by Lisa Camerlengo
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"Interesting," you say to yourself, sulking as you change the channel. "Why can't I think of a business idea like that?"
But you can.
Thriving enterprises such as Netflix, Cold Stone Creamery, LoveSac, and Geeks On Call all began simply as 'quirky' ideas. Company founders, armed with the passion to succeed, drew largely upon their educational backgrounds and previous business experience to turn their ideas into realities.
Back in 1997, when founder Reed Hastings established online DVD rental service Netflix, the thought of accessing unlimited entertainment without ever having to leave the house may have seemed like it was plucked from an episode of the "The Jetsons."
Hastings came up with the concept after a vexing trip to his local video store. Like many of us, he forgot to return a movie on time, and was informed he owed a $40 late fee. Hastings begrudgingly thought to himself, "There's got to be a better way."
Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix, which offers access to more than 40,000 movie titles for a flat monthly fee, is now a household name, with more than 3,000,000 subscribers.
In addition to movies, Hastings is passionate about education. A champion of the cause for charter schools in California, his own love of learning led to a master's degree in computer science from Stanford University.
So, even though it sounds like a cliché, when you think about starting a business, focus on what you love because a passion for your product is paramount.
Just ask the folks at Cold Stone Creamery.
What began as ice cream enthusiasts Donald and Susan Sutherland's quest for the perfect frozen dessert, has exploded into one of the top franchises in the U.S. Cold Stone, which recorded $283 million in sales in 2004, just celebrated the opening of its 1,000th location in Columbus, Ohio, this past May.
What's all the excitement about? The ice cream, of course.
Cold Stone boasts 35 original flavors, including top-seller Peanut Butter Cup Perfection. The company is also set to develop and launch 15 more yummy creations this year.
Kevin Donnellan, a Cold Stone representative, attributes the success of the business to the passion its franchisees have for the product.
"The more passionate you are, the more successful you're going to be," Donnellan explains. " Ice cream is a fun business to be in because it's not hard to love ice cream. Vacuums, now they're a little bit harder to get excited about."
To build on that momentum and provide a solid foundation for its franchisees, Cold Stone sends them to Ice Cream University - a training facility located at its headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. In two weeks, ice cream aficionado entrepreneurs learn not only how to masterfully decorate an ice cream cake, but also the basic business skills necessary to increase profit margins.
But, statistically speaking, it's often difficult to assess just how often budding entrepreneurs find the recipe for success The U.S. Government doesn't have a 'quirky' industry classification category.
Brian Headd, an economist in the Office of Advocacy for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), says the best indicators for a company's survival include the business owner's level of education, age, and previous experience. According to the SBA, roughly 12% of companies enter the market each year - a rate that has remained fairly constant over much of the past two decades. Of those new businesses, about half generally survive for four years or more.
Headd emphasizes that the most important factor in succeeding is experience, particularly with a previous entrepreneurial endeavor.
"That's the educational process," he explains. "Although, it's a lot less formal."
With that in mind, Shawn Nelson, the inventor of LoveSac, could certainly be considered an anomaly.
As a college-coed back in 1995, Nelson "thought it would be cool to have a huge beanbag." So, he went out, bought 14 yards of fabric, cut it into a baseball shape and started stuffing it with foam. In 2002, Nelson turned his dorm room idea into a franchise, which now boasts 67 locations in the U.S. and Australia.
For Nelson, who holds two bachelor's degrees from the University of Utah - one in Chinese and one in Asian Studies with an emphasis on business - education played a major role in success.
Take his fluency in Mandarin Chinese, for instance. When the then 24 year old went to place an order for the fabric to produce 12,000 LoveSacs for girls' clothing retailer Limited Too in 2001, he discovered that the price the vendor was charging was way over his budget.
But some Chinese writing on the side of one of the vendor's boxes indicated where he could contact the producer of the fabric directly. He hopped on a plane to China, and got the fabric at a price he could afford. The rest, as they say, is history.
Nelson, a lifelong learner, encourages his employees to broaden their horizons. He and his staff choose a book to read every other month and challenge themselves with quizzes in company meetings. He is currently pursuing design school - all this while serving as Richard Branson's "Rebel Billionaire." (> I don't get that reference? A reality show???) (Just wanted to emphasize that he continues to challenge himself).
"If it feels good - feels good in your gut - just do what it takes. Do anything to make it work," Nelson says.
And if that means emblazoning the side of a Chrysler PT Cruiser with a depiction of a computer geek on its side, so be it.
That from Richard Cole, founder and CEO of Geeks On Call, who is counting on the symbol to become a household staple.
Cole, an experienced turnaround specialist who grew frustrated with his PC's antics, was tired of long wait times on telephone help lines and the mediocre service they provided. He began to wonder if someone could really fix his computer's problem from 3,000 miles away and thought it would be convenient to have computer support on-call.
Hampton Roads, Va.-based Geeks On Call dispatches those "PC Cruisers" to computer users in need of technical support, and has developed into a thriving franchise. The company has serviced more than 250,000 customers across the U.S. since 2001 - on average, about 10,000 per month.
Key to the operation's success is the training of the company's technicians. All Geeks On Call employees are required to have A+ certification. They must also pass the "Geek Test" - a measure of both 'book smarts' and 'street smarts.'
"Education is huge for us, explains Matt Nelson, the company's communications manager. "If we didn't insist on minimums, we might have technicians who are sub-par and could mess up people's computers."
And, although Geeks On Call continues to expand, there were plenty of naysayers around when Cole first unveiled his idea.
"There will always be 'turkeys' to get you down," Cole says. "They'll say you'll never pull it off, but that just makes you work even harder to prove them wrong."
So, look around you. Great business ideas are out there. With ambition, passion for your product or service, a good education, and perseverance, all things are possible.
© 2006 Classes USA, Inc. All rights reserved.