6 million in revenue this year.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>When Founder and CEO John Fischer realized he could tap into a more lucrative consumer segment by focusing entirely on custom orders, he abandoned the pick-and-pack model. "It didn't take long for the custom printing business, at an average order size of $350, to eclipse the pick-and-pack prestocked sticker business, with an average order of 6."</p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrau ss/2018/11/28/how-stickergiant-shifted-gears-to-move-into-a-bigger-more-lucrative-market/#514e2c6d61e0" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See How Sticker Giant Refocused</a></p><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-76 bleed"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5c016e6d4bbe6f78bda9e6ca/1920x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="470" data-width="1440"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent"><br></h2><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">THE BUSINESS</h2><p>Portland-based branding agency Kinesis serves clients ranging from analytics firms to electronic manufacturers, building their market ing strategies based on core values rather than products. </p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>In 2010, Kinesis redesigned its approach to recruiting talent, adopting new HR software and turning to behavioral interviews to make sure candidates were a strong cultural fit.</p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaklich/2018/11/28/a-portland-entrepreneur-makes-transformation-his-hallmark/#72dfb034f3ac" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See How Kinesis Refreshed Recruiting</a></p><figure class="image-embed embed-79"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5c01714aa7ea43705918e0de/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="112" data-width="700"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accor dion></figcaption></figure><p><br></p><div class="embedly-align "><fbs-embedly style="padding-bottom: 75.06%;" iframe-src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=%2F%2Fview.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fbv-article-1-1-1-1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fview.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fbv-article-1-1-1-1&image=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-s3-us-east-1.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fpage-thumbnails%2F2018%2F11%2F30%2F07b6f455a5574909069e2e7af0163c2b%2Fpage-thumbnail.jpg%3FimageOpt%3D1%26crop%3D595%2C460%2Cx0%2Cy0&key=3ce26dc7e3454db5820ba084d28b4935&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=ceros"></fbs-embedly></div><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-48 bleed"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5bf42c624bbe6f78bda8b899/1920x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="539" data-width="1440"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordio n><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent"><br></h2><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">THE BUSINESS</h2><p>The Toronto-based full service ad agency does things differently—and with humor. According to its (tongue-in-cheek) website, client services include everything from strategic planning and social media to schmoozing, gift-wrapping and life-coaching. Also on Zulu's site: a legal disclaimer that the page is a parody and a note for interested brands to reach out directly for Zulu's more serious side. </p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>Founder Zak Mroueh runs Zulu based on the philosophy that creative ideas deserve credit and pay. After a Zulu concept went global without any credit to t he company, Mroueh questioned the traditional advertising practice of sharing big ideas and devoting services to client pitches without guaranteed payment.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaklich/2018/11/19/designing-an-unconventional-ad-agency-why-the-founder-of-zulu-alpha-kilo-ditched-spec-work/#227e258516be" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See How Zulu Got Creative</a></p><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-50 bleed"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5bf42d0e4bbe6f78bda8b8b7/1920x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="509" data-width="1440"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent&# 34;><br></h2><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">THE BUSINESS</h2><p>W.S. Badger's line of natural body and skin care products has expanded from its signature balm to men's beard oil and mustache wax, lip balms, sunscreens and baby products. Founded in 1995, the New Hampshire company occupies a 23,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, has more than 100 employees and generated 7 million in annual revenue last year. </p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>When an employee asked if s he could bring her baby to work in 2006, the company was inspired to build an innovative family-friendly program to make work life easier for new parents. Today, those benefits include opportunities for expectant parents to explore new roles within the company, shorten their work weeks or work remotely, bring babies under six months to the office and more.</p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaklich/2018/11/19/how-family-friendly-badger-balm-faced-cost-cutting-without-sacrificing-its-parent-benefits/#5c510b5414ab" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See How Badger Supports Parents</a></p><figure class="image-embed embed-62"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5bf5a36431358e5b43376819/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="112" data-width="700"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-te xt"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><p><br></p><div class="embedly-align "><fbs-embedly style="padding-bottom: 75.06%;" iframe-src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=%2F%2Fview.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fbv-article-1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fview.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fbv-article-1&image=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-s3-us-east-1.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fpage-thumbnails%2F2018%2F11%2F21%2F59c4d6c07cbc8e950f7bba91c7c6cdd5%2Fpage-thumbnail.jpg%3FimageOpt%3D1%26crop%3D595%2C460%2Cx0%2Cy0&key=3ce26dc7e3454db5820ba084d28b4935&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=ceros"></fbs-embedly></div><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-51 bleed"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5bf42ede4bbe6f78bda8b912/1920x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="509" data-width="1440"></div><figcapt ion><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent"><br></h2><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">THE BUSINESS</h2><p>La Quercia, an Iowa-based company that produces artisanal meats, was started by Herb and Kathy Eckhouse in 2000. The now 60-person operation supplies restaurants and retailers.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>Quality is a source of pride for the Eckhouses. "Our commitment is to making something that's special to eat," Herb says. But quality often comes at a premium price, so the Eckhouses had to put principle to the test when considering whether to acquire a herd of pigs with Italian roots.</p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ka rstenstrauss/2018/11/06/why-la-quercia-paid-big-money-for-better-pigs/#5e27eab65f12" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See What the Couple Decided</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-46 bleed"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5be3395831358e5b4335d0f7/1920x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="539" data-width="1440"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent"><br></h2><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">THE BUSINESS</h2><p>A single truck and two staff members helped Ariane Daguin get her start as a caterer for upscale restaurants in New York City. In 1985, she founded D'Artagnan Foods which sells fine meats and partners with small farmers and cooperatives to ensure that products are fresh, natural and in "perfect condition."</p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>Today, Daguin and the D'Artagnan team sell to restaurants and retailers across the country—and straight to consumers online. Focusing her business' energy, time and money on building a robust e-commerce strategy was key in staying profitable and relevant after 30-plus years of business.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipteam/2018/11/07/after-decades-fine-meats-purveyor-dartagnan-foods-finds-fresh-approach/#6ee65cf31ab1" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See How D'Artagnan Adapted</a></p><figure class="image-embed embed-68"><div><img src=" ;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5bf5a4e831358e5b43376830/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="112" data-width="700"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><div class="embedly-align "><fbs-embedly style="padding-bottom: 75.06%;" iframe-src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=%2F%2Fview.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fbv-article-1-1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fview.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fbv-article-1-1&image=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-s3-us-east-1.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fpage-thumbnails%2F2018%2F11%2F21%2Fd2ae427260297fda9825eff3dfa5b9f9%2Fpage-thumbnail.jpg%3FimageOpt%3D1%26crop%3D595%2C460%2Cx0%2Cy0&key=3ce26dc7e3454db5820ba084d28b4935&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=ceros"></fbs-embedly></div><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-47 blee d"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5be33a5631358e5b4335d109/1920x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="539" data-width="1440"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent"><br></h2><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">THE BUSINESS</h2><p>In the 90s, the idea of launching an online marketplace featuring independent artists' handmade creations wasn't so mainstream. But Dave Bolotsky, a former Goldman Sachs managing director, chose to act on his inkling that the internet offered a major sweet spot for shoppers and sellers. In 1999, he founded UncommonGoods, a creative design retailer that sells a variety handcrafted, small-batch gifts, jewelry, home a ccessories and more.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>Facing a "near-death experience" after the internet bubble burst in 2000, the company downsized from 35 to 5 staff members, reconsidered its financial approach and shifted its focus to improvement over growth.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipteam/2018/11/07/how-creative-design-retailer-uncommongoods-bounced-back/#283d50f61c97" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See How UncommonGoods Bounced Back</a></p><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-44 bleed"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5bd870b24bbe6f78bda64f6c/1920x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="539" data-width="1440"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion&g t;<p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent"><br></h2><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">THE BUSINESS</h2><p>Antonio Pasin, an Italian immigrant, started manufacturing a wooden toy wagon in Chicago in 1917, first calling it "Liberty Coaster" for the Statue of Liberty. He changed the name in the late 1920s to Radio Flyer, to capture the fascination with early radio broadcasts and airplane flights. More than a century later, the company is still manufacturing wagons, as well as other products such as a Tesla model for kids.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>When Robert Pasin, Antonio's grandson, stepped into the top job at Radio Flyer in 1997, he had big choices to make. The business was losing ground to competitors and he needed to find a way to reinvent the family's iconic brand.</p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2018/10/26/how-radio-flyers-third-generation-leader-reinvented-his-familys-iconic-brand/#55097aeb35aa" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See Pasin's Big Turning Point</a></p><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-71"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5bf5a51da7ea43705917f6a4/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="112" data-width="700"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><div class="embedly-align "><fbs-embedly style="padding-bottom: 75.06%;" iframe-src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=%2F%2Fview. ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fbv-article-1-1-1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fview.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fbv-article-1-1-1&image=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-s3-us-east-1.ceros.com%2Fforbes%2Fpage-thumbnails%2F2018%2F11%2F21%2F536d67386faf4ae872846e0ef0dfe786%2Fpage-thumbnail.jpg%3FimageOpt%3D1%26crop%3D595%2C460%2Cx0%2Cy0&key=3ce26dc7e3454db5820ba084d28b4935&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=ceros"></fbs-embedly></div><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-34 bleed"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5bc662b74bbe6f5889fd238f/1920x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="452" data-width="1440"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent"><br></h2><h2 class="subhead-embed bg- base color-accent font-accent">THE BUSINESS</h2><p>To play Spikeball, a revival of an unpatented '80s lawn and beach game, participants gather around a miniature trampoline and bounce a palm-sized-ball with the aim of preventing opponents from returning it. The company, started in 2008, hired its 24th employee this year and generates 5 million in annual revenue.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>Daymond John, founder of hip-hop apparel retailer Fubu and a Marvel Comics collaborator, liked the Spikeball idea on ABC's Shark Tank back in 2014. CEO Chris Ruder was offering 10% of his venture—valued at $500,000—but John wanted twice as big a stake, plus control of licensing, manufacturing and retail. </p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinelove/2018/10/17/choosing-control-over-a-big-stake-what-the-founder-of-spikeball-learned-from-walking-away-from-500k/#10a5536f2219" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See How Spikeball Responded</a></p><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-42 bleed"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5bc74ee64bbe6f5889fd325a/1920x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="539" data-width="1440"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent f ont-accent"><br></h2><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">THE BUSINESS</h2><p>Clarke Eyecare provides eye exams and other optical services in Wichita Falls, Texas, which is situated about 150 miles northwest of Dallas. The practice has a total of five doctors and 25 staffers. It expects to generate $3 million in revenue this year.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>In 2010, when Danny Clarke bought his father's practice, he decided to overhaul the way the business was run. "The turning point was me changing my attitude about the employees in the practice," he says. "Instead of thinking of myself as an employer, I started thinking of myself as a developer of people." </p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2018/10/17/how-danny-clarke-turned-his-family-eyecare-practice-into-a-3-million-business- focused-on-employees/#1643f9a9211a" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See How the Business Evolved</a></p><p><br></p><figure class="image-embed embed-36 bleed"><div><img src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5bc662eb4bbe6f5889fd23d0/1920x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="" data-height="529" data-width="1440"></div><figcaption><fbs-accordion><p class="color-body light-text"></p></fbs-accordion></figcaption></figure><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent"><br></h2><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">THE BUSINESS</h2><p>The online marketplace for fair-trade goods like coffee and chocolate was founded in 1986. It is organized as a democratic worker co-operative and generates $70 million a year in revenue.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed bg-base color-accent font-accent">PIVOTAL MOMENT</h2><p>In 2000, the founders faced a major dilemma when an outside investor offered to pump $250,000 into the company. In exchange the investor wanted a guaranteed seat on the board and the creation of a special class of stock specifically for the investor that would pay out a 10% guaranteed cumulative annual dividend.</p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2018/10/17/how-a-fair-trade-company-faced-down-an-ethical-dilemma/#55c502c26450" target="_blank" class="color-accent">See How Equal Exchange Responded</a></p><p><br></p><p><em>CREDITS: Marvin Shaouni; TJ Nelson Jr.; Steven Stone; </em>g-stockstudio/Getty Images; <em>Courtesy of Radio Flyer; Courtesy of Chris Ruder; Courtesy of Clarke Eyecare; Courtesy of Equal Exchange; Courtesy of Kinesis; Dave Anderson; Courtesy of Blue P late Catering</em></p>">
D
ecision-making is relentless for small businesses. Financing, payroll, real estate, hiring, customer service — the adjudication never stops.
But some decisions matter more than others.
In this feature, we highlight pivotal judgments made by Small Giants: businesses that, among other things, focus on being great rather than fixating on unchecked growth.
THE BUSINESS
When Founder Dana White bootstrapped $30,000 in personal capital to launch Paralee Boyd, a Detroit-based blowout salon business, she hoped to build a company that set itself apart from bigger beauty businesses. Her aim for the brand? To serve and empower African American women—a demographic she felt was overlooked by major blowout chains.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
In 2015, White turned down an investor's invitation to open a second location in downtown Detroit. Instead, she focused on strengthening company culture. "It was important to put more training in place and spend more time with my processes," says White. "I wanted to make sure my team could expand our cu stomer service across locations and still feel as if Paralee Boyd was their home."
The Salt Lake City company provides customized online shops for little-known artists and makers—offering built-in access to Google analytics, inventory tracking and other sales tools for the independent selle r. It's different than Etsy: Big Cartel isn't a singular site featuring various artisans and products alongside each other. Rather, clients create their own individual platforms.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
In its early days, Big Cartel—then named Indie Labs—served primarily musicians and bands. But when cofounders Matt Wigham and Eric Turner realized other kinds of creatives were into the idea, they broadened the customer base to include illustrators, jewelry artists and more. "Bands were liking it, but a lot of other artists and businesses were liking it as well," says Wigham. "That's when we decided to pivot—the customers kind of pivoted for us."
The Baltimore-based manufacturer produces high-end steel baskets, containers and parts and ships to clients in 39 different countries.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
In 2001, the company reconfigured to meet the demands of a higher-end market—boosting the engineering quality and customizability of its products. This increased precision required a shift from hand-bending baskets into shape to automating tasks.
In 1992, two young mothers in England launched children's publishing company Barefoot Books to inspire creativity, curiosity and an appreciation for literature in young readers.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
Several years later, the cofounders took Barefoot Books across the pond, planting roots in Manhattan's Union Square and la ter moving its home office to Cambridge, Massachusetts.
When the internet bubble burst in 2001 and James Goebel and Richard Sheridan lost their corporate tech jobs, the pair set up an office in Sheridan's basement in Ann Arbor, Michigan. There, they launched custom software design company Menlo Innovations and approached management and team-building with conventional mindsets.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
The cofounders later upgraded their approach and shifted away from a top-down management style, sharing power and decision-making with their 20-person staff and celebrating constant collaboration and communication.
A few years ago, Blue Plate traded its 10,000-square-foot space for an 80,000-square-foot facility in Chicago's up-and-coming West Loop neighborhood, where Google also has new digs. Catering contracts with LinkedIn and McDonald's Worldwide followed where Blue Plate serves healthy options like vegan broccoli cheese soup and grilled chipotle orange chicken with fall salsa.
The 18-year-old Colorado company fulfills more than 1,600 orders of custom labels and stickers per week and is set to hit 6 million in revenue this year.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
When Founder and CEO John Fischer realized he could tap into a more lucrative consumer segment by focusing entirely on custom orders, he abandoned the pick-and-pack model. "It didn't take long for the custom printing business, at an average order size of $350, to eclipse the pick-and-pack prestocked sticker business, with an average order of 6."
Portland-based branding agency Kinesis serves clients ranging from analytics firms to electronic manufacturers, building their marketing strategies based on core values rather than products.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
In 2010, Kinesis redesigned its approac h to recruiting talent, adopting new HR software and turning to behavioral interviews to make sure candidates were a strong cultural fit.
The Toronto-based full service ad agency does things differently—and with humor. According to its (tongue-in-cheek) website, client services include everything from strategic planning and social media to schmoozing, gift-wrapping and life-coaching. Also on Zulu's site: a legal disclaimer that the page is a parody and a note for interested brands to reach out directly for Zulu's more serious side.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
Founder Zak Mroueh runs Zulu based on the philosophy that creative ideas deserve credit and pay. After a Zulu concept went global without any credit to the company, Mroueh questioned the traditional advertising practice of sharing big ideas and devoting services to client pitches without guaranteed payment.
W.S. Badger's line of natural body and skin care products has expanded from its signature balm to men's beard oil and mustache wax, lip balms, sunscreens and baby products. Founded in 1995, the New Hampshire company occupies a 23,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, has more than 100 employees and generated 7 million in annual revenue last year.
P IVOTAL MOMENT
When an employee asked if she could bring her baby to work in 2006, the company was inspired to build an innovative family-friendly program to make work life easier for new parents. Today, those benefits include opportunities for expectant parents to explore new roles within the company, shorten their work weeks or work remotely, bring babies under six months to the office and more.
La Quercia, an Iowa-based com pany that produces artisanal meats, was started by Herb and Kathy Eckhouse in 2000. The now 60-person operation supplies restaurants and retailers.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
Quality is a source of pride for the Eckhouses. "Our commitment is to making something that's special to eat," Herb says. But quality often comes at a premium price, so the Eckhouses had to put principle to the test when considering whether to acquire a herd of pigs with Italian roots.
A single truck and two staff members helped Ariane Daguin get her start as a caterer for upscale restaurants in New York City. In 1985, she founded D'Artagnan Foods which sells fine meats and partners with small farmers and cooperatives to ensure that products are fresh, natural and in "perfect condition."
PIVOTAL MOMENT
Today, Daguin and the D'Artagnan team sell to restaurants and retailers across the country—and straight to consumers online. Focusing her business' energy, time and money on building a robust e-commerce strategy was key in staying profitable and relevant after 30-plus years of business.
In the 90s, the idea of launching an online marketplace featuring independent artists' handmade creations wasn't so mainstream. But Dave Bolotsky, a former Goldman Sachs managing director, chose to act on his inkling that the internet offered a major sweet spot for shoppers and sellers. In 1999, he founded UncommonGoods, a creative design retailer that sells a variety handcrafted, small-batch gifts, jewelry, home accessories and more.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
Fa cing a "near-death experience" after the internet bubble burst in 2000, the company downsized from 35 to 5 staff members, reconsidered its financial approach and shifted its focus to improvement over growth.
Antonio Pasin, an Italian immigrant, started manufacturing a wooden toy wagon i n Chicago in 1917, first calling it "Liberty Coaster" for the Statue of Liberty. He changed the name in the late 1920s to Radio Flyer, to capture the fascination with early radio broadcasts and airplane flights. More than a century later, the company is still manufacturing wagons, as well as other products such as a Tesla model for kids.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
When Robert Pasin, Antonio's grandson, stepped into the top job at Radio Flyer in 1997, he had big choices to make. The business was losing ground to competitors and he needed to find a way to reinvent the family's iconic brand.
To play Spikeball, a revival of an unpatented '80s lawn and beach game, participants gather around a miniature trampoline and bounce a palm-sized-ball with the aim of preventing opponents from returning it. The company, started in 2008, hired its 24th employee this year and generates 5 million in annual revenue.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
Daymond John, founder of hip-hop apparel retailer Fubu and a Marvel Comics collaborator, liked the Spikeball idea on ABC's Shark Tank back in 2014. CEO Chris Ruder was offering 10% of his venture—valued at $500,000—but John wanted twice as big a stake, plus control of licensing, manufacturing and retail.
Clarke Eyecare provides eye exams and other optical services in Wichita Falls, Texas, which is situated about 150 miles northwest of Dallas. The practice has a total of five doctors and 25 staffers. It expects to generate $3 million in revenue this year.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
In 2010, when Danny Clarke bought his father's practice, he decided to overhaul the way the business was run. "The turning point was me changing my attitude about the employees in the practice," he says. "Instead of thinking of myself as an employer, I started thinking of myself as a developer of people."
The online marketplace for fair-trade goods like coffee and chocolate was founded in 1986. It is organized as a democratic worker co-operative and generates $70 million a year in revenue.
PIVOTAL MOMENT
In 2000, the founders faced a major dilemma when an outside investor offered to pump $250,000 into the company. In exchange the investor wanted a guaranteed seat on the board and the creation of a special class of stock specifically for the investor that would pay out a 10% guaranteed cumulative annual dividend.< /p>
CREDITS: Marvin Shaouni; TJ Nelson Jr.; Steven Stone; g-stockstudio/Getty Images; Courtesy of Radio Flyer; Courtesy of Chris Ruder; Courtesy of Clarke Eyecare; Courtesy of Equal Exchange; Courtesy of Kinesis; Dave Anderson; Courtesy of Blue Plate Catering
Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin The Ng brothers scored big with the mixed-use site in popular Holland Village. This story is part of ramaffiliate' coverage of Singapore?s Richest 2018. See the full list here . Amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, Singapore's export-led economy grew at a slower-than-expected 3.8% in the second quarter of 2018. Shortly thereafter, in early July, the government sought to cool down the overheated property market by imposing a fresh set of curbs including extra duties and stricter limits on how much home buyers can borrow. Uncertainties loom: The new regime of Mahathir Mohamad in neighboring Malaysia is markedly less cozy than was the ousted Najib Razak. It has hinted at scrapping a much-touted high-speed rail link between the two countries and revisiting a decades-old water-supply agreement. Not surprisingly, both the Singapore dollar and the benchmark Straits T...
Android 9 Pie AI features are quite a beauty to behold and trust me, you wouldn't want to miss out. Imagine owning a mobile device that predicts your routines and launches your favourite apps automatically. Google has definitely taken every one of us by surprise. I meant real surprise. Yes! It's a surprise and an amazing technological breakthrough. AI - Artificial Intelligence - has been promoted and encouraged by tech giants recently, as the future drives us towards automation. It's gradually becoming the bane of technological developments, that has now been enshrined into smartphones. According to techopedia , Articificial Intelligence (AI) is an area of computer science that emphasizes the creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans. For instance, speech recognition, learning, planning, problem-solving and facial recognition are left to human capacity. Amazingly, machines can do the same quickly, albeit with cautionary...
Comments
Post a Comment