Interview with Amol Muzumdar with Imageverx Inc.

What services or products does your organization offer?
My company##comma## Imageverx specializes in Immersive Design and Brand Marketing. We work primarily on in-store visual branding and display design. We are located in Mississauga (Toronto)##comma## Ontario##comma## Canada.

What type of business or organization do you operate?
Imageverx is a federally Incorporated company in Canada. We chose this legal format##comma## as we deal with multitude of on-ste and off-site contracters and the basic process of acquiring projects is based on bidding. The company was federally incorporated for limited liability and for easy expansion in other provinces in future.

How many employees do you currently have?
5-fulltime+5-seasonal

How did you originally discover the idea for your organization?
The business model was developed by the insight and foresight of three business owners. We first started as an alliance of an advertising agency##comma## conceptual design firm and a marketing agency. Today we have Imageverx Inc. as a federally incorporate Canadian Company.

How did you originally fund your organization?
The company was funded by personal funds and loans (credit cards at start too)

Are you the founder of your organization?
Yes one of the three

Do you believe there is any distinct culture within your organization? If so, please describe it.
We have always tried our best in making Imageverx as company where each and every person can offer his indviduality##comma## visions and goals towards a better working environment and best customer service. I would surely say that this is a distinct corporate culture.

What obstacles or challenges have you faced in your organization?
Yes we had a lot of challenges##comma## some of the interesting ones were##comma## creating a shared destiny for the principals and our first two employees. Since we started with all our savings##comma## we watched every person who wished to work with us. But after 6months we had already grown from 3-principals to 5 visionaries##comma## who believed that we could make it. Getting the first sale was something too##comma## but with networking and speaking at seminars##comma## we landed our first customer. Time was another of our enemies when we started##comma## as we all were business owners##comma## me a designer and other two as sole-proprietors. But we worked weekends##comma## nights and well in pubs and coffee-houses.

Did you accept any advice along the way? Do you believe new organizations should be open to such advice?
Young or not##comma## you always need a mentor. There is always someone out there who has been there and done that; you need this person as your advisor. Its your vision##comma## your path##comma## your destiny##comma## but all you need is someone to offer some light##comma## it helps big time!!!

Did you receive any help along the way from other businesses or organizations? If so, how and from whom?
I am talking about Toronto##comma## I don##aps##t know how many of you might know these##comma## well but I would like to mention Mississauga Business Enterprise Centre (MBEC) and Young Entrepreneurs Associtaion (www.yea.ca)

What have been the keys to success in your business? What do you believe are the keys to success?
Purpose##comma## People and Focus. The most important is the FOCUS!

What kind of relationship do you establish with your customers or clients?
Continuous Innovation##comma## we changed our company as the world around us changed. And yes most of our competition##comma## work with us##comma## strategic alliances was the key to it.

What types of marketing do you employ?
The board has two old-schoolers and one new-schooler (thats me)##comma## we used whatever we could from traditional marketing to email marketing to build an identity and recognition in the local marketplace. We focussed on our PRODUCT##comma## PERSONALITY and PROMISE.

Do you employ any web or online marketing?
Yes##comma## it sure has##comma## internet and virtual conferencing helped us##comma## in being connected with each other when we started. We had multiple brainstorming sessions online. Even today 3 of our new employees##comma## are in India##comma## Australia and Egypt. Technology has been a boon to Imageverx.

What role does trust play in business or in your organization?
Yes##comma## I made a few. When I started##comma## I was still working part-time and doing business. I was working as I was not sure whether this alliance will work. But that way##comma## I wasn##aps##t focussed##comma## so all I offered to the business was my time. Though I was the founder##comma## I was just a volunteer. It took 3months##comma## before I learned that FOCUS doesn##aps##t mean being there all the time##comma## it means giving in your heart and your time. Today##comma## I am proud to be a small business owner.

Did you struggle with starting your own organization or venture? Why did you decide to begin on your own?
I would surely say being young##comma## has made me think differently. I guess its the agressiveness of being young and a go-getter. No matter what your age##comma## I guess you should always keep your inner child/youth alive.

What books or resources would you recommend for individuals starting off now?
I would suggest that read everything that offers creativity and chance to develop lateral thinking. Three books that inspired me were: ##quote##Whack on the side of the Head by Roger Von Oech##quote##; ##quote##In Search for Excellence by Tom Peters##quote## and ##quote##The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra##quote##

Do you notice any trends in the marketplace? If so, what are they?
In my opinion the ##quote##feature-benefit##quote## model is changing to an ##quote##experiential##quote## model. Its all about feel##comma## style and experience##comma## so every business has to follow this new trend to be successful.

Do you believe networking and contacts are important? If so, how?
Networking is very important##comma## only if its done properly. There is an analogy that has worked for me: ##quote##Consider networking contacts as your High Maintenance Friends. The ones that you have to call every 2-3weeks so you can offer your help (services) to their problems.##quote## Its TLC (tender love & care) and networking that work; if you can##aps##t offer these services then networking is not for you. Hope this analogy helps.

What do you think about contracts and other legal obligations? Are they important in your business?
FOCUS

If there is one thing that would sum up your advice to new entrepreneurs, what would it be?
Education is knowledge. Its not neccessary to be successful. But yes being in college and acquiring a degree sure helps you in understand some very important business values like: discipline##comma## reasoning/trouble-shooting and working with competition. My graduation in architecture and new-media gave me the design insight##comma## but the real world taught me about Focus and having a Shared-Destiny with people. An MBA-Marketing probably won##aps##t teach me that.

What, if any, final advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?
To make it to the top and be successful its all about having a PURPOSE##comma## developing an interesting PROCESS within your company and finally having the best PEOPLE.