Back to story
ElevateHome
ElevateHome
A former furniture designer for Pottery Barn, Edgar Blazona, 35, is owner and CEO of a children's-furniture firm called ElevateHome. Blazona depends on two factories - one in Thailand and one in India - for all of ElevateHome's wares. He closely monitors production at both locations. And he does all that without leaving his home office, a modular dwelling that he built in his backyard in Berkeley.

Blazona's firm is a prime example of a new breed of small business: startup multinationals. They're pipsqueak firms with single-digit headcounts, and their managers establish close relationships with - and keep watchful eyes on - foreign vendors without ever leaving their offices.

The approach can work remarkably well. Blazona expects his company to turn a profit by the end of this year, after only 18 months in operation. ElevateHome's first line of kids' furniture and bedding will be launched this fall under the name True Modern (truemodern.com). Blazona projects $750,000 in revenues in 2006, not a lot of money for a typical multinational, but enough for ElevateHome - with its three employees, home office, and low overhead - to operate in the black. "When you're as lean as we are," Blazona says, "turning a profit should be relatively easy." -Justin Martin

Video: See how Edgar Blazona and ElevateHome compete with larger companies
How to play big Using new communication software, logistics services, Web tools and security systems, even the smallest companies can compete with the big boys. (more)
VIDEO See how one entrepreneur runs a multinational from his home office
Big marlin, big money One business owner's idea to make extra money for his fuel dock has grown over the past 25 years into a $4 million, world-class fishing tournament. (more)
New ways to strike it rich on the Web Clever entrepreneurs are using the Internet to build a healthy customer base - before they even have the ability to deliver what they're selling. (more)

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.