http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_on_our_buggy_moral_code.html

Check it out http://downtobusiness.com/interviews/lisa-eisenpresser-saysme-interview/

We redesigned and refocussed this UBC institution.   Utilizing 3d imaging software we were able to achieve a dramatic resurgence, and an almost complete departure of it’s celebratedly sordid past.  Using state of the art, environmentally friendly and almost indestructable materials, we ensured that ‘the Pit’ will be aging a little more gracefully.  Overall sales increased 20% over past years, with the administration and student society creditting the redesign as the root cause.

We are currently working with Tall Poppy Records to develop their live music venue which will include in house recording capabilities and house the record label’s administration.  Their latest success has been artist Sam Bradley’s title track on the hit movie ‘Twilight’.

http://www.tallpoppyrecords.com

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/malcolm_gladwell_on_spaghetti_sauce.html

I often recommend to people to look at OPM (other people’s money) when starting their first venture.  This guy takes it to a new level, starting with no money!  There’s a great idea, though, at the heart of his new company, Obsidian. 

Would you partner with his company to grow your idea?

http://downtobusiness.com/interviews/mike-michalowicz/

Working with Madrone principles Neil and Perry, we’ve helped them grow from a small 2 man operation to a thriving small company with 12 employees, a year of contracts lined up and their own shop to grow their business even further.  There were some critical planning steps that helped these two craftsmen avoid many of the typical pitfalls new businesses run into.  We assisted with their financing, business planning and growth strategies. 

Some Background on Madrone. . .

What gives these guys mojo?  Simply put, they love what they do. 

Neil Andersen and Perry Pomponio at Madrone met while working for a local luxury millwork company and fast became friends.  After many years of honing their craft, they hatched a plan to go it alone and the two have been building Madrone Woodwork Inc ever since. 

They started out with an idea, that their skills were their biggest asset, and the safest way to start would be with as little overhead as possible, as both had young families and had little room for financial risk.  So they started as a contracting company, offering their skills to luxury millworking companies, just like the one they left.  Ironically, their previous employer would end up calling on them as well, knowing full well their qualifications and abilities.  Madrone soon added more contractors and employees to answer the demand, and found itself in an aggressive growth mode, something they hadn’t expected or planned for.

This is the point where companies get lost.  With no business plan, little business experience and little room for error, this critical juncture could threaten Madrone’s newfound success with a litany of poor decisions.  Neil and Perry, however, had a few aces up their sleeve that even they admittedly didn’t know about. 

First, they were scared.  They saw growth not as a validation of their success, but as a big ugly monster that could threaten the stability of their newfound income. 

Second, they were communicating.  Every day they found a reason to discuss certain options the future might hold, and problems that might arise.  They were honest and forthright with the issues that concerned them, and they listened to each other’s concerns with an open mind.  They developed a trust in each other and through that created an understanding of the important issues to each of them.

Third, they were unwilling to compromise on their core values.  Growth for all companies is compromise, and through their constant communication, they were able to discuss which compromises they were comfortable with, and which they weren’t. 

Madrone had found a way to write a business plan without lifting a pencil, and literally not doing much except letting their minds wander through ‘what if’s’ over their lunch and coffee breaks.  As two talented tradespeople with highly focused skillsets, asking them to sit down and write an executive summary would’ve been counter productive at best, and demoralizing at worst.  Sap the mojo right out of them.  With their safer approach of a low risk, low capital startup, they had the time to ask the questions, and face some of the problems their future company would deliver.  More than that, though, is that they had the opportunity to create a proper partnership. 

Communication and a commitment to core values became their modus operandi, and to talk about their future now, they give me one answer from two voices.  Now, as they face the growth that had threatened to destroy those values, they face it on their terms, and with a solid business plan with clear objectives.

Check out their website at www.mcwoodwork.wordpress.com

UPDATE

Madrone has just secured their first shop space,  expanding their business of custom installation to include fabrication and full concept development of high end custom millwork.  Their clients range from commercial/retail to residential, and their clients now include architects and designers with a desire for high end, high quality results.

Madrone has one full year of installation clients already booked, and sees this expansion as one more step towards it’s long term goals.  Working with Madrone we have helped them develop a plan that addresses their concerns on how to get new clients, control their costs as they grow and outfit their new shop, and achieve the sales goals they need to maintain their profitability and growth. 

With both partners having young families, the room for error is very slim, and we are proud to be a partner with them while they grow in these exciting times.