Humble Beginning

Entrepreneur, March, 2005 by Esther Nguonly

WHAT: staffing services for the apartment industry

WHO: Crystal Belt and James Weathered of Apartment Personnel

WHERE: Fort Worth, Texas

WHEN: started in 2003

HOW MUCH: $3,500

Crystal Belt, 23, and her husband, James Weathered, 33, knew that if they could keep their boss's constantly struggling apartment-staffing business afloat, then nothing could stop them from starting their own business. Even though the couple could barely afford to put gas in their truck and had three children to feed and a fourth on the way, Belt and Weathered realized it was now or never, so they quit their jobs, combined their last paychecks and invested about $3,500 into an 1,800-square-foot Fort Worth office.

In the startup's early days, they spent late nights faxing fliers and creating forms. To cut costs, they purchased secondhand furniture and went bargain shopping for supplies and equipment. Their determination paid off: Within the first month, Belt and Weathered were collecting $15,000 per week in billings and have since added additional offices in Atlanta and Houston. They've even hired a CPA and a bookkeeper to keep track of finances now that they bring in $60,000 per week.

"We worked hard, and we always knew we were going to have better," says Belt, who projects 2005 sales of about $3.8 million for the company, which provides apartment buildings with all the staff they need, from maintenance people to front-desk workers.

While being a young entrepreneur has its challenges, Belt hasn't let that stop her. "I hate it when people ask me my age, because it doesn't matter," she says. "I know what I'm talking about. I'm glad I'm young and I have drive. I want to do it now so when I'm older, I can just relax."