What: Customized dollhouses kids can assemble and design
themselves
Who: Curtis Jacobson of Storyboard Toys
Where: Longmont, Colorado
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When: Started in 2002
A former engineer for Volvo, Curtis Jacobson, 38, made toys as a
hobby in his spare time--frequently using his eight nieces and
nephews to test-market his innovations. But he knew he was onto
something when he got the idea for ArtHouses. "You could have
the kids designing their own wallpaper or siding, and that got me
to the idea of building a dollhouse with walls that display
8.5-by-11-[inch] paper artwork," says Jacobson, who launched
the business with personal savings. Made of furniture-grade plywood
and plastic, the dollhouses are collapsible and can be assembled by
a child in just two minutes.
Though Jacobson originally believed toy stores and museum gift
shops would be the top markets for his product, he's seen the
most interest from elementary school teachers, who use ArtHouses as
creative teaching tools. Conducive to group projects and the
imagination, ArtHouses have been used to teach poetry, explain
color theory and more. Currently, primary schools in Brevard
County, Florida, have incorporated ArtHouses into after-school
programs and the summer school curriculum.
The product is also sold on Jacobson's
website and in some independent toy stores nationwide. In 2004, the
company grossed five figures, but Jacobson expects to earn six
figures this year, since the education community keeps asking for
more. Says Jacobson, "It's all about what kids do with it.
It's a very creativity-inspiring device." -Lori
Kozlowski
Back to the Root
What: DNA testing that traces the heritage of black
people
Who: Dr. Rick Kittles and Gina Paige of African Ancestry
Inc.
Where: Washington, DC
When: Started in 2003
As an African-American, Dr. Rick Kittles wanted to know who his
ancestors were and their countries of origin. So the geneticist
decided to create a database of African lineages.
After working on this database for several years, Kittles, 38,
who holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology, joined forces with
businesswoman Gina Paige, 38, to start a company that allows
African-Americans to confidentially obtain information about their
genealogy.
By using DNA technology, the company aids individuals in
determining maternal or paternal ancestry. Customers go online
(www.africanancestry.com) to order a $349 kit, use
swabs to collect their cheek cells and then send their samples to
the company via Express Mail. After the DNA is extracted from the
swabs and sequenced, Kittles matches the sequence to his database
of more than 25,000 African lineages and 389 ethnic groups.
Upon receiving their results, many clients feel they've
received a priceless gift. "For many of [our clients],
there's a sense of connectedness," says Paige, who adds
they have a 95 percent success rate. "There's a sense of
completion because this answers a question people thought
they'd never be able to answer in their lifetimes."
African Ancestry has more than 3,000 clients, including
celebrities such as actor LeVar Burton, director Spike Lee and
Congresswoman Diane Watson. The company earned $300,000 in 2004,
and they expect to increase sales by 50 percent in 2005. -Lori
Kozlowski
Top Drawers
What: Disposable underwear and socks for men and
women
Who: Betty Hung and Teresa Williams of Break Room
Concepts
Where: Santa Monica, California
When: Started in 2003
Betty Hung and Teresa Williams want their customers to throw
their product away. To be more specific, the minds behind
OneDerWear disposable underwear would just like customers to wear
it and toss it.
The two friends came up with the idea while working in
Comcast's marketing department. Hung, 33, and Williams, 35,
frequently traded stories in the break room, and Hung managed to
raise eyebrows when she mentioned she had to pick up some
disposable underwear for her upcoming vacation abroad. "She
said it was this product she used in Asia, and whenever [they] go
on a trip, they take the product with them and just wear [their]
underwear and throw it away. You don't have to re-pack it and
bring it back," Williams says. "All of us were like,
'That is so weird.'"
But Williams became convinced of the product's convenience
after she tried them out on a trip. The two began to talk about the
potential of disposable, biodegradable cotton underwear and formed
Break Room
Concepts to bring the product to the U.S., using their
marketing backgrounds and $20,000 from their parents for startup.
After a trip to Taiwan to scout out a manufacturer, Hung and
Williams came up with a few designs that would suit American
tastes.
The two-woman operation expects 2005 sales to exceed $300,000.
The products are available in 60 travel and luggage stores
nationwide, and the pair plans to expand the disposable line into
bras, T-shirts and pillowcases sometime next year. -James Park
Seeing the Sites
What: A marketing company that designs and hosts affordable,
professional-looking websites for small businesses
Who: David Aitken, Brad Stone, Mark Strong and Leah Young
of Heritage Web Solutions
Where: Provo, Utah
When: Started in 2001
How much: $1,000
"Give me $1,000, and I'll give you results." Those
were the words David Aitken used to convince the owners of The
Heritage Group to invest in his idea. Aitken, 30, was a call-center
manager for the Utah company, which specialized in residential
mortgage refinancing. Aitken knew the refinancing boom they were
riding would eventually end, so he approached owners Brad Stone,
52; Mark Strong, 58; and Leah Young, 36, with a new idea: Help
small-business owners develop websites to rival those of larger
companies. So little capital was necessary to get started, says
Strong, that investing in it was a "no-brainer."
Armed with only $1,000, Aitken hired a part-time telemarketer
for $8 an hour to call business owners on a list he purchased for
$250. Aitken made follow-up sales calls in his off hours. Once he
started selling the $199 websites, Aitken brought on his brother
Jeremy and friend Eddie Dockery to help build them. All three
worked without compensation for several months, with the promise
that if Heritage Web Solutions became successful, they would be
guaranteed spots in the new company.
Heritage Web Solutions now has 65 employees, with Jeremy and
Dockery still onboard. The Heritage Group has since ceased
operations to focus on Heritage Web Solutions. The new company has
grossed $1.3 million in sales to date-a figure it's on track to
double by year's end. -Sarah Pierce