365 Inc.
Company description: Online
sales of licensed soccer and rugby apparel, and a soccer and rugby
news outlet and database
Founder: Bernard Frei,
39
Location: Birmingham,
Alabama
Projected 2004 sales: $6
million
The Globe-Trotter:
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Bernard Frei wanted a new start in
the States and surprised many in the sporting world by choosing
Birmingham for his online rugby and soccer emporium.
"[There's] this absolute astonishment that this range of
product is available not only in the U.S., but [also] out of
Alabama," Frei says.
By the Book: With no
background in website design or e-commerce, Frei needed more than
just his passion for rugby and soccer to build his internet
presence. He spent 1998, his business's first year, with an
internet guidebook on his lap, learning as he went. "My
business basically kicked off in a spare bedroom with a ton of
advice from friends and an HTML code book."
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Just Do It: At age 18,
Frei received an unforgettable piece of advice from a prominent
Australian businessman. "It was basically to get on and do it
now, and not to hang around," says Frei. "I think so many
business plans end up sitting around and never get used, and
that's a shame."
The Almighty Dollar:
"The worst mistake [I made] was never having the time to get
around to getting serious financing," says Frei. "Because
of that, we've missed major opportunities."
Mr. Big Stuff: Over the
years, Frei has built business relationships with sportswear giants
such as Adidas and Reebok. And it was the partnership with Adidas
that secured 365 Inc. its biggest coup to date: having soccer
superstar David Beckham sport the company's gear in TV ads.
Says Frei, "His name and brand recognition in the U.S. is just
driving our sales beyond our wildest dreams."
-N.L.T.
CI Host
Company description:
Web-hosting and data center infrastructure provider
Founder: Christopher
Faulkner, 27
Location: Bedford,
Texas
Projected 2004 sales:
$45 million plus
What's the Score?
C I Host commands some impressive figures: 210,000 customers, as
many as 5,000 new customers every month, 8,000 resellers around the
world, a 37,000-square-foot data center and 9,000 servers. Another
interesting number: 15. That's the age at which Christopher
Faulkner started his first business selling baseball cards and
sports memorabilia out of a small storefront in Bedford, Texas. Now
he helps businesses like that one get online.
From Fanzine to
Business: There have been a few stops along the way.
"I've started 201 corporations, and 197 of them failed
miserably, which is a life lesson that I learned. To be successful,
you have to fail along the way," says Faulkner. He built his
first website as a fanzine for the band Pearl Jam in 1995, and by
the end of the year, he was running a fledgling version of C I Host
out of his apartment.
Growth Spurt: C I
Host soon outgrew Faulkner's apartment and today has offices
and data centers in Bedford, Texas, as well as Chicago and Los
Angeles-and soon, London. And Faulkner has done it all without the
help of VC financing or loans. "We're debt-free," he
says. Bootstrapping and growing at a breakneck pace aren't the
easiest things to reconcile.
The Host With the
Most: Faulkner keeps the ship sailing smoothly by
maintaining 15-hour workdays. Busy as he is, he always has time for
his customers. How many CEOs do you know who conduct their own
weekly internet chat for all comers? Faulkner's experience and
business savvy belie his age. Fortunately for C I Host, he could be
at the helm for a long time to come. -A.C.K.
Antelope Valley Medical College
Company description:
Accredited medical college that provides EMT, medical assistant and
paramedic training, as well as training in other areas
Founders: Marco Johnson,
38, and Sandra Johnson, 39
Location: Lancaster,
California
Projected 2004 sales: $7.5
million
Good Medicine: As a
firefighter, Marco Johnson too often witnessed deaths that could
have been prevented-if someone at the scene had taken immediate
action. So in 1997, he began offering medical training classes in
his community. His wife, Sandra, arranged for the place and time,
and secured students, while Marco taught classes in CPR and first
aid. "[Sandra] got tired of me coming home and complaining,
'I wish someone would've started CPR or first aid before we
got on the scene,'" Marco recalls. "I thought maybe a
few more lives could've been saved."
Growing Up: Since those
early days, demand has grown: The college now employs 42 staff
members and certifies nearly 8,000 people per year in CPR and first
aid. At the behest of students, Antelope Valley started EMT,
licensed vocational nurse, medical assistant, medical billing and
paramedic certification programs. Their biggest mistake early on,
says Marco, was not thinking in big enough terms about the business
or seeing its full potential.
Playing Catch-Up: In the
beginning, the couple had to use their day-job salaries to keep the
fledgling school afloat-while rent payments sometimes fell behind.
"It was always a repetitive circle," remembers Sandra.
"We would be behind on our home expenses, and then some money
would come through the business and we were able to catch up again,
until we got to where we are today."
Active Duty: Still an
active firefighter, Marco plans to retire within the next year to
focus on building the school with Sandra, who recently quit her
paralegal job. "When I go to the fire station, the last thing
on my mind is this operation, because I know Sandra has the same
thoughts and same attitudes I do about the business," says
Marco. "Being best [friends] and business [partners has]
helped the balancing act." -N.L.T.
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