Q 1. Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans: MDS Brand is a digital marketing company with it’s primary focus on lead management and web development supported by our state-of-the-art call center. We pride ourselves in supporting our clients with a very high standard of customer service provided by our proprietary software and educated call center based in Ca.
Q 2. Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Ans: Entrepreneur and Lifestyle Marketer Chris LaManna has dedicated his 35-year career to bringing his signature style to the retail and wholesale sectors of the luxury marine vessel industry. Launching his start in retail while still in his teens, Chris has owned, operated, managed and profitably sold 40 dealerships and yacht brokerages in the west coast, as well as developed eCommerce sites and new technology platforms that streamline, elevate and expedite sales and marketing efforts on a global scale. In tandem, he co-founded the MarineMax roll-up (NYSE HZO), and has held his current roles of President & CEO of NorCal MasterCraft for over a decade, operating seven marine retail facilities for MasterCraft, Crest, and White River Marine products in California and Nevada.
Chris’s recently launched technology companies, VertiTrade Technologies & Marine Dealer Solutions (MDS), were sparked from his frustration with the limited quality of sales leads he was receiving from the manufactures of products he represented. With a history of successfully addressing issues by proactively creating solutions, he explored ways to harness new technologies to benefit globally-based manufacturers and retailers alike. His determination paid off, as MDS and VertiTrade now hold three patent-pending products and two innovative platforms that are currently licensed to dealers and manufacturers worldwide.
Chris LaManna’s endless curiosity and passion for business have driven him to pursue Best Practices in BDC and eCommerce distribution in such segments as marine, recreational, agriculture, and luxury products. His talent for multi-store retail locations, multi-channel revenue generation, and branded luxury marketing have transformed the way many industries conduct business. Now, with his welcomed foray into technology, he is ready to share his latest innovations with retailers and OEM’s in a global market.
Q 3. What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Ans: We experienced a change in how our customers were shopping at retail. Our Store traffic was decreasing, so we started reaching out by phone and learned when we give, thank or invite a customer to an organized company event the customer would open up in appreciation and share what their current needs where that we could help them with. We learned the calls had as much value if not higher value then the event itself. We also noticed customers were reaching us first online rather then coming to the stores to shop. We learned the easier we made it for our customers online the easier it became to close sales. Our change and success gave us the ambition to launch MDS Brands to share our best practices and products designed to help retailers and manufactures market and sell goods and services in today’s digital marketplace.
Q 4. What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans: Reframe from giving away equity to early in the process. Prepare for team members to come and go before you reach your goals. Build your business on revenue not loans.
Q 5. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: The Ability to Recruit and mange talent, Business development skills and A understanding of accounting and cash flow.
Q 6. How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans: 12
Q 7. To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans: Focus, Hard work, commitment and support of a understanding family life. Business comes first.
Q 8. How do you go about marketing your business? – What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans: Digital marketing and direct contact through telephone and lead nurturing CRM management
Q 9. Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Ans: We choose not to look for outside capital until our Idea became a cash flowing business. Once the business was running small bank loans and CC has supported our needs.
Q 10. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans: Research, Focus, Sacrifice and hard work with a long term mind set.
Q 11. Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans: MDS Brands will be sold or acquired by a strategic partner. I will be growing a new business or managing projects.
Q 12. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans: I am fascinated by companies that have recurring revenue without the risk or the expense of inventory. Google is at the top.
Q 13. How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans: A strong talent pool is imperative. Access to them is extremely important but hiring them as an employee can sometime be avoided.
Q 14. How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Ans: Idea’s come and go. Depending on the size of the project will determine the length of time I will hold on to an idea.
Q 15. What motivates you?
Ans: The desire to make money and provide finical stability for my family and team.
Q 16. How do you generate new ideas?
Ans: My ideas come from research online and like-minded business that I do business with or listen to on a daily basis.
Q 17. How do you define success?
Ans: Health, finical wealth and personal happiness.
Q 18. How do you build a successful customer base?
Ans: One customer at a time. Focus on the experience you are providing and make sure you have the tools, personal and process to provide it.
Q 19. What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Ans: I’m in control of my time and able to act on my dreams.
Q 20. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Ans: Our first customer at MDS Brands. We started this company from a Idea and it was very exciting to receive confirmation the others felt the same.
Q 21. What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Ans: With out the finical risk it difficult to understand the complete commitment necessary to running a business.
Q 22. What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Ans: We try to provide an environment that provides stability and growth for our team members. We try to provide clear responsibilities, education and lead by example approach.
Q 23. In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Ans: Educational
Q 24.If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Ans: I would have started with a career I could retire from early to provide the stability necessary to comfortably mange a startup business.
Q 25. How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Ans: I sacrificed a family life for a business life. I’m happy but its not for everyone.
Q 26. What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
Ans: One day at a time and Pray.
Q 27. How did you decide on the location for your business?
Ans: Cost was most important because we did not need to be in the public view.
Q 28. Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: No there are many directions to success. Luck is one of them!
Q 29. Who has been your greatest inspiration?
Ans: My Father
Q 30. What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
Ans: I don’t read books for inspiration.
Q 31. What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
Ans: Trusting others with without proper experience to make decisions on my behalf rather than managing from my own instincts.
Q 32. How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
Ans: Don’t invest in Idea’s alone. make sure you have proven talent and experience before investing.
Q 33. What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
Ans: I enjoy the gym and the movies, fine dining, resorts and close friends.
Q 34. What makes you happy?
Ans: Good food, close friends or the feeling of a profitable day.
Q 35. What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: Personal time and family life. Business first.
Company Detail:
Company : Norcal MasterCraft
Contact : Chris LaManna
Address : 5485 Pacific St
City : Rocklin
State : CA
Zip : 95677
Phone : 916-851-5808
Email : chris@norcalmastercraft.com