Entrepreneur's Spotlight - May 15, 2009

I had an opportunity to speak with Chris Jesse recently. After working with the UVA Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities for several years, he launched Cardboard Safari in 2007. His company has been self-funded, and has already grown to 5 employees (3 part time). When asked what he would do differently, he said he'd figure out how to find and hire the right people sooner!

He said his mission statement is to make neat stuff with cardboard. His unique cardboard items, sold primarily online, clearly appeals to customers with flair, especially those with a design background.

I asked Chris about the SBDC Business Plan writing course, and whether he had developed a complete business plan from that. He has developed a fairly detailed outline, but not a full fledged plan yet. 

On being asked what surprised him about launching a new business, Chris noted how much money it takes to start up a new enterprise.  He was most appreciative of an early advisor, Amy Gardner of Rock Paper Scissors, who introduced him to his first trade show, the New York International Gift Show.  His work has also been featured in Daily Candy, one of my favorite places to find neat stuff online.

Chris said that keeping the computers and machines up and running does keep him up at night, but the great thing about being an entrepreneur is the ability to control one's own time.  Of course, the worst thing is no down time.

His take on the lessons learned for his first business endeavor: Cash flow is key to sustainability and finding the right people is critical. He measures his success by increases in revenue and the product line, and feedback from his valued customers.

You can follow Chris's newest creations, like Rambling Robbie the Rhino, on his blog.