Breaking the Ice: a chance to be creative can be the perfect introduction to the world of business ownership

Entrepreneur, May, 2002 by Devlin Smith

THEY'VE WORKED WITH PLAYBOY, THE Bellagio, Stardust and dozens of other companies coming to Las Vegas for parties and conventions. Since opening their Ice Magic franchise in December, Vickie McDermott and Kathy Gallivan have developed quite a client roster and, they hope, a reputation for creatively decorating events.

McDermott, 44, and Gallivan, 51, work with their clients and employees to design ice sculptures and select the perfect touches-everything from flowers to illuminated acrylic tables-to make each event special. "[The best part is] having people call us and say 'We're doing an event and want something unique,' and we're able to put on our creative caps and make it happen," Gallivan says. "Their dreams are realized through our creativity."

Likewise, Ice Magic is somewhat of a dream come true for these franchisees. Once co-workers? McDermott, a former vice president for a software firm, and Gallivan, a former consultant, were looking for a business that would let them create and sell something. They knew Ice Magic was the right franchise for them. "We love the product," Gallivan says. "It makes every day fun, to get up and throw yourself into work"

Particularly in Las Vegas, where there's no shortage of work. "Las Vegas is built to handle large parties and the kinds of events we're doing," Gallivan says. "We feel very fortunate. Serendipity has played a large part in allowing us to [operate in] this city."

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WITH A NUDGE FROM A BROKER, THIS BUSINESS OWNER DECIDED RECRUITING WAS HIS GAME.

"I ALWAYS WANTED MY OWN business--something that wasn't in the area I had spent 17 years of my career in," says Richard Premec, a 40-year-old Sanford Rose Associates franchisee. Prior to joining the franchise, Premec worked in global logistics and spent most of his time traveling.

Because he didn't want to leap from one corporate job to another, Premec called on a neighbor who happened to be a franchise broker. After tests and discussions, they decided executive recruiting firm Sanford Rose Associates matched Premec's interests.

Premec chose to specialize in the medical industry and opened his franchise in Florence, Kentucky, in April 2001. Immediately, he faced the challenge of bringing in revenue. "It probably was six months before it felt like a business," he says: "I didn't take a paycheck for eight months."

To keep himself motivated during the lean times, Premec compiled a list of the top 10 reasons why he didn't want to rejoin the corporate world-including things like not wanting to deal with office politics and fear of being laid off. "I would look at that to remind myself exactly why I left [corporate life]," he says.

After a year, Premec is hoping to reach sales of a half-million dollars in 2002 and would like to grow 20 percent a year for the next five years. He's optimistic about the future of his franchise. "It's business-to-business, and it's working with people," he says, "and if you're good at that, you'll be successful."