Blanket Statement One BIZ Experiences makes a comfortable living after proving security blankets aren't just for kids anymore.
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
What: Comfort fleeceblankets, bears, chocolates and other novelty gifts
Who: David Avalos of INsecurityBlanket
Where: Burbank,California
When: Started in 2001
Adults need security blankets, too--just ask David Avalos, the46-year-old designer of the INsecurity Blanket, a snuggly fleeceblanket created to help people take a lighthearted approach whenfacing their insecurities.
The idea struck when he noticed how much comfort a blanket gavehis 3-year-old son. Avalos suddenly started wishing he hadsomething as simple as a blanket to comfort him whenever hehit rough times.
With no experience in the manufacturing industry, the former TVexecutive and current co-owner of a TV production company decidedto design a full line of novelty gifts such as blankets, pillows,bears and chocolates (sold for $24.95, $14.95, $11.95 and $5.95,respectively). Before long, Avalos was attending gift shows acrossthe country, and his products were an instant hit. The line is nowavailable in 175 gift and pet stores (a pet blanket was releasedlast year), as well as in two mail-order catalogs and on thecompany's Web site (www.insecurityblanket.com). The products havealso been popular at hospital gift shops.
"I've found my passion, and that's just creating myown path," says Avalos. By putting the marketing skills helearned in the TV industry to use in his new business, he managedto generate national press coverage in Parenting magazineand on The Rosie O'Donnell Show and Extra. Inaddition, INsecurity was featured on About.com.
Now that sales for 2003 are projected to hit $60,000, Avalos hasset his sights on developing new products, including INsecurityslippers, nightlights, pajamas and even a book.
Mr. Fix-It
What: Restaurant and retailfacilities management services
Who: Mark Bucher of Fixx ServicesInc.
Where: Bethesda, Maryland
When: Started in 1999
Mark Bucher takes the headache out of handling the kind ofmaintenance nightmares that restaurants and retail stores routinelyface. In fact, years of firsthand experience with managing suchproperties inspired him to launch Fixx Services, a company thatoffers facility management services.
Now businesses that have maintenance problems can call Fixx toget help 24/7; third-party plumbers and other professionals aresent to the site by Fixx representatives. "[Customers] wantone number to call if their oven breaks or if someone throws abrick through their front window," explains Bucher, 34.
Customers receive 40 percent off repair prices once they pay aone-time membership fee in addition to monthly fees based on theirvolume of calls. Vendors are willing to offer the discount becausethey get more business from Fixx's referrals.
Self-funded and homebased until last year, Fixx Services now has12 employees in Bethesda and currently does business nationwide,thanks to word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied customers. Bucherexpects sales for 2003 to reach $10 million.
In Good Company
What: Roommate service forsingle mothers
Who: Carmel Sullivan ofCo-abode.com
Where: Santa Monica,California
When: Started in 2000
In an effort to temper the isolation she felt after her divorce,Carmel Sullivan decided to find a roommate--preferably a singlemother like herself--to share her home. But after realizing noservices existed to help with her search, she placed her own ads,personally conducted interviews and eventually found her perfectmatch.
Realizing that the women she'd interviewed--but hadn'tchosen--might find compatible roommates in each other, Sullivandecided to get them in touch with each other. The women wereextremely grateful for the help, prompting Sullivan to make abusiness of helping single mothers. "It's really an idea[whose] time has come," says Sullivan, 45, who notes there area staggering 14 million single mothers living in the United States,many of whom are struggling financially as well as emotionally.
With the help of a friend in addition to $20,000 from an angelinvestor, Sullivan created a Web site that features member profilesof those looking for roommates, offers resources for single mothersand provides a "Circle of Friends" page that mothers canvisit to get some support. Today, 4,800 users nationwide pay $30per year for membership. Sullivan projects 2003 sales to quadruple2002's $30,000.
Now that Co-abode.com hasfound some success--the business has been featured on CBSNews, Good Morning America and InsideEdition--Sullivan has received countless funding offers. Shehopes one day to create a nonprofit arm of the business to providethe first and last month's rent (in the form of a microloan) towomen who are in dire need of relocation assistance once they havefound their new roommates online.
On a Shoestring
What: An Internet privacysoftware company
Who: Jon Oringer of SurfSecretSoftware
Where: New York City
When: Started in 1997
Start-Up Cost: $0
When Jon Oringer decided to use his computer know-how to start acompany and create his own Internet privacy software, he becamecompletely self-sufficient, although mom and dad were there tosupport him all the way.
Oringer, who lived with his parents while attending graduateschool for computer science, already owned a computer. Fortunately,Oringer had been "programming forever," so in the comfortof his own room, he created a Web site and wrote his own orderingsystem, thus conveniently eliminating the costs of hiring a Webdeveloper and purchasing shopping software. The Web server spacecost $100 per month, which Oringer paid for himself during thefirst two months. By the company's third month in business,however, his revenue stream easily covered those expenses.
Because he was a full-time student sharing a roof with hisparents, Oringer, 28, had the luxury of paid utility bills. Nowworking out of his own apartment in New York City, he employs fouroff-site programmers but still codes everything himself andautomates as much as possible, thereby keeping his costs extremelylow.
His first product, SurfSecret, has been licensed to many publiclibraries and was soon followed by PopupEliminator in 2001. Oringeris currently working on spam-elimination and firewall software, andexpects sales to reach $700,000 for 2003.
