Loud and Clear: Leveraging Your personal interests to create a Small Business.

1. Loud and Clear: Leveraging Your personal interests to create a Small Business. Mason A Wolak – sole proprietor TMI Amplification, LLC TechGate 2013 – Reston, VA

2. TMI Amplification, LLC *Established June 21, 2012. Proud partner with Schuette Guitars.

3. Outline • Background • Leveraging Your Interests • Differentiating Your Product or Service • Finding Your Inspiration • Setting Goals • Networking • Communication Focus: Building a side business that you are passionate about and growing that business into your main income source.

4. Background • I grew up in a household surrounded by art and music. • Both of my parents own their own businesses. • I have played guitar since I was 16 years old. • I have a Ph.D. in Chemistry/work as a Materials Scientist for DOD.

5. Background • My father Jack Wolak owns “Rare Necessities” – a music business that sells limited release vinyl, CDs and music collectibles. • Former Radio DJ • 30+ year business owner

6. Background My mother Paula Towne owns “Trinkets” – a custom art shop that does commissioned portraits, paintings, signs, and wood burnings.

7. Background • Personal Music Experience • Extensive performance experience • Recording studio work – sound engineering/mixing/production • Band management • Developed large network of music related connections

8. Background • Professional Experience • Ph.D. Chemist • Organic Electronics • Microscopy and Advanced Imaging • Design and Characterization of Capacitor and Electrical Materials

9. Your Interests: can you use them to build your business? What are your interests? What are your passions? What are you good at? The Key Questions: How do you combine your interests in a unique way to build a business? Is there a market for the product or service your business will provide? How do you differentiate your product or service from your competitors? Common Interests: food, writing, fitness, finance, film, music, art, organizing, planning, software, building things

10. Your Interests: can you use them to build your business? What are your interests? What are your passions? What are you good at? The Key Questions: How do you combine your interests in a unique way to build a business? Is there a market for the product or service your business will provide? How do you differentiate your product or service from your competitors? • Three main interests in my life: • Music • Science / Engineering • Art / Design

11. Your Interests: can you use them to build your business? What are your interests? What are your passions? What are you good at? The Key Questions: How do you combine your interests in a unique way to build a business? Is there a market for the product or service your business will provide? How do you differentiate your product or service from your competitors? • Three main interests in my life: • Music • Science / Engineering • Art / Design MUSIC: amps + guitars, SCIENCE: unique circuit design; ART: customized designs

12. Differentiating Your Business from Others • What can you offer that other businesses can’t? • How do your products measure up against products from other businesses? • Specifications/Features/Personalization

13. Differentiating Your Business from Others • What can you offer that other businesses can’t? • How do your products measure up against products from other businesses? • Specifications/Features/Personalization

14. Differentiating Your Business from Others • What can you offer that other businesses can’t? • How do your products measure up against products from other businesses? • Specifications/Features/Personalization BORING! Make your ideas or products Stand Out!

15. TMI Amplification, LLC Custom Guitar Amps • Unique circuit designs – tailored to the guitar player • Distinctive finishing options – colors, materials, inlays • One-of-a-kind personalization

16. TMI Amplification, LLC Custom Guitars and Guitar Parts* Custom finishes and color schemes, custom engravings, custom inlays, high end woods. *TMI Amplification is a proud dealer and partner of Schuette Guitars.

17. TMI Amplification, LLC Custom Guitars and Guitar Parts* *TMI Amplification is a proud dealer and partner of Schuette Guitars.

18. Differentiating Your Business from Others Think outside the box! Provide a product or service that other competitors don’t. • TMI Amplification is a full service shop: • Circuit fabrication • Hardware and parts fabrication • Full cosmetics services – engraving.

19. TMI Amplification, LLC Engraving Services • Amplifier Control Panels • Plaques/Nameplates • Custom Inlays

20. TMI Amplification, LLC Engraving Services • Cell phone case engravings • Personalized cases • Businesses • Non-profits

21. Finding Your Inspiration How do you find the Inspiration and Motivation to get started? Where to begin?

22. Finding Your Inspiration Paul Reed Smith Openhouse Dogfishhead Brewery Tour • Ideas: • Talk with like-minded friends • Visit other small businesses • Online forums and websites • Participate in local events / attend entrepreneur seminars

23. Defining Realistic Goals • Formative Stages • Sales • Infrastructure – Equipment / Space • Skill Acquisition • Marketing Strategy/Budgets • Transitional Stages • Converting from side business to full time job • Company growth – hiring and expanding

24. Defining Realistic Goals TMI Engraving and Routing Equipment • Formative Stages • Sales • Infrastructure – Equipment / Space • Skill Acquisition • Marketing Strategy/Budgets • Transitional Stages • Converting from side business to full time job • Company growth – hiring and expanding

25. Your Friends: Knowledge and Inspiration • Friends with like-minded interests are a valuable resource • Learn new skills • Brainstorm ideas • Leverage complementary skills: work together! • Inspire each other • Trade services I have worked with both of my brothers, my wife to help with organization and time management, a high school friend who is a photographer, a college friend who is a graphics designer, an online friend who is a music producer and editor, and a professional colleague who is a mechanical engineer.

26. Communicating with your Audience / Clients / customers • Know where to focus your efforts! • Social media can be a major boon or a huge time sink to your business. • Not every social media site will work for you. • Identify and target sites/services that efficiently convey your message to your audience. • Internet message boards offer direct access to people with similar interests.

27. Communicating with your Audience • TMI Amplification requires immediate visual recognition and feedback. • Facebook/ YouTube / Vine / Instragram are services that successfully help TMI gain new customers. • Twitter, Etsy, and Pinterest are ineffectual in gaining new customers for TMI. Too much work involved/do not target correct audience. • Know how to read and interpret analytics! Engage your customers to foster lasting connections. TMI Build Logs show the entire build process and keep the customer emotionally invested in the build.

28. Communicating with your Audience http://tmiamplification.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TmiAmplification https://www.youtube.com/user/TMIamplification https://twitter.com/TMI_Amps http://www.etsy.com/shop/TMIamplification http://reverb.com/shop/tmi_amps

29. Summing it all up • Your personal interests can serve as the basis of your small business • Do what you love! • Differentiate your product or service from other similar companies • Specifications / Features / Personalization • Define Realistic Goals • Where do you want your business to be in 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? • Leverage knowledge base of friends and colleagues • Learn new skills and trade services • Develop effective communication with your customers • Directed social media plan

30. Acknowledgements • Microsoft • Andy Zhang • Melissa Perreira and Avery Wolak • Mike Schuette Special Thanks to:

31. Thank You techgate@hotmail.com An email will be sent to all attendees on Monday, September 23 announcing location of slides received from presenters.