Yesterday we took a field visit to the showroom of Showcase Kitchens. Jessica Way is the young owner and chief designer. She gave the class a demonstration of how she designs kitchen cabinets which are the principal source of revenue for her business.

Ms. Way specs out counter-tops, floor coverings and other kitchen features and is getting into remodeling bathrooms with the seven or so contractors she works closely with. Jessica started working in home improvement at 16 while at Columbia Decorating Center on Main in Monmouth. She apprenticed at Columbia for three years before going up to interior design school and graduating with an associates degree. At 29 Jessica has already been working in the business for over ten years.

Jessica explained that she gets rebates and commissions from the manufacturers she works with and this provides her with sufficient revenue to power her business. She employs one part-time employee and hopes to clear $100,000 net profit on $500,000 in gross sales for 2011.

She claims she has no direct competitors, but Lowe’s and Home Depot design kitchens for customers and Columbia competes for other parts of her business.

Will Zimmerman spoke to the Midwest Entrepreneurs Tuesday March 1st. He is currently a senior at Monmouth College majoring in business with an emphasis in Entrepreneurism.

He has been building grain bins for six years and he has learned many things from his mentor, Bill Thompson. Thompson has been successful by honoring his word and through consistant preformance. Will plans to continue that philosophy and has a dream–to pay off all of his debt and build a lake house near Avon, Illinios.  As the professor that helped him develop his business plan, I have no doubt he will succeed.