Share to twitterWhile mountain biking around Boise, Idaho, close friends Jason Martin, now 38, and Patrick Falvey, now 37, realized they shared a dream of running a business of their own.
Their business is in one of the categories with the largest numbers of million-dollar, nonemployer firms: professional, scientific and technical services. There were 9,745 nonemployer establishments in this revenue range in 2017, up from 8,945 in 2016. That doesn’t explain it all, however. Many people with similar skills don’t break the $1 million mark. Here’s a look at how they pulled it off.. Often, great ideas for businesses to start are all around us, if we’re paying attention. Martin and Falvey were.
The duo worked from Falvey’s house for the first three months before renting an office in downtown Boise. “On our first business call, we were in a parking lot in a car,” recalls Martin. For larger contracts, they sometimes meet with prospects in person before a contract is signed. “We want to make that personal connection,” says Falvey. “In this day and age, it can be very valuable and shows a lot.”
Those trips have helped them form strong personal bonds with their team. “We’ve had folks invite us to meet their family and cook us dinner,” says Falvey.