mp3 Catalyst Magazine February 27, 2008 Business RSS_BUDDY_226035-4 no business, investing http://www.catalystmag.com Catalyst Magazine http://www.catalystmag.com/Multimedia/files/21QEsther_Ashe.mp3
Transcript below:

Doug Billian: Welcome to 21 Questions, a podcasting program brought to you by "Catalyst" magazine. I'm Doug Billian, publisher of "Catalyst." And running today's podcast is editor of "Catalyst" magazine, Drew Ermenc. Our guest this morning is Esther Andrew, owner and founder of Esther Ashe Designs. Esther, welcome.

Esther Andrew: Thank you.

Doug Billian: Drew, let's learn more about Esther's business. It's all yours.

Drew Ermenc: Hey, Esther! How are you?

Esther Andrew: Good.

Drew Ermenc: Good. Good. Let's talk a little bit about your company and then we'll talk a little bit about your background. What is Esther Ashe Designs?

Esther Andrew: Well, Esther Ashe Designs is an interior design firm where our focus is on residential customers, either from the building of a new home or to decorating just a powder room.

Drew Ermenc: Great. Great. Do you come from an entrepreneurial family?

Esther Andrew: I do. In fact, my grandfather was a real renegade. He was kicked out of college a couple of times [Laughter], but he ended up becoming a really successful businessman by starting the first Ford dealership in South Carolina. And then my father took that forward with gas stations and motels, I guess you can say. So we all like to work hard and create our own thing.

Drew Ermenc: So it runs in your blood?

Esther Andrew: I guess so.

Drew Ermenc: [Laughter] Why become an entrepreneur?

Esther Andrew: I think what people really need to understand about entrepreneurship is whatever you do when you go out on your own, you truly want to have a passion for it. And you need to realize that there's going to be obstacles and that is never going to be easy as far as free time. You're never going to have the free time you probably had in corporate America because it is a lot of work. But as long as you stay focused, benefiting in the freedom of having your own choices is what makes entrepreneurship so much fun.

Drew Ermenc: We'll talk a little bit about, you know, owning a design company such as yourself. Where was your background?
  
Esther Andrew: Well, my 15 years of sales and marketing has given me really two valuable tools that I use in my practice on a daily basis. Its solution-based approach were when you meet with the client, you really need to understand what their true needs are. And that requires asking the good questions and listening to these questions, making good notes, and being able to follow through on a clear expectation of their budget. So by understanding who your client is and what their needs are, you can fulfill and be sensitive to their budgets.

Drew Ermenc: Do you have any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs that are trying to start their own design company?

Esther Andrew: I think the first thing people need to do is take the time to meet with those who are already in the industry. Talk to them and ask them questions - where the challenges are and what they've done and develop a goal that are baby steps, and don't expect everything to happen within a year. And find something that you truly love about the design industry or whatever business or industry you want to go into.

Drew Ermenc: Tell me about the light bulb moments, so to speak, when you decided that you want to go out on your own and then tell me how you were able to fund your idea.

Esther Andrew: Well I'll answer the last question first. Fortunately in my industry, it doesn't take a lot of capital and I've been fortunate to receive customers from the get-go. And how that light bulb moment happened was when I was working for "USA Today," my husband and I began building a home which, by default, I became the general contractor.

So I really went back to school building our own house, so a year and a half of building gave me the experience and the knowledge to go out on my own. And once the house was furnished, friends came in and said, "Please, I'm going to hire you."
   
And at first, I was a little hesitant. And then I thought, you know, this is an industry I think I really do love. And so I went back to school and took some classes at the Art Institute.

Drew Ermenc: Design classes?

Esther Andrew: Uh-huh. Design classes in the evening and then basically in there established Esther Ashe Designs.

Drew Ermenc: Wow! So really there was minimal capital?

Esther Andrew: Yeah. And it's because in this industry, fortunately in Atlanta, we have the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center where you go and look for furniture and fabrics and such. And the capital that you really need is the knowledge that's in your head. And by building a home, I learned a lot from that. So it didn't really require building an office and hiring employees, so I work pretty much on my own.

Drew Ermenc: So what gave you the confidence to go out on your own? I mean, you're working on your own home, but it's a lot different working on your own home than, say, working on someone else's home entirely. Where was the confidence? Where did it come from?
  
Esther Andrew: I think having an experience in the corporate world and working with clients, everyone being different and understanding that no person is going to be -- I guess really the confidence comes from not just coming out of college and having worked in the corporate world for quite some time and understanding where my expertise is.

Say contemporary design, it is an area that I'm not really skilled upon. And so if the client asks me that, that's work for someone else ... and understanding really where your two talents are.

Drew Ermenc: What trends or the hot topics in your industry were? You know, what about trends in small business? Anything that you're noticing that may help some of our readers and our listeners down the road?

Esther Andrew: I think the trend and hot topic really everywhere is sustainable design. It's all about, finally, we obtain attention to Mother Earth and taking into the concepts of design, organic materials, recycled materials, conservation of energy. And because now the end-users make it, the manufacturers are creating it. And truly is, I think, a really push forward in this industry.

Drew Ermenc: A preconceived notion building upon that. A preconceived notion has always been cost prohibitive. Is that still true?

Esther Andrew: In certain areas, solar energy is still cost prohibitive. But the materials and furnishings and paint, they have come out with a whole line of paint that is green as well as mini-fabrics and carpet. But we still have a long way, but I think this next five years we're going to see a significant change in all that. But, yes, it is challenging and cost prohibitive in some areas.

Drew Ermenc: Are there any trends that could be hurting your business?

Esther Andrew: I think the real challenge is positive and negative is the Internet. Clients are more educated than they ever been, so they often buy a product from Timbuktu. And my challenge is educating them on understanding what the qualities are and really what would work within the design scheme that they've communicated to me.

Drew Ermenc: Very interesting. Let's move over to more about your personal life for just a minute. How has your life changed? You mentioned one of the advantages is being able to make your own decisions regarding all facets of your life. How was your free time changed since you've been able to go out on your own?

Esther Andrew: Well, just like I was saying earlier, going out on your own really takes a lot of time. So time management is the key. You really have to rise early, go to bed early, work like hell, and make sure your clients are happy. I don't know if that really answers your question.

Drew Ermenc: No. I mean, it does. But, you know, are you still working 40-hour weeks? Do you work 60-hour weeks? Do you work 60-hour weeks, one week, and 20 hours the next? How does it work?

Esther Andrew: I think with any entrepreneur, we all are such a lean forward type personality and we tend to always say "yes" to everything. So you have to slow down and make careful choices on your clients. So I don't know, otherwise I will be working 80 hours a week. And I tried to make my life more realistic, but you have to be careful because you can always take on too much. So you have to know where your limits are.

Drew Ermenc: Great. We'll be shifting back over to the professional track. What is your competitive advantage?  

Esther Andrew: It's so funny to talk about competitive advantage because in this industry, I hate to think of it as competitive because we all designers love to work with one another. Without saying where I most enjoy bringing forth my skills is particularly in the beginning of a new build. Many designers just work on the decorating side.

But because of my experience in building three homes with scratch and many homes' renovation, I've been able to understand all facets from the scope of work, what's really important before you go out to bed. And that's what people don't understand, is you don't just go and hire a contractor. You have a full scope of work that you send to them. And as the more details you are, the more likely you'll be on budget.

Drew Ermenc: Well, let's talk a little bit about the process. How do you go out and find and qualify the contractors?

Esther Andrew: One thing you want to find is a contractor. It's all about who we know and how your relationships are.

So when you hire a contractor and I've emphasized this many times with clients is that if they don't have rolodex of good subs, then they're no good. If they're a budding contractor either take the risk of a longer bill time. Of if you have more money to spend, you hire a more established contractor and you find someone who really has responsible contracts, good insurance, understands the scope, and has a commitment to deliver within a certain time.

Drew Ermenc: What about new customers? Tell me about your first customer. And I understand that's a very much word-of-mouth type of business, but where was your first customer, how did you find them, and then how did you build upon that?

Esther Andrew: Well, really my first customer was myself and my husband.

Drew Ermenc: [Laughter].

Esther Andrew: And then I build upon that from friends and family. I helped my family build a home in North Carolina and then that segwayed into referrals of others in Atlanta. On referral basis, how I generated more referrals was because of my experience in marketing, I was able to get our home on a tour homes in Atlanta which helped launch our business and have had business trickle in every month since then.

And I do our house on occasion for events and that helps us bring in business and hopefully rub shoulders with those who have budgets who want to... need a designer. And I answered two questions at once there, I guess.

Drew Ermenc: No. I think that's fantastic. That's completely okay. What's your ideal customer profile and who are you looking for?

Esther Andrew: I really want someone that really appreciates the art of design and the science behind it, what it truly takes to design a home and the steps to take and allow me to take the ball and run with it.    

And there being some, I want them to be a part of it, but to remember and to trust me in my design capabilities.

Drew Ermenc: How do you handle a client that is a little bit overbearing?

Esther Andrew: I've definitely had clients like that and I basically let them have the control of where would they want to be involved. And that's a key in understanding the beginning, asking the right questions: How much do you want to be involved? Do you want to have your furniture purchased through me? Do you see yourself designing all the rooms? What area support?

So it's just a matter of communication. And if the client really is more involved, then let them have it. But then there is a certain point where we call it 'firing your client.' If they become too involved, you really aren't there as a designer and it's really not your piece of the pie in essence that they don't really need you because they're doing it on their own. And that's when you really have to be careful on how you communicate.

Drew Ermenc: Did you experience that?

Esther Andrew: I have, where I'm working more on various clients, including myself when I started, I knew I didn't want a designer because I knew what I really wanted and I had. And that's where I say, "Well, I understand you want to really design this on your own. Just let me know where you want me to help you because I can see this really isn't a full project."

And so they said, "I want you to help me on floor planning and space planning." And sure, so as long as I know what their expectations are, things move around. There's never any straight line in design.

Drew Ermenc: So it sounds like it's very advantageous in your industry that you are really the customer before you became the supplier of the service.

Esther Andrew: And I truly appreciate design now because I was a customer. Because I understand the time and the energy and the scope of any project at the source.
   
Because on graphic designers, you can't really quantify what is behind that and really until you experience it. It allows me to understand both sides of the spectrum.

Drew Ermenc: That's advantageous for sure. Absolutely. Do you have reeky customers?

Esther Andrew: Yeah. Right now, I have a customer who is building the second home and I'd say over half of my customers repeat because they're going from step to step, from room to room and then some were a brand new home. So referral business, that's really what it's all about in the design or you don't necessarily want to advertise too much. It's really building and making your clients happy.

Drew Ermenc: Tell me a little bit about cash flow. Is there up-front costs or do you pay and then they reimburse? How does this work?

Esther Andrew: That has been probably my biggest challenge because I don't have experience in accounting side. Get a bookkeeper and have a good accountant and get Quick Books. It helps tremendously. I've spent four hours yesterday with a client trying to understand where the thousand dollars was missing. It's because I didn't put any Quick Books.

Drew Ermenc: [Laughter].

Esther Andrew: So number one, Quick Books. Get a bookkeeper. And as far as cash flow, well, I asked for 100% up-front.

Drew Ermenc: Is that the norm?

Esther Andrew: I think it's anywhere from 80 to 100% of the product purchase. But currently, I'm asking 100% because I just don't want to take the risk of, what do you call that, holding the strings.

Drew Ermenc: [Laughter].

Esther Andrew: I don't want to be left in the dark and have the papers...

Drew Ermenc: Holding the bag.

Esther Andrew: Holding the bag! Thank you!

[Laughter]

Drew Ermenc: It's all right. So who is your top vendor? What would you do if they disappear tomorrow?
 
Esther Andrew: You know, there's no real top vendor in this design world. For me, you're only as good as your rolodex. You have to have A, B, and C contractors, builders. And if you don't have that rolodex, then you're going to be hurt and you will be challenged if you lose that customer. So it's important for you to continually develop relationships of outsourcing of builders and designers so you don't fall into the lurch in situations such as that.

Drew Ermenc: You mentioned some of your marketing where you're renting out your home, you've been the 16:55 tour of homes]. How else do you network to attract more customers or do you need to attract more customers right now?
 
Esther Andrew: Well, the way I like to network is I'm always wanting to become educated as a network, so I work with fellow designers and I actually created and founded EED called 'Emerging and Established Designers.' And it's a group of established designers and emerging designers such as myself and we get together on a quarterly basis and we bring a speaker in to discuss either furnishings or fabric or whatever the case may be.

But the best part about it is afterwords, we sit and talk about the challenges that we have with our customers or with the industry. So it's a good way of communicating with your fellow contemporaries.

Drew Ermenc: What would you say you're averaging in terms of customers per year or per month? Give us an idea of how many clients you actually have.

Esther Andrew: Right now, I have six active clients and I really can't take on anymore unless I bring in a partner.
   
Now, I'm not ready. I want to be a small boutique where I work one on one with the client. And so currently, I have six clients. Some are just decorating a room. One's a renovation and one's a new built. So I'm pretty busy.

Drew Ermenc: So business is good?

Esther Andrew: It is good. It is. It's fine.

Drew Ermenc: That's great. I understand you work out of your home?

Esther Andrew: I do.

Drew Ermenc: Tell me a little bit about that.

Esther Andrew: That's for another challenge for me, is organizing. In the design world, you have so many samples and memos and fabrics. My entire office is filled with notebooks and you're constantly building on new vendors inside. So for me, I've actually hired a lady to come in and help me organize my office, which has helped tremendously and helps me breathe.

Drew Ermenc: So a designer hiring a designer?

Esther Andrew: Exactly. So what they have is special leash.

Drew Ermenc: That's great. You mentioned something. Well, there's a particular phone device that you said you can't live without. Would you talk a little bit about that?
  
Esther Andrew: Oh, yeah! For me, because I'm really my own firm, it's my BlackBerry. So for instance, yesterday, I was with the client for three hours and I wanted to go and place the order en route in a wonderful Atlanta traffic. I've spent 30 minutes with my manufacturer having my Quick Book sheet of what we're buying and...

Drew Ermenc: But you don't do this driving, of course?

Esther Andrew: Oh, yes.

Drew Ermenc: [Laughter].

Esther Andrew: It's all when we're stopping.

Drew Ermenc: Of course [Laughter].

Esther Andrew: Inching along the intersection.

Drew Ermenc: Inching along, which is frequent. That's okay.

Esther Andrew: But the virtual workplace is certainly the advantage of working on your own. I don't usually report down or report up. I have my office, but I also travel with clients and take them elsewhere and then BlackBerry and laptops. Traditional office place is really becoming for the entrepreneur somewhat obsolete, I guess you could say.    

Drew Ermenc: You put together this the group for quarterly speakers. How else do you tap into your industry and do you plan on taking any advanced education courses? What do you do as an entrepreneur both on the industry side and on the business side? How are you learning?

Esther Andrew: And I think that's a really important question that every designer take seriously because the industry is always changing. ASID offers Pocket CEU classes where you contact fellow designers in the industry and they send you like, "I've just ordered a codebook, electrical codes., updated codes for handicapped."

And so that's why we purchase for $25 a packet. And then Art Institute of Atlanta offers night classes, from renderings to color theory. So you just keep abreast too and I subscribed to the ASID newsletter and I subscribed to mini-magazines and say you learn from fellow designers and that's where you get your inspiration as well.
   
Drew Ermenc: That's great. For a final question, what is your advice to not some one resilient in your industry, but to an entrepreneur in general? And to recap, we've talked about, you know, virtual offices. We talked about networking. What are some advice that you feel is just absolutely necessary for an entrepreneur to find success and whatever industry they choose?

Esther Andrew: Don't romanticize it in your head and to think, "No. If only I had my own business," because truly, it is a step in a direction of lot of hard work.
 
And number one, love your job, love your passion. Find something that you truly love. Build a business plan. Figure out where the challenges will be and take baby steps. It's not going to happen tomorrow, but it will come forth as long as you manage it properly.

Drew Ermenc: That's great! Esther, we appreciate you taking some moments with us. I know you're busy and thank you very much.

Doug?

Doug Billian: Esther, again, thanks for your perspective and taking time with us this morning.

For our listeners, please visit our entire podcasting series for more information at catalystmag.com. Once again, I'm Doug Billian, publisher of "Catalyst" magazine. And our guest today has been Esther Andrew, owner of Esther Ashe Designs. To get more advice from Esther and her team, please visit them online at estherashe.com.]]>
Transcript below:

Doug Billian: Welcome to 21 Questions, a podcasting program brought to you by "Catalyst" magazine. I'm Doug Billian, publisher of "Catalyst." And running today's podcast is editor of "Catalyst" magazine, Drew Ermenc. Our guest this morning is Esther Andrew, owner and founder of Esther Ashe Designs. Esther, welcome.

Esther Andrew: Thank you.

Doug Billian: Drew, let's learn more about Esther's business. It's all yours.

Drew Ermenc: Hey, Esther! How are you?

Esther Andrew: Good.

Drew Ermenc: Good. Good. Let's talk a little bit about your company and then we'll talk a little bit about your background. What is Esther Ashe Designs?

Esther Andrew: Well, Esther Ashe Designs is an interior design firm where our focus is on residential customers, either from the building of a new home or to decorating just a powder room.

Drew Ermenc: Great. Great. Do you come from an entrepreneurial family?

Esther Andrew: I do. In fact, my grandfather was a real renegade. He was kicked out of college a couple of times [Laughter], but he ended up becoming a really successful businessman by starting the first Ford dealership in South Carolina. And then my father took that forward with gas stations and motels, I guess you can say. So we all like to work hard and create our own thing.

Drew Ermenc: So it runs in your blood?

Esther Andrew: I guess so.

Drew Ermenc: [Laughter] Why become an entrepreneur?

Esther Andrew: I think what people really need to understand about entrepreneurship is whatever you do when you go out on your own, you truly want to have a passion for it. And you need to realize that there's going to be obstacles and that is never going to be easy as far as free time. You're never going to have the free time you probably had in corporate America because it is a lot of work. But as long as you stay focused, benefiting in the freedom of having your own choices is what makes entrepreneurship so much fun.

Drew Ermenc: We'll talk a little bit about, you know, owning a design company such as yourself. Where was your background?
  
Esther Andrew: Well, my 15 years of sales and marketing has given me really two valuable tools that I use in my practice on a daily basis. Its solution-based approach were when you meet with the client, you really need to understand what their true needs are. And that requires asking the good questions and listening to these questions, making good notes, and being able to follow through on a clear expectation of their budget. So by understanding who your client is and what their needs are, you can fulfill and be sensitive to their budgets.

Drew Ermenc: Do you have any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs that are trying to start their own design company?

Esther Andrew: I think the first thing people need to do is take the time to meet with those who are already in the industry. Talk to them and ask them questions - where the challenges are and what they've done and develop a goal that are baby steps, and don't expect everything to happen within a year. And find something that you truly love about the design industry or whatever business or industry you want to go into.

Drew Ermenc: Tell me about the light bulb moments, so to speak, when you decided that you want to go out on your own and then tell me how you were able to fund your idea.

Esther Andrew: Well I'll answer the last question first. Fortunately in my industry, it doesn't take a lot of capital and I've been fortunate to receive customers from the get-go. And how that light bulb moment happened was when I was working for "USA Today," my husband and I began building a home which, by default, I became the general contractor.

So I really went back to school building our own house, so a year and a half of building gave me the experience and the knowledge to go out on my own. And once the house was furnished, friends came in and said, "Please, I'm going to hire you."
   
And at first, I was a little hesitant. And then I thought, you know, this is an industry I think I really do love. And so I went back to school and took some classes at the Art Institute.

Drew Ermenc: Design classes?

Esther Andrew: Uh-huh. Design classes in the evening and then basically in there established Esther Ashe Designs.

Drew Ermenc: Wow! So really there was minimal capital?

Esther Andrew: Yeah. And it's because in this industry, fortunately in Atlanta, we have the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center where you go and look for furniture and fabrics and such. And the capital that you really need is the knowledge that's in your head. And by building a home, I learned a lot from that. So it didn't really require building an office and hiring employees, so I work pretty much on my own.

Drew Ermenc: So what gave you the confidence to go out on your own? I mean, you're working on your own home, but it's a lot different working on your own home than, say, working on someone else's home entirely. Where was the confidence? Where did it come from?
  
Esther Andrew: I think having an experience in the corporate world and working with clients, everyone being different and understanding that no person is going to be -- I guess really the confidence comes from not just coming out of college and having worked in the corporate world for quite some time and understanding where my expertise is.

Say contemporary design, it is an area that I'm not really skilled upon. And so if the client asks me that, that's work for someone else ... and understanding really where your two talents are.

Drew Ermenc: What trends or the hot topics in your industry were? You know, what about trends in small business? Anything that you're noticing that may help some of our readers and our listeners down the road?

Esther Andrew: I think the trend and hot topic really everywhere is sustainable design. It's all about, finally, we obtain attention to Mother Earth and taking into the concepts of design, organic materials, recycled materials, conservation of energy. And because now the end-users make it, the manufacturers are creating it. And truly is, I think, a really push forward in this industry.

Drew Ermenc: A preconceived notion building upon that. A preconceived notion has always been cost prohibitive. Is that still true?

Esther Andrew: In certain areas, solar energy is still cost prohibitive. But the materials and furnishings and paint, they have come out with a whole line of paint that is green as well as mini-fabrics and carpet. But we still have a long way, but I think this next five years we're going to see a significant change in all that. But, yes, it is challenging and cost prohibitive in some areas.

Drew Ermenc: Are there any trends that could be hurting your business?

Esther Andrew: I think the real challenge is positive and negative is the Internet. Clients are more educated than they ever been, so they often buy a product from Timbuktu. And my challenge is educating them on understanding what the qualities are and really what would work within the design scheme that they've communicated to me.

Drew Ermenc: Very interesting. Let's move over to more about your personal life for just a minute. How has your life changed? You mentioned one of the advantages is being able to make your own decisions regarding all facets of your life. How was your free time changed since you've been able to go out on your own?

Esther Andrew: Well, just like I was saying earlier, going out on your own really takes a lot of time. So time management is the key. You really have to rise early, go to bed early, work like hell, and make sure your clients are happy. I don't know if that really answers your question.

Drew Ermenc: No. I mean, it does. But, you know, are you still working 40-hour weeks? Do you work 60-hour weeks? Do you work 60-hour weeks, one week, and 20 hours the next? How does it work?

Esther Andrew: I think with any entrepreneur, we all are such a lean forward type personality and we tend to always say "yes" to everything. So you have to slow down and make careful choices on your clients. So I don't know, otherwise I will be working 80 hours a week. And I tried to make my life more realistic, but you have to be careful because you can always take on too much. So you have to know where your limits are.

Drew Ermenc: Great. We'll be shifting back over to the professional track. What is your competitive advantage?  

Esther Andrew: It's so funny to talk about competitive advantage because in this industry, I hate to think of it as competitive because we all designers love to work with one another. Without saying where I most enjoy bringing forth my skills is particularly in the beginning of a new build. Many designers just work on the decorating side.

But because of my experience in building three homes with scratch and many homes' renovation, I've been able to understand all facets from the scope of work, what's really important before you go out to bed. And that's what people don't understand, is you don't just go and hire a contractor. You have a full scope of work that you send to them. And as the more details you are, the more likely you'll be on budget.

Drew Ermenc: Well, let's talk a little bit about the process. How do you go out and find and qualify the contractors?

Esther Andrew: One thing you want to find is a contractor. It's all about who we know and how your relationships are.

So when you hire a contractor and I've emphasized this many times with clients is that if they don't have rolodex of good subs, then they're no good. If they're a budding contractor either take the risk of a longer bill time. Of if you have more money to spend, you hire a more established contractor and you find someone who really has responsible contracts, good insurance, understands the scope, and has a commitment to deliver within a certain time.

Drew Ermenc: What about new customers? Tell me about your first customer. And I understand that's a very much word-of-mouth type of business, but where was your first customer, how did you find them, and then how did you build upon that?

Esther Andrew: Well, really my first customer was myself and my husband.

Drew Ermenc: [Laughter].

Esther Andrew: And then I build upon that from friends and family. I helped my family build a home in North Carolina and then that segwayed into referrals of others in Atlanta. On referral basis, how I generated more referrals was because of my experience in marketing, I was able to get our home on a tour homes in Atlanta which helped launch our business and have had business trickle in every month since then.

And I do our house on occasion for events and that helps us bring in business and hopefully rub shoulders with those who have budgets who want to... need a designer. And I answered two questions at once there, I guess.

Drew Ermenc: No. I think that's fantastic. That's completely okay. What's your ideal customer profile and who are you looking for?

Esther Andrew: I really want someone that really appreciates the art of design and the science behind it, what it truly takes to design a home and the steps to take and allow me to take the ball and run with it.    

And there being some, I want them to be a part of it, but to remember and to trust me in my design capabilities.

Drew Ermenc: How do you handle a client that is a little bit overbearing?

Esther Andrew: I've definitely had clients like that and I basically let them have the control of where would they want to be involved. And that's a key in understanding the beginning, asking the right questions: How much do you want to be involved? Do you want to have your furniture purchased through me? Do you see yourself designing all the rooms? What area support?

So it's just a matter of communication. And if the client really is more involved, then let them have it. But then there is a certain point where we call it 'firing your client.' If they become too involved, you really aren't there as a designer and it's really not your piece of the pie in essence that they don't really need you because they're doing it on their own. And that's when you really have to be careful on how you communicate.

Drew Ermenc: Did you experience that?

Esther Andrew: I have, where I'm working more on various clients, including myself when I started, I knew I didn't want a designer because I knew what I really wanted and I had. And that's where I say, "Well, I understand you want to really design this on your own. Just let me know where you want me to help you because I can see this really isn't a full project."

And so they said, "I want you to help me on floor planning and space planning." And sure, so as long as I know what their expectations are, things move around. There's never any straight line in design.

Drew Ermenc: So it sounds like it's very advantageous in your industry that you are really the customer before you became the supplier of the service.

Esther Andrew: And I truly appreciate design now because I was a customer. Because I understand the time and the energy and the scope of any project at the source.
   
Because on graphic designers, you can't really quantify what is behind that and really until you experience it. It allows me to understand both sides of the spectrum.

Drew Ermenc: That's advantageous for sure. Absolutely. Do you have reeky customers?

Esther Andrew: Yeah. Right now, I have a customer who is building the second home and I'd say over half of my customers repeat because they're going from step to step, from room to room and then some were a brand new home. So referral business, that's really what it's all about in the design or you don't necessarily want to advertise too much. It's really building and making your clients happy.

Drew Ermenc: Tell me a little bit about cash flow. Is there up-front costs or do you pay and then they reimburse? How does this work?

Esther Andrew: That has been probably my biggest challenge because I don't have experience in accounting side. Get a bookkeeper and have a good accountant and get Quick Books. It helps tremendously. I've spent four hours yesterday with a client trying to understand where the thousand dollars was missing. It's because I didn't put any Quick Books.

Drew Ermenc: [Laughter].

Esther Andrew: So number one, Quick Books. Get a bookkeeper. And as far as cash flow, well, I asked for 100% up-front.

Drew Ermenc: Is that the norm?

Esther Andrew: I think it's anywhere from 80 to 100% of the product purchase. But currently, I'm asking 100% because I just don't want to take the risk of, what do you call that, holding the strings.

Drew Ermenc: [Laughter].

Esther Andrew: I don't want to be left in the dark and have the papers...

Drew Ermenc: Holding the bag.

Esther Andrew: Holding the bag! Thank you!

[Laughter]

Drew Ermenc: It's all right. So who is your top vendor? What would you do if they disappear tomorrow?
 
Esther Andrew: You know, there's no real top vendor in this design world. For me, you're only as good as your rolodex. You have to have A, B, and C contractors, builders. And if you don't have that rolodex, then you're going to be hurt and you will be challenged if you lose that customer. So it's important for you to continually develop relationships of outsourcing of builders and designers so you don't fall into the lurch in situations such as that.

Drew Ermenc: You mentioned some of your marketing where you're renting out your home, you've been the 16:55 tour of homes]. How else do you network to attract more customers or do you need to attract more customers right now?
 
Esther Andrew: Well, the way I like to network is I'm always wanting to become educated as a network, so I work with fellow designers and I actually created and founded EED called 'Emerging and Established Designers.' And it's a group of established designers and emerging designers such as myself and we get together on a quarterly basis and we bring a speaker in to discuss either furnishings or fabric or whatever the case may be.

But the best part about it is afterwords, we sit and talk about the challenges that we have with our customers or with the industry. So it's a good way of communicating with your fellow contemporaries.

Drew Ermenc: What would you say you're averaging in terms of customers per year or per month? Give us an idea of how many clients you actually have.

Esther Andrew: Right now, I have six active clients and I really can't take on anymore unless I bring in a partner.
   
Now, I'm not ready. I want to be a small boutique where I work one on one with the client. And so currently, I have six clients. Some are just decorating a room. One's a renovation and one's a new built. So I'm pretty busy.

Drew Ermenc: So business is good?

Esther Andrew: It is good. It is. It's fine.

Drew Ermenc: That's great. I understand you work out of your home?

Esther Andrew: I do.

Drew Ermenc: Tell me a little bit about that.

Esther Andrew: That's for another challenge for me, is organizing. In the design world, you have so many samples and memos and fabrics. My entire office is filled with notebooks and you're constantly building on new vendors inside. So for me, I've actually hired a lady to come in and help me organize my office, which has helped tremendously and helps me breathe.

Drew Ermenc: So a designer hiring a designer?

Esther Andrew: Exactly. So what they have is special leash.

Drew Ermenc: That's great. You mentioned something. Well, there's a particular phone device that you said you can't live without. Would you talk a little bit about that?
  
Esther Andrew: Oh, yeah! For me, because I'm really my own firm, it's my BlackBerry. So for instance, yesterday, I was with the client for three hours and I wanted to go and place the order en route in a wonderful Atlanta traffic. I've spent 30 minutes with my manufacturer having my Quick Book sheet of what we're buying and...

Drew Ermenc: But you don't do this driving, of course?

Esther Andrew: Oh, yes.

Drew Ermenc: [Laughter].

Esther Andrew: It's all when we're stopping.

Drew Ermenc: Of course [Laughter].

Esther Andrew: Inching along the intersection.

Drew Ermenc: Inching along, which is frequent. That's okay.

Esther Andrew: But the virtual workplace is certainly the advantage of working on your own. I don't usually report down or report up. I have my office, but I also travel with clients and take them elsewhere and then BlackBerry and laptops. Traditional office place is really becoming for the entrepreneur somewhat obsolete, I guess you could say.    

Drew Ermenc: You put together this the group for quarterly speakers. How else do you tap into your industry and do you plan on taking any advanced education courses? What do you do as an entrepreneur both on the industry side and on the business side? How are you learning?

Esther Andrew: And I think that's a really important question that every designer take seriously because the industry is always changing. ASID offers Pocket CEU classes where you contact fellow designers in the industry and they send you like, "I've just ordered a codebook, electrical codes., updated codes for handicapped."

And so that's why we purchase for $25 a packet. And then Art Institute of Atlanta offers night classes, from renderings to color theory. So you just keep abreast too and I subscribed to the ASID newsletter and I subscribed to mini-magazines and say you learn from fellow designers and that's where you get your inspiration as well.
   
Drew Ermenc: That's great. For a final question, what is your advice to not some one resilient in your industry, but to an entrepreneur in general? And to recap, we've talked about, you know, virtual offices. We talked about networking. What are some advice that you feel is just absolutely necessary for an entrepreneur to find success and whatever industry they choose?

Esther Andrew: Don't romanticize it in your head and to think, "No. If only I had my own business," because truly, it is a step in a direction of lot of hard work.
 
And number one, love your job, love your passion. Find something that you truly love. Build a business plan. Figure out where the challenges will be and take baby steps. It's not going to happen tomorrow, but it will come forth as long as you manage it properly.

Drew Ermenc: That's great! Esther, we appreciate you taking some moments with us. I know you're busy and thank you very much.

Doug?

Doug Billian: Esther, again, thanks for your perspective and taking time with us this morning.

For our listeners, please visit our entire podcasting series for more information at catalystmag.com. Once again, I'm Doug Billian, publisher of "Catalyst" magazine. And our guest today has been Esther Andrew, owner of Esther Ashe Designs. To get more advice from Esther and her team, please visit them online at estherashe.com.]]> Catalyst Magazine February 14, 2008 Business RSS_BUDDY_226035-4 no business, investing http://www.catalystmag.com Catalyst Magazine http://www.catalystmag.com/Multimedia/files/New_catalyst.mp3
1. Key employee retention;
2. Competitive compensation;
3. Cost of benefits;
4. Optimizing and balancing the emerging aging contributors against the overheated rookies;
5. Performance reviews;
6. Accurately predicting the best hiring strategies vs. market trends.

Panel includes:

Dan Campbell
Co-Founder, CEO Hire Dynamics, LLC

Hire Dynamics, LLC is the largest skilled staffing and professional recruitment company based in Gwinnett County. The company’s skilled staffing division specializes in call center, light industrial and clerical/administrative staffing and its recruitment division focuses on placing pharmacists, finance and accounting professionals and sales management. Its corporate vision is to be the loyalty and retention leader in the staffing industry, defined by 100 percent client and 90 percent plus employee retention. Hire Dynamics also strives to be the most desirable recruitment and staffing company to work for in metro Atlanta. hiredynamics.com

Brian Patrick Cork
Managing Partner+Cultural Architect brian cork Human Capital

brian cork Human Capital is a global provider of recruiting, executive search, and related services, with clients ranging from small startups to the Fortune 50. The company helps clients by identifying people who can improve business performance and reduce costs. Its vision is to establish a new standard in executive search and related services by cultivating a premier network of companies, business professionals, executives and strategic partners combined with a dedication to quality service. bchcroi.com

Ann Evangelista, Psy.D., MBA
Executive Consultant, TalentQuest

Dr. Evangelista is an Executive Consultant with TalentQuest. TalentQuest provides solutions to help the company workforce reach its full performance and leadership potential. Their approach combines consulting services with customized software applications to help companies select, develop and retain the best talent at every level.

Dr. Evangelista believes the right people, in the right roles, are critical to any organization’s success.  She also believes that organizations do their best work and create the most value when people are happy and productive in their jobs.  Dr. Evangelista’s areas of specialty include individual and team development, workshops and training facilitation, executive assessment, succession planning and executive coaching. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, and simultaneously completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and MBA from Widener University in Philadelphia. Dr. Evangelista is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Georgia and Pennsylvania. talentquest.com

Nancy Pineda
President, Hire Profile, Inc.

Hire Profile, Inc. is a creative resources firm that brings together the best people, projects and agencies, and connects them with the right environments, brands, and portfolios to help client relationships thrive. Hire Profile, Inc. strives to be the most versatile creative resources firm in Atlanta, helping the advertising and design community find agencies and acquire skilled employees and freelancers. hire-profile.com

Featured Moderator:

Gayle Oliver
CEO, Execumé

Gayle Oliver is founder/CEO of EXECUME, a unique Atlanta-based firm providing highly personalized recruiting, executive resume writing, and career consulting services. Oliver’s company is well-versed in conducting searches in a wide range of industries and climates, from entrepreneurial to Fortune 500 corporations. Oliver leverages her proven insight and partnership approach to become a key catalyst in forming mutually beneficial candidate-employer relationships for finance/accounting, engineering, and service professionals. Oliver is also a published author, speaker, and radio guest co-host on career development topics, and frequently quoted expert in the AJC-Jobs. execume.com
]]>
1. Key employee retention;
2. Competitive compensation;
3. Cost of benefits;
4. Optimizing and balancing the emerging aging contributors against the overheated rookies;
5. Performance reviews;
6. Accurately predicting the best hiring strategies vs. market trends.

Panel includes:

Dan Campbell
Co-Founder, CEO Hire Dynamics, LLC

Hire Dynamics, LLC is the largest skilled staffing and professional recruitment company based in Gwinnett County. The company’s skilled staffing division specializes in call center, light industrial and clerical/administrative staffing and its recruitment division focuses on placing pharmacists, finance and accounting professionals and sales management. Its corporate vision is to be the loyalty and retention leader in the staffing industry, defined by 100 percent client and 90 percent plus employee retention. Hire Dynamics also strives to be the most desirable recruitment and staffing company to work for in metro Atlanta. hiredynamics.com

Brian Patrick Cork
Managing Partner+Cultural Architect brian cork Human Capital

brian cork Human Capital is a global provider of recruiting, executive search, and related services, with clients ranging from small startups to the Fortune 50. The company helps clients by identifying people who can improve business performance and reduce costs. Its vision is to establish a new standard in executive search and related services by cultivating a premier network of companies, business professionals, executives and strategic partners combined with a dedication to quality service. bchcroi.com

Ann Evangelista, Psy.D., MBA
Executive Consultant, TalentQuest

Dr. Evangelista is an Executive Consultant with TalentQuest. TalentQuest provides solutions to help the company workforce reach its full performance and leadership potential. Their approach combines consulting services with customized software applications to help companies select, develop and retain the best talent at every level.

Dr. Evangelista believes the right people, in the right roles, are critical to any organization’s success.  She also believes that organizations do their best work and create the most value when people are happy and productive in their jobs.  Dr. Evangelista’s areas of specialty include individual and team development, workshops and training facilitation, executive assessment, succession planning and executive coaching. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, and simultaneously completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and MBA from Widener University in Philadelphia. Dr. Evangelista is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Georgia and Pennsylvania. talentquest.com

Nancy Pineda
President, Hire Profile, Inc.

Hire Profile, Inc. is a creative resources firm that brings together the best people, projects and agencies, and connects them with the right environments, brands, and portfolios to help client relationships thrive. Hire Profile, Inc. strives to be the most versatile creative resources firm in Atlanta, helping the advertising and design community find agencies and acquire skilled employees and freelancers. hire-profile.com

Featured Moderator:

Gayle Oliver
CEO, Execumé

Gayle Oliver is founder/CEO of EXECUME, a unique Atlanta-based firm providing highly personalized recruiting, executive resume writing, and career consulting services. Oliver’s company is well-versed in conducting searches in a wide range of industries and climates, from entrepreneurial to Fortune 500 corporations. Oliver leverages her proven insight and partnership approach to become a key catalyst in forming mutually beneficial candidate-employer relationships for finance/accounting, engineering, and service professionals. Oliver is also a published author, speaker, and radio guest co-host on career development topics, and frequently quoted expert in the AJC-Jobs. execume.com
]]> Catalyst Magazine November 29, 2007 Business RSS_BUDDY_226035-4 no business, investing http://www.catalystmag.com