La Tene tests tile market
Entrepreneurs helped by SBDC

by Christopher Key

Amanda and Patrick Timmins are testing
the market for decorative tile.

 

There was a time when tile was what you put on your kitchen floor or bathroom walls. Things have changed a bit. During these uncertain times, people are investing more of their money in their homes. That has helped create a boom in decorative tile. Two local entrepreneurs, with some help from the Small Business Development Council, are exploring that market.

Amanda Timmins has been involved in the creative arts her entire career, much of it as a sculptor. Like most artists, she often found it to be financially uncertain and has been researching ways to make her artistic talents pay off.

“I wanted to find something that would set me free,” Timmins said. “A friend suggested that I look into making decorative tile.”

It quickly became obvious that ceramic was not the right medium. The failure rate is high and there are a lot of toxic materials involved. Eventually she began experimenting with cold cast bronze, nickel and copper.

“I’ve been experimenting for the last five years,” Timmins said, “before I was ready to go public. I wanted to get the formulas right.”

Timmins describes the process as much like baking a cake. First, she makes a model out of aircraft grade plywood and micro crystalline wax. Then, a mold is created out of silicone rubber. This is a very expensive material, but once the mold is made, it can be used indefinitely. Finally a “cake” is mixed using ultra fine metallic powders and other secret ingredients. At present, Timmins can turn out about 50 tiles a day.

“People thought this was pretty weird in the beginning,” Timmins said, “but now its much more accepted. The market has caught up with decorative tile.”

Amanda’s husband, Patrick, has been busy on the marketing end of the business. He maintains a Website that has been responsible for much of La Tene’s sales. Leigh Melander of Oak View, California, purchased La Tene tile for a fireplace surround.

“My husband and I have looked at literally hundreds of tile designs,” Melander said. “Nothing even begins to compare. Your (La Tene’s) pieces are not only unique, but infinitely more sophisticated than anything else we’ve seen.”

La Tene’s tiles are also on display exclusively at Stone and Clay here in Bellingham. In addition, they have retained a sales rep on the east coast who is helping them develop a marketing plan.

Decorative tiles can be used for counter backsplashes, fireplace surrounds and doorway arches. They aren’t recommended for use as flooring.

“Our tile works very well with stone,” Timmins said. “Part of our challenge is to educate people on how to use this material. We just did the Home Show up in Lynden and it was fun to watch peoples’ reactions.”

Given the rather uncertain future, Timmins said people are looking for what she terms “newstalgia” – traditional looks achieved with high-tech materials.

“People are also looking for ethnic connections,” Timmins said. “We’ve started with Celtic designs because that’s our heritage.”

With some help from a burgeoning market, they hope to move to a larger studio space and hire some help in the near future.

 

How to survive building a home
Consultant helps smooth bumpy process

by Christopher Key

Christine Simpson can help people through
the homebuilding process that has become
increasingly overwhelming.

 

Christine Simpson believes that it’s as important to understand what she does not do as what she does. She is not an architect, contractor or interior designer. She is a residential design/building consultant.

“I’ve heard a lot of horror stories,” Simpson said, “from people who were just overwhelmed by the complexity of designing and building a home. I spent two years designing my home, working through each decision, and I’m thrilled with the results.”

Simpson has a degree in business and marketing and has worked in catering sales management. Helping people plan weddings, retreats and meetings honed the organizational skills she brings to her consulting business.

“I get to know my clients well,” said Simpson, “what their wants and needs are. Then I work through the entire process solely in the client’s interest.”

Much of her time is spent in preparation even before an architect gets involved.

“There are so many options, choices, pros and cons,” Simpson said. “If you are thoroughly prepared going in, you can save time and money on the architect and builder. I can help you get more accurate bids from the contractor and save a lot of the hassles surrounding change orders. It’s far better to get things right the first time and bring the project in on time and on budget. And you end up with the house of your dreams, not the house of your nightmares.”

She believes that there is a solid market for such services.

“Lots of people are afraid to build their own homes,” Simpson said, “because of the horror stories they’ve heard. Expert guidance can prevent that. One of my strengths is in relationships. I can mediate any problems that occur along the way.”

Simpson also brings a more objective point of view to the process.

“A third party can look at things on a more logical basis, not being emotionally involved,” Simpson said. “I can look at issues of aesthetics and functionality and provide a balance.”

She also sees her role as being an information source.

“If I don’t know the answers, I know where to find the answers,” Simpson said. “This can save you hours of research time. On the more personal side, I can act as a sounding board and provide some hand-holding through the difficult times.”

The business is named “A Place To Call Home,” and Simpson has received “great response” from architects, builders and real estate agents. In the long run, her services may be far less expensive than drugs and therapy.

 

Consulting firm finds Whatcom home
Dream come true for “people” experts

by Christopher Key

EnVision Consulting is the result of some serious
long-range planning by Linda Dorsett and Chris Babin.

 

Chris Babin and Linda Dorsett know something about persistence. Twelve years ago, the Kirkland residents created a long-term vision. They wanted to live and work from a home on a lake. Every weekend, they explored lakes throughout the northwest. Nothing was allowed to come between them and their vision. The dream has now become reality as EnVision Consulting makes its local debut from a spectacular location on the shores of Silver Lake.

Babin has been a school psychologist and training director for Eddie Bauer. Dorsett is a therapist with a master’s in social work that she has since augmented with a master’s in organizational development. The two met when both worked for non-profit organizations.

Everything they have done for the past 12 years has been oriented to establishing their own consulting firm and living on a lake. Their combined skills are focused on helping businesses maximize their greatest asset: people.

“We work at three levels,” Babin said. “First, we look at a business as a whole, then at groups within that business, then at individuals within the groups. We ask if employees have a stake in the business. Do they benefit from the company’s success? Do they feel valued? Do they feel like they are making an important contribution? Our goal is an energized and productive workforce.”

The name of the firm comes from energy and vision.

“Having chosen this place very carefully,” Dorsett said, “we are passionately committed to Whatcom County. We want to see local businesses thrive.”

To that end, they participate in a group called the Fourth Corner Consultants Roundtable.

“It’s unusual for consulting firms to work cooperatively,” Babin said. “We want to know who the other resources are that we can bring to our business.”

It is the interpersonal relationships, according to Babin and Dorsett, that can make or break a business.

“We can help businesses with communications, conflict management and supervisory skills,” Babin said. “Eighty percent of personnel turnover is the result of bad relationships.”

On the individual level, EnVision offers training in computer skills.

“These days, people need to be comfortable with computers,” Babin said, “but not everyone is computer literate. Many of us have never had any formal computer training and have learned in disconnected bits and pieces.”

One common mistake businesses make is jumping to a solution without knowing what the problem is.

“Our backgrounds in psychology and therapy mean we have excellent listening skills,” Dorsett said. “Part of what we do is to slow people down.”

Most businesses, according to Babin, have the technology they need but don’t always know how to use it effectively.

“Chris has created a program that can be customized to streamline tasks like employee evaluations,” Dorsett said. “You need to use the tools you already have. We go out of our way to make things simple. We want customers to say, ‘Wow, they did a great job,’ and then forget that we were there.”

In an environment that emphasizes downsizing, hiring a consultant is often a better deal than increasing the employee head count.

“Businesses are often afraid to spend money on consultants,” Dorsett said “But they’re losing money if things aren’t being done right. That’s the hidden cost of inefficiency.”

EnVision is thoroughly committed to networking and belongs to the Bellingham/Whatcom and Mt. Baker/Foothills chambers of commerce.

“We have felt very welcomed everywhere we go,” Babin said. “That sort of atmosphere inspires our loyalty to the community. We hope the favor will be returned. You don’t have to go to Seattle for top-notch consulting services and we won’t stick you with some inexperienced staffer. There is a perception that consultants are expensive. That’s not necessarily true. Sometimes we can address the problem in one 90-minute meeting.”

Given their demonstrated ability to achieve long-term goals, Babin and Dorsett should gain some instant credibility in the business community.

 

Students learn business outside classroom
Young entrepreneurs form Web company

by Christopher Key

Minette Stewart, Arron Kallenberg and David Stone
have gone out on a limb with their new business,
Kalbay Systems.

 

Arron Kallenberg and David Stone were leading pretty ordinary lives for college students. Studying hard, then earning peanuts at an assortment of odd jobs. Somewhere along the line they decided that there was a better way. Kallenberg’s uncle owns a software business and Arron had some solid experience at that firm.

“We sort of stumbled across this job for a guy in Blaine who is just a couple of years older that we are,” Kallenberg said. “He’s a highly successful entrepreneur and hired us to do some computer consulting. We talked him into a custom designed marketing/database package.”

That software helped the Blaine business do direct marketing to homeowners and keep construction crews up-to-date.

“It was a great learning experience,” Kallenberg said, “and learning is a means to employment. It was a big paradigm shift for us. With some mentoring from our friend in Blaine, we got our business license and decided to pitch software instead of hamburgers.”

They quickly signed up marketing and PR whiz Minette Stewart and Kalbay Systems was born. Kallenberg is the owner and writer of software. Stone is the front man and “not-so-silent partner.” Bill Gates’ bestseller Business at The Speed of Thought is their handbook.

“People need Web-based services,” Kallenberg said, “so we took the money we made from that first job and invested it in the business. I don’t consider Web design a strength, so we’ll bring in a specialist so we can offer an inclusive package: design, hosting, domain registry.”

Kalbay Systems has a business philosophy that is as innovative as tomorrow.

“Our costs are low, so we pass that on to our customers,” Kallenberg said. “We’re not in the business of exploiting anybody. We call it commerce with a conscience. We want to market ourselves like Subway, appealing to a more consumer oriented, socially conscious demographic.”

Much of their thinking reflects chaos theory.

“Business is a dynamic situation,” Kallenberg said, “between survival and a higher order of expression. We see Kalbay as a biological entity. If we nurture it, it will grow organically.”

He admits that it’s sometimes a fine line to walk.

“You have to make a living,” Kallenberg said, “but you can do it in an appropriate and socially conscious manner.”

Naturally enough, they are working with Western Washington University’s Small Business Development Center.

“The SBDC is a great resource,” Kallenberg said, “and those folks are really inspirational.”

They have found the Whatcom County business community to be most receptive.

“People here are more open because they’ve been forced to readjust in order to survive,” said Kallenberg. “After the economic upheavals here locally, those who are still here really understand what we are facing.”

All of the Kalbay people love the world of academe, but have a firm grasp on how it differs from the “real” world.

“In school,” Kallenberg said, “you have plenty of study materials and time to prepare for a test. You can’t prepare for tests in the business world; you have to adjust instantly. And you usually can’t take the test over again. So we have to keep evolving, trying to be ready for the next test.”

Arron and his friends know that established relationships will keep them going.

“We’ll take time to help clients even if we didn’t design their system,” Kallenberg said.

He grew up in a small Alaskan town and finds comparisons between that and making connections in the local business community.

“It’s all about small businesses helping each other,” Kallenberg said, “and coming to a mutual understanding of what needs to happen. Our skills lie in manipulating modern media, but that’s not our business. Our business is effective communication.”

One of their ventures is very much connected to campus life.

“We had some extra server space,” Kallenberg said, “so we set up Vikingclassifieds.com, a free online advertising service for WWU students and staff. It offers lots of categories and real-time posting and deleting of ads. We set that up as a subsidiary and it has really taken off.”

Kalbay sells online coupons to businesses who want to reach Western students and staff.

“It’s sort of an online Blue Book,” Kallenberg said. “You have to have a large enough audience to attract advertisers. Why not just put a flyer up on campus? Who is going to see it among thousands of others?”

Part of the role they envision for the company is to establish relationships between students and the local business community.

“We’ll be successful if a lot of people use the service,” Kallenberg said, “and we make a little money.”

Kallenberg seems comfortable with the fact that he can’t do it all himself.

“I’ll bring in other people with the skills that we need rather than try to learn everything,” Kallenberg said. “We can provide a nurturing environment for young designers. They need to get out of the house once in a while and cross-fertilize.”

All of the students at Kalbay realize they have a lot of lessons yet to learn in the world of business. That, along with a powerful belief in the firm they have created, may provide a potent pattern for other young entrepreneurs to follow.