“I’ve learned there are so many more things about starting a business than what you are passionate about,” admitted Andrea Jakubczak, 37, the managing — and only — partner in a new green, sustainable home product store called Eco Fusion Design. “The product was the easy part,” she continued. “Negotiating the leases, getting a lawyer, doing a business plan, getting the loans, finding business insurance … there was just so much time spent with core things.” Still, Jakubczak wasn’t about to let her dream die.
In 1994, she thought she was on the right track. She’d earned an accounting degree from UW-Madison, held a job at a Chicago accounting firm, even passed her CPA exam. But there was a problem: She didn’t enjoy the work. After some soul searching, she returned to the UW full-time to pursue an entirely different major, interior design. “When I started taking the classes, the feeling was so much different,” she said. “It was where I needed to be.”
After earning her interior design degree, Jakubczak worked at Gorman & Co. for five years where, as lead designer, she helped balance clients’ budgets with their design dreams. She left when she became pregnant with her second child.
Later, ready to re-enter the workforce, Jakubczak contemplated her next move. A Madison native well aware of the area’s interest in green and sustainable living and design, a retail store came to mind. She began researching eco-friendly appliances and home furniture, visited worksites around the country, and met with cabinet-makers. “I have to believe in what I’m selling,” she said, “so I really looked hard for companies that wowed me.” Her concept was taking shape.
When developing a business plan for Eco Fusion Design, Jakubczak’s accounting background helped. “The plan was very creative,” she said. “I was very numbers-conscious, and I think the banks appreciated that.” She also had randomly called businesses asking how much she should expect to spend on office systems, such as phone service. “You need to know this when you’re doing your business plan, so you have a plan,” she said. S.C.O.R.E. helped her polish her delivery before she presented the plan first to WWBIC last fall, in search of a start-up loan. “WWBIC was very encouraging,” she said, “but their interest rates were too high, based on what I heard banks were offering.”
She later took out a $250,000 loan from Middleton Community Bank, then found a store location on University Avenue. “I knew I’d have to pay more in rent, but there’s a draw there and [drive by] exposure,” she said, claiming 55,000 cars pass by every day. She also negotiated three months of free rent, allowing time to get her feet wet. (“I got that tip from my hairdresser!” she laughed. ) The tradeoff ? She would have to fund her own leasehold improvements.
Jakubczak spent about $90,000 on inventory, then, with the help of her brother, added a brand new working kitchen to the back of the store that she’ll also offer to a retail neighbor, Vom Fass, for its cooking classes. “Partnerships are good,” she said.
When it came to signage, Jakubczak debated between a 10-foot sign and a 12-foot option that would cost $1,500 more. She opted for the latter. “For me, that’s a huge part of my marketing. I think it will make a difference.”
With a husband employed at UW-Madison, Jakubczak is in the enviable position of being able to work for nothing for a while, which is good since she doesn’t expect to make any money her first year. Her goal is simply to pay her employees and cover inventory.
“This wasn’t about making $1 million,” she said. “It was about the product, bringing it to Madison, and showing that eco-friendly design can be beautiful.”
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