Rich & Famous

This entrepreneur has carried his business through every phase a small business owner might desire: he started it, nurtured it into a larger thriving worldwide business, and now, in his own words, he is “rich and famous” because he has sold it. I just did catch him, because this is his final Christmas season with the company he brought to life. 

Rich and Famous—it has a nice ring and is a goal for many small business entrepreneurs. Congratulations to the father of New Zealand Nature Company (http://www.nznature.co.nz/), Ben Van Dyke, on achieving this status.

This interview has a lot of interesting points. Many so-called business gurus emphasize the need for always having detailed plans for your life as well as for your business, and they require you to thoroughly analyze every business move you consider. This is all good advice, but it is often carried to the point of over-doing to the point that nothing gets done and opportunities either disappear or they are taken by those who don’t have to think so much about what they do.

No doubt Ben had a general objective in mind when he started this company. He says he made a lot of twists and turns as the NZ Nature Company began to take place. In the years after start-up, the business has expanded into these separate Websites:

• USA, Canada, Asia
  
• United Kingdom
  
• Australia
  
• Europe & Ireland
  
• New Zealand & rest of world

The company promotes ecology related products and other items made in the local area like silk and sheepskin creations. A specialty line is made from Eco-Fur™ (http://www.nznature.co.nz/ecofur.htm), the New Zealand Nature Company’s private trademark for wool and fur of the brushtail possum. This animal was brought to New Zealand many years ago to establish a fur trade, but the population is now out of control. Government efforts have so far been unsuccessful, and poisoning is unacceptable; Ben’s solution is to promote these fur products worldwide which will control the population without spoiling the environment. There are all kinds of Eco-Fur™ items available including possum fur nipple warmers and a possum fur g-string.

 These were featured in Playboy Magazine (http://www.nznature.co.nz/tradeaward.htm) and did a lot to promote this business. This article is worthwhile reading because it details some straight-forward ideas about marketing—no “gurueze.”

Here is what Ben Van Dyke has to say about the business that has made him “rich and famous”:

What kind of business are you in?
Mail order catalog and online shop. 

What is the name of your business?
New Zealand Nature Company.

In what city or community is your business located?
Nelson, New Zealand. 

How old is your business?
12 years. 

Is your business home-based or do you have another site for it?
Not home based anymore, but was for seven years. 

What was your primary reason for going into business for yourself?
Nobody would hire me. 

Where or how did you get the idea for this business?
It evolved and went sideways a few times. 

What kind of organization is it: sole proprietor, partnership, corporation etc.?
Now a corporation: Certified Organics. 

Do you operate your business full time or part time?
Full time. 

How many employees did you have when you started?
Myself only. 

How many employees do you have now?
20 to 30, depending on the season. 

What activities require most of your time?
All of them - including answering e-mails. 

Have you had other businesses in the past?
A restaurant. 

Do you have other businesses now?
Not viable ones. 

What are your two biggest problems?
Getting out of bed and remembering appointments. 

How many hours did you work each day or week during startup?
80 to 100. 

How many hours do you work each day or week now?
40 sometimes. 

What is your main source of financing for your business?
Cash in the bank. 

Do you plan eventually to sell your business, will it to your heirs or partners, or might you just walk away and close the business when you decide to quit?
We just sold - finish at Christmas, rich and famous. 

Has there ever been a time when you did not enjoy working for yourself?
All the time, but better than working for someone else. 

What is the main way you market your products or services?
Through catalogs and Internet. 

What activities are performed by others outside your organization like accounting, production, advertising, etc.?
Maybe accounting only. 

Do you have any advice for people desiring to start their own business?
Just start. Get something going, prepare to jump over to something that works better, when you find it, make it happen. 

Who has helped you most in your business: government, financial consultants, suppliers, or others?
Get all the free info you can and don't necessarily use it. Most consultants are too conservative...but they will be statistically correct in that the odds are you will go bust, but what do you have to lose besides time and money? 

What are the primary sources of information for your business operation: newspaper, radio, TV, Internet, magazines?
Everything, especially online newsletters and catalogues.

Are there any other links or references that would give additional information about your business?
http://www.nznature.co.nz

Any thoughts or advice for other entrepreneurs?
Just keep at it and never give up and one day all the planets will line up for you. Use the Internet for market research: if you have an idea, Google it - see who else is out there, is there a niche for you? The more you do this, the more opportunities you will have, Good Luck!

A lot of you should be interested in this interview because it gives insight into how a business begins and expands to the point where it can be sold if that’s what the owner wants to do. This entire business history shows practical ways to do things. Ben makes a strong point about consultants and such: listen to what they say, evaluate the effectiveness of their ideas, then do what you want to do! His ideas show the way to get from really small to a much larger business. 

These are some main points you might want to especially study to help you achieve the business success you want:

• Except for manufacturing and distribution, the entire business is run through a series of separate Websites.
  
  
• Operated from HOME for seven years.
  
  
• His reason for going into his own business was no one would hire him (related CNN article).
  
  
• Listened to his inner self and kept experimenting with ideas until the business began to take shape.
  
  
• Ben says, “just start—make it happen.”
  
  
• Don’t give up, keep going and eventually something will work!
  
  
• Constantly search the web for ideas, one of which may be your niche.
  
  
• Seize unique promotional opportunities like mention in a magazine with the distribution and readership of Playboy.
  

Ben Van Dyke wasted no time over planning. He missed no opportunity because of studying it too long. He may have made some mistakes, but he got up from defeat and tried again. His is a story of doing whatever he needed to do in a timely manner in order to get to where he wanted to go. Good luck to you, Ben; go watch the ocean if that’s what you want to do next year. You’ve earned the title "Rich and Famous"!