Distributor of logo merchandise such as clothing, key chains, pens and corporate gifts for businesses and events. (West Hollywood)

Growth Rate 172

%

Executive:

Lori Caden, president and founder

Early Days/Financing:

I was in the industry working for someone who couldn’t get the bills paid on time, so I decided to start out on my own. We (sister Kari Caden is vice president) had no financing; I did it all myself. It didn’t cost a lot. We worked out of my condo. We’d buy something, mark it up and it was like a big wheel that kept on spinning. I was able to work with vendors I’d worked with in the past, so with their help in extending terms and having clients who paid on time. Kari and I did everything ourselves, be it accounting or creative. For the first four years we didn’t really sleep much.

Big Break:

Between our first and second year we grew 80 percent. Clothing was the big seller in the beginning. We bought a color copier because we couldn’t afford a graphic designer. We would sit and cut and paste a company’s logo on the product ourselves. We would fax over a picture of the product and an order form, and it just sort of grew from there.

Biggest Challenge:

Not finding enough hours in the day to do everything. But I have a staff of 15 people now and that makes things easier.

Secret of Success:

It’s being thankful to our customers and not taking anything for granted. We have such a high standard here.

What’s Next:

We’re going with the flow. We’ve grown more than 20 percent each year. We’ve talked about expanding services in the next few years. We may add a division. We may open up in a different city. Who knows?