Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jim Cash, Founder of Revel Custom Wine Cellars, located in East Lansing, MI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I have developed a series of unique approaches to storing, displaying, and organizing wine collections. Our clients are the most elite wine collectors. Every project is custom designed. We build them all in Michigan and ship them fully assembled all over the world. I have 8 patents. We are the only company in the wine cellar space with a unique product line and a unique business model.
Tell us about yourself
Wine has been a passion for me for 35+ years. When I reached a point in life where I could afford to build a custom cellar for my collection, I wanted one that displayed the bottles and their labels instead of hiding them in a "rack," as wine has been stored and aged for hundreds of years. So I started with a clean sheet of paper, so to speak, and designed a series of purpose-built wine drawers and rotating wine wheels for my personal cellar. I have no training or education in design, wine cellars, or any aspect of the wine industry. As soon as it was finished and I started showing it to people, I began to get inquiries about building cellars for others. We have now become the gold standard of quality and functionality for the elite wine collector.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We have created a new category for wine cellar design. Our business has informed and influenced the strong trend in high-end home design for wine cellars that are the hub of social activities in the primary living spaces instead of being hidden away in a dark corner of a basement.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
You have to accept the fact that you can never shirk your responsibilities to your team or to your customers. No matter what is going on in your life, what part of the world you may be in, what day of the week it may be or what time of day.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- You will need to make many personal sacrifices for the chance to be your own boss, so you better be committed, and you better love what you're doing.
- You will learn more by listening than you will by talking.
- Take care of your team and your customers, and the dollars will take care of themselves.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://revelcellars.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RevelWineCellars/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revelcellars/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RevelCellars
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revel-cellars/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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