Tee for Two
What: Tabletop billiards and golf
Who: Clyde Beasley, founder of Beasley Creations Inc.
Where: Torrance, California
When: Started in 2003
Clyde Beasley remembers seeing his newly remodeled prototypecome back from the manufacturer in 2003. "My mouth justdropped," says Beasley, 39.
Beasley is the creator of table golf, a new game that combinesgolf and billiards into one. The game comes in seven differentstyles and sizes, ranging in price from $150 to $680. Beasleydreamed up the game in 1999 while serving a sentence in FolsomState Prison. As he watched a golf tournament get rained out on TV,he wondered what golfers did on rainy days. Armed with his idea andsome crude blueprints he had drawn, Beasley left prison three yearslater, in November 2002. He stopped at Home Depot for about $200worth of supplies and materials, and then worked all night tocreate his first prototype.
After inviting a few of the neighborhood kids to test out hisnew game, Beasley hit the road, showing his creation to local poolhalls and sporting goods stores. He had no luck selling theproduct, but one pool-hall owner suggested that Beasley take hisinvention to the Billiards Congress of America trade show in LasVegas that coming July. Beasley were his game caught the eye of arepresentative from The Price Is Right, as well as hiscurrent manufacturer, Eagle Industries Ltd. His tables have sincebeen featured on The Price Is Right and are available at hiswebsite andSamsClub.com.Beasley expects 2006 sales of more than $5 million.
-James Park
Knock on Wood
What: An attractive chair mat for the office
Who: Pierre Klee, president and co-founder of SnapMatInc.
Where: Novato, California
When: Started in June 2004
While remodeling a friend's home office, one-timeconstruction company owner Pierre Klee had to choose flooring thatwas both attractive and practical.
Klee, 42, found his solution in a wood-finished laminate. Afterinstalling the floor, Klee gave his friend and future partner, JeffBaudin, 42, an extra pack of the material. Baudin took a piece ofthe laminate to his regular office and slid it under his chair onthe commercial-grade carpeting. Instantly, the two knew they had agreat idea.
In January 2004, they started developing an alternative to theunattractive plastic chair mats common in offices. More than$150,000 and six prototypes later, they launched SnapMat Inc. inJune 2004. The sectional chair mats snap together and create a morepolished complement to office furniture.
"We started selling them online, and people just lovedthem," Klee says. "Besides thinking the mats wereattractive, [customers were] just so tired of the plasticones."
There were still kinks, though. The sectional mats were onlyrecommended for use on commercial-grade carpet, and Klee'scustomers wanted something for their home offices. After slidingthrough 2004 with $30,000 in sales, Klee began 2005 by buying outBaudin and creating a one-piece mat better suited for high-pilecarpeting.
With both mats available online in a variety of finishes andsizes, including custom orders, at www.snapmat.com, the company increased sales to$125,000 in 2005.
Klee says the mat also has some unconventional uses, includingin music studios--the mats make it easier to slide heavy equipmentover carpet--and as dance floors. Klee jokes that the company couldhave a special web-site dedicated solely to tap dancers.
With arrangements finalized with Brookstone.com anddeals with other retail outlets underway, Klee expects SnapMat Inc.to garner $500,000 in 2006 sales. He hopes to spur even more growthfor the company by automating the production process to increaseoutput from 20 mats to 150 mats per day, which would allow Klee tolower the price.
"I like inventing, so it's been fun for me to figureout all the problems," Klee says. "I've always been agood trouble-shooter."
-Amanda Pennington
Sign of the Times
What: Museum exhibition banners sold as limited-edition wallhangings
Who: Nicolas and Nora Weiser, founders of Better LLC
Where: Denver
When: Started in March 2004
When Nora Weiser brought home a promotional banner from themuseum where she worked and hung it on her living-room wall, itsparked a banner business idea--literally. Friends constantly askedwhere they could get something similar, so Nora and her husband,Nicolas, dreamed up a way to provide a unique service, support thearts, reduce landfill waste and, most important, be their ownbosses.
In March 2004, they started Better LLC, which sells recycledmuseum exhibition banners and donates part of the proceeds tomuseums. "We give the banners an afterlife by securing thenecessary copyright licenses to sell them," Nora explains.
Before they became entrepreneurs, Nora, 36, worked at The ArtInstitute of Chicago and the St. Louis Art Museum, while Nicolas,37, worked as an environmental consultant for a large company inChicago. The couple tapped previous work connections to enlistroughly a dozen museums in their Recycle and Reuse Program, whichtakes vinyl and canvas banners off museums' hands so they canbe sold to the public through the couple's website, www.betterwall.com.
To date, the Recycle and Reuse Program has saved over 10 tons ofvinyl from landfills and has generated thousands of dollars infinancial support for the arts. BetterWall.com, which was launchedin February 2005, now partners with 18 museums, including one inCanada, and plans to establish a presence in Europe.
All banners sold to the public have been refurbished and are inexcellent condition, while those that are undesirable are recycledfor raw materials. Customers typically pay $300 to $800 for thebanners, which come with certificates of authenticity. Necessaryhanging hardware is also provided--Nicolas says the hardware isunobtrusive, making the banner look as if it's floating on thewall.
Operating their business from home and a warehouse, the Weisershave had a banner year: They've already seen profits and hiredone employee, and they expect sales to double in 2006.
-Bethan-Rose Rodriguez
Cold Snap
What: Cold-call training service
Who: Ron La Vine of Accelerated Sales Results
Where: Oak Park, California
When: Started in 1996
How much: Less than $500
After being laid off from his job at a software company in 1994,Ron La Vine finally figured out what he does best: cold calling.Relying on sales tactics that he learned as a sales rep in college,La Vine, 49, set out to acquire clients for his new softwareconsulting business. But people were more interested in hearing howhe managed to get clients on the line than hearing about what hehad to sell. So he set up a home office and began offeringtutorials on how to make cold calls.
To keep costs down, La Vine had clients cover all his expenses:He spread the word about his services by asking former clients togive testimonials, and he wrote a biweekly newsletter with personaltips on selling. Now, 95 percent of La Vine's business comesfrom referrals, and he averages over $250,000 a year in sales. In1997, La Vine got the ultimate satisfaction: The company that hadlaid him off called to ask for his services. Says La Vine,"They wanted to know how I do what I do."
-James Park