Entrepreneurs across America - Cover Story

Entrepreneur, April, 1996 by Janean Chuna, Debra Phillips, Cynthia E. Grifin, Heather Page, Lynn Beresford, Holly Celeste Fisk, Charlotte Mulhern

The former art teacher, who had designed sets for summer stock and regional theaters for years, decided to pursue it full time when he was transferred from a high school to an elementary school. "I was trying to talk about art, and my students were eating the pastels," he recalls.

The change of scene paid off for Prianti, who now has eight employees and plenty of business. Last summer, the company built a miniature version of the haunted mansion from "Casper" to display the movie's promotional products for prospective buyers; in December, they decorated a bank for the holidays; and in January, they created sets for a music video.

Sound like fun? "When I'm pleased with a project, I feel it was fun," says Prianti. "Most of the time it's work." But the show must go on, and from stage productions and holiday parties to product displays, Prianti sets the stage for a successful business.

OHIO

Company: Desperate Enterprises Inc. Location: Medina Business Began: 1987 Start-Up Cost: $60,000 1995 Sales: $2.75 million 1996 Projections: $3.5 million

Entrepreneur, by my defini-tion, is a risk taker," says Robert Secrist, 62 "That's what I've always been." In 1987, this former librarian and antique store owner took a risk--he created a unique product for a market he wasn't sure existed.

Secrist's antique shop was suffering because nostalgic advertisements from the 1900s through the 1950s, which were among his most popular products, were becoming scarce and prohibitively expensive. Reluctant to see the vintage ads fade from the scene, Secrist had an idea: Why not make and sell tin reproductions instead of the originals?

Orders came pouring in, and today Desperate Enterprises sells more than 500 varieties of signs through its catalog, distributed worldwide. The company also sells antique-themed magnets, switchplate covers and reproductions of old photos.

Secrist (near left) semiretired last year, passing daily operations to son-in-law Dan Hutchings. But his passion for the old signs keeps him involved: Says Secrist, "It's very rewarding to make these images available to other people."

TEXAS

Company: MGwhiz Inc. Location: Dallas Business Began: 1995 Start-Up Cost: $600,000 1995 Sales: $250,000 1996 Projections: $16 million

How do you make it to the big leagues? If you're Steve Greene (left) and Mark Gonzalez, you update the classic childhood game of paper football and market it as the latest must-have collectible. "It's been played by three generations," says Greene of the game's proven appeal. "My father and my 8-year-old son play."

This toy story began during a brainstorming session: Gonzalez was looking for a business idea when the concept of FlickBall, a snazzy paper football imprinted with team names, struck like lightning. He approached his friend Greene, who quickly realized the game's potential and helped secure licenses with professional and college leagues. "We laid a game plan to control as much of the market as possible," says Greene.

But can their low-tech toy break through kids' video-game stupor? The partners believe the odds are in their favor. "[The market] will swing back to low-cost, low-tech games," says Gonzalez. "The pog [craze] only confirmed we were on the right track."