Cartridge World - Shawn and Corrine Nareski

I hope you and your family had an enjoyable Labor Day. Established in 1894 as a holiday to celebrate the economic and social contributions of workers, it is now more about barbeques and a signal that our summer fun and vacations are coming to a close and it's time to get back to work. Our entrepreneur this month decided that after working for 25 years for someone else, he had enough. He was tired of being "labor" and wanted to be the boss. He wanted to utilize his skills to maximize his potential and be rewarded for his efforts. Congratulations Shawn and wife Corrine and welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!

Shawn & Corrine Nareski                 Cartridge World

I first met Shawn Nareski in the fall of 2011 at a job fair for sales professionals. Shawn was 48 years old at the time and had an extensive sales career history working in the print media, promotional advertising and grocery supply industries. He had a Business Administration degree with a major in marketing. He was in career transition looking for his next opportunity. He told me about his entrepreneurial aspirations since his college years. "While in college, my goal was to have my own business within 5 years.  The problem was I started making money!  Once that happens and you start buying things, your creative mind focuses on your job instead of your original plan.  My plan got pushed aside for cash flow, a paycheck." Shawn is a very personable guy. He's great at building relationships, creative and hardworking. He likes to be out and about and not straddled to a desk. He definitely had entrepreneurial aspirations and had previously looked at some franchises and a pet store on his own. He also expressed a desire to have his wife Corrine and perhaps his kids involved in a business. Shawn also wanted to have a business that made a difference in the community. Shawn was excited to learn about his entrepreneurial options. He completed our initial interview, questionnaires and behavior profile. Together we worked on the criteria for his possibilities profile of his ideal business. We came up with four concepts for Shawn to investigate and validate. One specialized in natural healthy frozen fruit bars and snacks sold wholesale to retail outlets or sold at special events. Another was a resale of a retail ink and toner cartridge refilling franchise. Also under consideration was a franchise specializing in the sale and installation of window blinds, shades, drapes, etc. And the last one was a marketing consulting type franchise. Shawn jumped in with both feet and started learning about and validating these business models. At the same time, Shawn continued to explore job opportunities and was researching an entrepreneurial opportunity he had uncovered on his own. . When it came to options about his career, he wasn't going to leave any stones unturned. After several weeks of validating the various business models, the local Cartridge World store that was for sale in his area and a handicapped mobility store opportunity became his primary interest. Shawn had met the owner of the mobility store who was looking to expand to another location about 60 miles west of Shawn's home. Shawn would run the new store as an independent contractor working for a percentage of the sales. Shawn would be responsible for the rent and initial inventory. Shawn met with the owner of the Cartridge World store that was for sale. It turns out that this store was opened several years prior by a husband and wife team. Their plan was for the wife to work in the store and the husband was going to do the outside business development while he continued to work his existing job. Unexpectedly, the husband got a job offer in another state that he just couldn't turn down. He was living in the new city and commuting on weekends to be with his family. His wife and daughter were running the business and no one was out there promoting the business and bringing in new customers. They had put their house up for sale and wanted to sell their business so the family could be together again. They were certainly motivated sellers and Shawn saw this as a definite opportunity. Shawn realized that this business needed a sales professional to increase awareness and bring in new customers and this is where he excelled. It also turned out the owner's son and Shawn's son were friends. There was an instant connection between the two families and I think they knew this sale was meant to be. This is what Shawn had to say, "It was divine intervention!  It turned out that the owner was not only from our hometown, but that their kids were friends with our kids!  Their kids worked in the business.  So now, not only was my wife excited to see we could apply ourselves together, there was a big new positive in Cartridge World for our kids as well.  Plus, Cartridge World already had a 5 year track record.  The whole deal had what I viewed as 'fertile soil'.  All we had to do was apply ourselves and project our future based on our multiplicative skill sets." After further negotiation and investigation, Shawn and Corrine decided to purchase this store. It was a win-win for both families. In Shawn's due diligence of this opportunity, he realized that he could increase profitability of the store and moved it to a more desirable location at a reduced rent. This of course had challenges with lease negotiations and moving without disrupting the daily operations of the business. This was all accomplished while being trained by the seller and going to corporate training. Shawn and Corrine definitely rose to the challenge. Shawn, Corrine and their kids are now all actively involved in their Cartridge World franchise in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Shawn elaborated, "It has been a lot of work and hours, but we see it as factors we can control and impact with proper planning.  One of the best things about this business has been all the learning required.  I did the same thing in the same industry for 14 years.  Now, because we are in a technology field, technology always changes and we constantly must learn and change with it.  It's exciting to keep having to learn."  He went on to say, "After 25 years of selling for employers, I had no drive to take the common high turn-over sales jobs offered at a job fair held at a local hotel.  Then I met Marty Barnes.  To this day, this is what I tell people when referring to Marty -- In 25 years of selling, I have been trained or have associated with the very best of business people.  I rank Marty in the top five.  You will be glad once you speak with him." Thank you, Shawn. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to help you explore your potential and realize your dream. Cartridge World is the leader in remanufacturing and refilling printer cartridges for all major brands including HP, Dell, Canon, Lexmark and Epson. They refill ink cartridges for most home or small business printers, whether they are multi-function, color or black and white. They also remanufacture laser cartridges for most high speed copiers, full color printers or all-in-one laser printers, fax and copier cartridges. With 600 stores in North America and 1,700 stores worldwide, they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, are environmental responsibility and offer saving of up to 30%. We all know that printer manufacturers make their money on the refill cartridges. Cartridge World breaks that cycle.  If you live in the greater Milwaukee area and would like to save on ink and toner cartridges, please call or stop by with your empty cartridges at Shawn and Corrine's store located at 19035 West Bluemound Road in Brookfield, Wisconsin, 262-754-2901. Shawn and Corrine will provide outstanding customer service with a smile and save you money in addition to helping the environment. Free delivery can be arranged for business accounts. Saving money couldn't be easier! Shawn lives the Cartridge World slogan: "Ink and toner don't have to be expensive anymore." Check out the savings for yourself and let Shawn or Corrine know that Marty sent you.     Shawn had entrepreneurial aspirations in college. But once he took a job and the paychecks starting coming in, he got caught up in the "norm" of having a job and the things a paycheck can buy. But the satisfaction wasn't there, nor the job security. It took the accidental meeting at a job fair for Shawn to re-ignite his dream of being a business owner. If you have had entrepreneurial aspirations or if you are unhappy in your current career, you don't have to have an accidental meeting to change course. Success doesn't happen over night. It's a process taken one step at a time. Whether you are a corporate executive, manager, office clerk, mechanic or working mom and if you have a vision or desire of being your own boss and being self-sufficient, reply back or give me a call and we'll discuss your life goals and aspirations. Are you ready?