Three Student Entrepreneurs: Car Shows to Small Business
By Brody Knox
While in school, juniors Austin Kerber, Bryce Lindstrom, and Clay White, began a small business inspired by attending car shows and seeing bright colorful items. About one and half years ago, KLW Coatings was born. The business focus on powder coating, which is more durable and lasts longer than regular paint.
The cost of other shops running the same operations as them are what led them to entrepreneurship. With their business, they solved a problem that many other similar businesses face which is long turnaround time from start to finish.
Having talks with family and through devoted research, the boys were able to go from planning to execution. To begin a business, funding is almost always needed–a requirement in other words–many routes can be taken to achieve such a requirement, whether it is a loan from a bank or hard blue-collar work, but saving up money and buying and selling ATV’s was the way for Kerber.
“Financial lessons I have learned is that cash is king, so as long as you have cash, you could do anything,” White states. “You can buy anything. You need to be prepared for the unexpected, make sure you start with a solid budgeting plan.”
While some entrepreneurs advertise through multiple social media platforms, newspapers, or even business cards, the boys were able to achieve customers through word of mouth and Facebook.
These marketing strategies helped boom their business but not as much as the YEC (Youth Entrepreneur Challenges) competition. With difficulties in gaining visibility and credibility as young entrepreneurs, Lindstrom provides us his insight, saying, “The difficulties I find is finding people to work for you and finding people that want their products coated by us.”
