Who's the Boss?

Wally Klubek

    At the age of 14, Wally Klubek was already busy starting his lawncare business, named, Wally’s Lawncare. With financial help from his father, Klubek purchased a Jeep, trailer and professional 48-inch cut mower at 16 and made enough profit that summer to pay his father back.
Beyond general lawn care, Klubek also provides mulching, trimming, clean up and general landscaping to clients.
Klubek said that the best part about his job is being his own boss. “I wanted to start a lawn care business because primarily I love to be my own boss. As opposed to most jobs where you have to get up, or else your boss will yell at you or fire you, I had no boss besides myself, and I knew I had to keep my customers happy. Second of all, I really like being outside and cutting grass and landscaping. You get a great tan, and it keeps you in shape.”

Maulin Shah 

    In the winter of his freshman year, Maulin Shah began buying and selling books online in order to save money. However, as time passed, Shah began turning the money saving venture into a way of making income. When Efollet.com shows what books are needed for class, Shah goes to the JCU Bookstore to document the ISBN number of each book.  Shah then compares the prices of the books to see which is better to buy. Shah stated, “More often than not, I tend to buy books online as it is much cheaper and saves me hundreds of dollars.  Then once the class is completed, I go online and see what the “going rate” is for the current book and I also inquire at the JCU Bookstore.  If the “going rate” is higher online then I sell it online, otherwise to JCU.  It’s not always for profit, but the loss is much less as opposed to selling it back to JCU which does not offer you much”
Shah stated that the amount of money he makes depends on the book he sells. However, Shah attributes his business attitude to trust. “Trust is key in any business and if your customers believe it, you cannot go wrong as long as you stay faithful,” Shah said.

David Brahler 

    In the summer of 2006, David Brahler had the idea to capitalize on the growing graphic design market. Tired of sitting on the sidelines and watching other brands emerge, Brahler and his best friend, Brad, lauched their graphic design business, Brahle.
Brahler describes his clothing line’s style as having gone through phases throughout his three years at John Carroll. “I have gone through my hardcore phase of skulls and switchblades to a more juvenile stage that produces shirts that are handmade odes to cupcakes or typefaces,” Brahler said. However, Brahler explained that he is now moving towards more marketable groups to sell his product.
    His love for American Apparel T-shirts due to their sweatshop free production and comfort fuels the supply of T-shirts he uses. Brahler also attributes his use of American Apparel T-shirts to their ability to hold silkscreen ink well. “The first batch of shirts were made by Jakprints on Chester Avenue. in Cleveland, but now I have moved toward producing limited edition shirts that I silkscreen myself.  I purchase silk-screening supplies, such as screens, emulsion and ink at stores like Utrecht and Dickblick,” said Brahler.
 

 Tips from the Insiders

 JCU students give their advice for future entrepreneurs

“Starting any business is a risk, and if you can overcome that risk by looking at the positives and keeping your prices for whatever products you sell close to the competitor or better, you cannot lose.  It’s hard at first, but you have to keep thinking about the pros and keep at it.  The main thing is that you have to be passionate about any business you have.  You have to believe in what you are buying or selling to make others believe it is the real thing. And one must always be trustworthy, or else they will fail and no one will ever come to them; that is a guarantee.”
-Maulin Shah

“Some advice I would like to give other students is to just make sure you have a set schedule and stick to it. The hardest part sometimes can be realizing that no one is going to make you do anything in your own business, and you need to be disciplined enough to get up and do it yourself.”
-Wally Klubek

“Go into it viewing it as a a learning experience.  Failure is inevitable if you are not committed 100 percent.  Time management becomes even more difficult when you have to start rationing time for the business, a job, school and a significant other.  Most people don’t realize the dedication and commitment that goes into starting up something like this.  I know I didn’t.”
-Dave Brahler