Kevin Royes's blog

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 8

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:00:28 -0700

What a crazy few months. I have been wearing a lot of hats lately. I redesigned the new website (www.kelvintools.com) which was quite a chore learning the whole process. I even added online shopping. In the end I can say that I got close, but there is a reason people are experts at this stuff.

Jesus saved me...literally. Jesus is a friend of mine from Argentina that does web design, and he took the mess I created and made it work.

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 7

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:22:09 -0700

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 7

It’s been one year exactly since my last update on the quest to bring my new tool design to the world…and today is great news. Actually Friday was the great news…I received my first royalty payment from sales. Yes indeed, we landed our first two orders about two weeks ago with some larger US retailers and it has converted into my first earned income in over 6 months. Now I have a partner in Shanghai, an apartment an office, and we start shipping August. We will see this Christmas how the public likes kelvin. If all goes well, then 2009 will be a great year…which I think it will. That’s why I am playing this crazy game…because I am thinking kelvin.23 is going to be the next Leatherman or Swiss Army Knife. One Million kelvin’s…that is my motto for 2009.

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 6

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:30:27 -0700

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 6

YEEHAW…..I have a licensing deal with an established Chinese factory that pays an impressive 20% royalty, but first let me step back. I started this blog a few months ago with the question: Am I crazy? It was one of those days when I was questioning what the hell I was up to. I had been working on this new tool concept for 11 months which was to weave itself into a brand new category of hand tools and spawn a whole new industry (think Leatherman)…with my company riding the wave all the way to the top.

Yes, I had grand (attainable) aspirations, yet on that particular day I was over-run with the fact that people I wanted to work with weren’t returning my calls, My factory was getting increasingly difficult to communicate with. My working prototype was months behind schedule. I was running out of money.

Amazing Performance Art Show

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:54:52 -0700

12 artists of varying talents are paired together, shake hands and are given two weeks to weave their gifts into a unique collaborative performance piece.

The show is called Brief Encounters and I have been to the last two events...absolutely incredible and a must see for anyone looking for an eclectic evening of not knowing what to expect.

This years lineup includes a tabala player, a swordsman, a flamenco dancer, an actor and eight others.

A bunch of us are heading to the show on the 20th. Hope to see some of you WORKSPACERS there.

Two nights: June 19th and 20th,
The Anza Club (#3 West 8th).
Doors at 7:30, show at 8pm.

Tix $15 at the door, cash only.

After-show lounge with dj Jacob Cino.

info: tomorrowcollective@yahoo.ca

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 5

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:37:52 -0700

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 5

There is more than one way to skin a cat...who the hell came up with that saying anyway...what kind of sicko...and then there's us, the other sickos that toss around the cliche without a second thought. Well, the point being, there is more than one way to go into business and more than one thing to consider. Until recently I have been focusing on "The Deal"...a licensing deal. But when I open the spread sheet and study the numbers, the margins are much stronger if I go into business on my own...that is, if I manage my own marketing, sales and distribution from here.

For example, in terms of a licensing deal, I (OpusCreo) stand to make 15% to 20%...but let's say 15% worse case scenario. On sales of $1 million dollars that is $150,000 earned royalties.

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 4

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:16:42 -0700

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 4

Negotiations are in progress...let's recap the players:

Factory 1: the current factory that I have been working with for 8 months and have made the recent, yet very late, super sexy prototype sitting on my desk looking at me right now. Owned by westerners.

Factory 2: new contact from China, better fit with what I am up to in regards to their current product lines and sales channels as well as general business philosophy. Really motivated, owned by an American.

Factory 3: out of Ohio, not a great fit with current product lines, but huge (they trade on NASDQ), well financed and willing to expand out of their current product base.

Ok, so yesterday I had calls planned with all three factories and time to put down the offer. Up until now we have been discussing sales potential and getting an idea of how they currently do business, who they do business with and how they would move kelvin into the market. Also getting a feel for the people and what it would be like to work together. Don't be fooled son...everyone is on their best behaviour at this point, but I look for things in the conversations...for example, the owner of Factory 2 practices yoga a couple times a week...his stock just went up in my book.

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 3

Thu, 31 May 2007 17:13:35 -0700

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 3

I write this stuff because...well, for a couple of reasons. One is that it helps me get my thoughts straight, but the main drive is to keep it real...the ups and the struggles...of an entrepreneur, but more specifically, of life. Some days it seems like the hand of god is touching us on the shoulder. Some days it seems like he fell asleep at the wheel with us in the back seat. It's all real, it's all good, and I want to put some of it out there for anyone interested...just my small part, of my small journey. It may entertain some, bore others, and be an inspiration to a few who are neck deep at the moment. Read on my bretheren...read on...

Let’s see, where did I leave off. The Dragons Den I believe. Well today is May 31 and I do have a prototype now (damn sweet, we’ll get into that later), and I did get back to the Den, but no reply.

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 2

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:54:45 -0700

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur Part 2

How much money do you want? $200,000 I replied. What are you going to use it for, was the next shot.

I was prepared for that one. I had been pouring over my excel spread sheet all morning drilling the numbers in my head as I primed myself for the audition…the Dragons Den…a chance for inventors to pitch their ideas to investors on television and make a deal right there on the spot…cash flow problems solved…money in the bank to finally get the latest and the greatest invention to the trillions of people who don’t even know how much they need it… yet. Right there, done deal, shake hands, next chapter.

But there is a reason they call the show Dragons Den…and the investors Dragons…these people can be downright treacherous. Before going to the audition I checked out clips of the show on YOUTUBE to get a feel for what it was all about. YIKES!!! Some of the inventors got slaughtered and berated. It was an American Idol for ideas instead of songs. And like American Idol, some of them deserved it…but still…this crew of Dragons is what makes the rest of us think that business is so bad ass…if you can’t walk and talk like this then you shouldn’t be in the game.

WORKSPACE YOGA

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:47:42 -0700

"...breathing, stretching and calming our way towards cosmic consciousness."

NOTE: There is a 5pm class this Thursday April 25
Regular schedule begins Monday April 30

Sarah Pullman kicked off the yoga program (Yoga for Geeks) here at Workspace back in the summer of 2006 inspiring a bunch of us off our butts and on the mat…breathing, stretching, and calming our way towards cosmic consciousness. However, recent life shifts have swept her away to the big city (Toronto) leaving us with a room full of mats and blocks that are looking for some yoga love.

So, in that spirit we are going to continue the yoga program here at Workspace…taking care of that thing that matters most to each of us…ourselves.

Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:15:19 -0700

April 13/07
Am I Crazy: Chronicles of an Entrepreneur

Start. Start to write. The chronicles of an entrepreneur, if interesting to no one else but myself…I write. This is more a place for me to work it out as I go rather than a dialogue with others. Self therapy rather than self rant. I used the word therpy...am I crazy?

I jump into this writing on Friday the 13th of April in order to congeal my thoughts through a time where I am confused, uncertain and nearly out of money.

I am a product developer…of sorts. I never really know what to call myself. I don’t seem to fit into any particular category. Many people would call me an inventor but there is something mad scientist about this term that doesn’t really sit well with me. To be an inventor has this air of being crazy…out of touch…in a basement with test tubes and things that go BOOM and burst into flames somewhat expectedly…and sadly.

Sing-a-port

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 01:52:45 -0800

November 12

I am sitting in the airport now in Singapore. A six hour layover on my way to Bangalore. Another KTV in Shanghai last night (Saturday) followed by a posh night club and in bed by 300a…drunk again…and high. Had to get up at six to catch my flight. I set two alarms and called for a wake up call…just in case. My taxi driver was on a mission getting me to the airport in record time. He was dodging in and out of Sunday morning traffic at speeds up to 160k treating the cars, trucks and buses like he was playing easy mode in Grand Tourismo…moving pylons.

Shanghai is a crazy city…so electric. It’s the NewYork of Asia…plus plus plus. There is a large community of foreigners and now with a few friends I fit right in…and the amazing thing is that there are more black dudes here than I see in Vancouver…brutha… We went out Friday night and hit this club on the rooftop of this office building that was insane. No signage downstairs at all…all word of mouth. As the elevator rises you feel the office vibe…but as you go higher the faint beat of music starts to work its way into the elevator getting louder and louder until finally the door opens and POW…pumping tunes and packed club of people. Who would have thought.

KTV's

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 01:50:26 -0800

Nov 8

It’s almost 9am. I am in a kick ass hotel in a city called shawshen. That is not at all how it’s spelled…I can’t spell it…it starts with an X but sounds like a SH. and I don’t have a clue. It is an industrial town just outside of one of China’s tourist city’s called Hangzhou…2 hours south of Shanghai. I was told last night that this district is the 2nd largest manufacturing district in all of China. I have a headache. Last night I went out to a KTV joint with a couple of guys from the factory I am working with on the snapaction tools project. Joel is my guy that I work directly with. Simon is one of the owners…from Ireland. Joel is from TO and went to UBC. This factory is unusual in that they are 5 partners and they are all foreigners and they speak perfect Chinese. Imagine what Chinese sounds like spoken with an Irish accent. I have a headache…I mentioned that. The K in KTV is for Kareoke. The TV is for….TV. We finished a bottle of scotch and vodka, played dice games with a few of the local talent. I only picked up the mic once and that was at then end of the night just before leaving. Like many of us in the west, I am not much for the K in KTV, but it is an asian MUST.

China Trip

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 06:31:19 -0800

I am sitting in a hotel room in Shanghai across the street from the Indian Consulate. I have to be there at opening and ask for Mr. Singh. I leave for India on Sunday and I don't have a Visa...I thought I could get one at the airport when I arrived there but I was told no by Mr. Singh over the phone when I called earlier today and tried to Luke Skywalker him into giving me a visa over the line. I had to have one he said and it takes 4 to 5 days. I pleaded with Mr. Singh and he finally crumbled...3 days... Friday. I am still not so sure I couldn't just do it when I got to Bangalore. I have done that before in Cambodia. The official word is that it takes 3 days, but if you just go to the border they do it at a little restaraunt 10 minutes away. Come to think of it, that situation was a little shady and cost 4 times more... so maybe this is the right thing to do.