I collect magazines, newspapers, clipped articles and other miscellaneous reading items, with the promise to myself that eventually I will read them. In reality I probably end up getting through about 50 percent. The other half just gets tossed after all of it gets too old.
One article in Circulation Management magazine caught my attention recently. CM’s readers are primarily newspaper circulation managers. Its content is not meant for the general public. The article was headlined: “Magazine Junkie Turned Entrepreneur.” It told the story of Joyce Dorny, founder/editor-in-chief of Organize Magazine.
Dorny had started her own organizing business last fall. I didn’t realize it until I read this article but the organizing industry grosses about $8 billion a year. There must be a lot more anal people out there then I realized. She turned to various publications as a resource.
“Certainly a lot of magazines have information about organizing in them, maybe an article or a column,” Dorny told CM. “But I realized that I was reading about 12 to 15 magazines a month just to find these articles. So, I thought to myself ‘Hmmmm, I think I’ll start my own organizing magazine.’
“A title like this has never launched simply because (the industry) didn’t put enough value into what people needed,” Dorny said. “I am my target market—I know what I want.”
Thus another entrepreneurial idea was born. I think in one way or another there is an entrepreneurial idea in all of us.
This is my segue into commenting on the fact that The Business Ledger just hosted its 8th Annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards program last month, “Recognizing Growth, Innovation and Willingness to Take Risk.” In conjunction with our sponsors and marketing partners, we honored entrepreneurs from 21 companies and organizations who have experienced the highs and the lows of entrepreneurship.
If you ever want to get inspired to launch your own venture this is a great place to find out what it takes to be successful. First message is that it isn’t easy, but there wasn’t one person in that room who wouldn’t have done it all over again.
Mike Birck, founder and chairman of Tellabs, Inc., and one of our area’s most notable successful entrepreneurs, was the keynote speaker. His story is one that many entrepreneurs have experienced.
He had two partners. Their start-up capital came by mortgaging their houses and cashing in the stock they had acquired in public companies. Today Tellabs, Inc. is a world manufacturer, designer and marketer of voice data equipment.
Birck also told about the lean years in the early ‘80s when, “we went to four-day work weeks, but expected people to show up on the fifth day and work anyways.”
We heard from a 19-year-old entrepreneur and also from one who is in his late 60s and vowed to work forever. One honoree said this recognition was the first plaque he had received in 17 years of business while another said it was the first he had received in 37 years. Recognition is important to all, no matter when it occurs.
We met a person who started his business in the basement and another who started hers in the attic. Honored companies were in a cross section of industries such as architecture, trucking, technology, financial services, fiber arts and executive search.
The primary editorial mission of The Business Ledger is to write stories about successful businesses and the people who make them successful. One of the ways we find those businesses is through these recognition programs.
The Annual Awards for Business Excellence are held in the winter, Best Places to Work in Illinois in the spring, Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards in the summer and Influential Women in Business in the fall.
Four times a year we ask our readers to become our eyes and ears in the community and tell us who is doing a good job of running their business by nominating executives, companies and non-profit organizations for these awards. It expands our editorial staff by about 10,000 people.
Want to know more about these events? Check out www.thebusinessledger.com where you will find nomination forms and deadlines.
We’ve been doing this now for 10 years during which time we have introduced the business community to almost 1,000 successful entrepreneurs, business executives and their companies. Their stories are inspirational and reflect the spirit and vitality of our business community.
The awards provide a PR opportunity for the honorees, their companies, their employees and even their vendors and inspiration to our readers.
It’s a win, win, win, win, win.
Contact publisher Jim Elsener at jelsener@thebusinessledger.com or at 630-428-8788.