All
Isabella “Bella” Weems really wanted was a used car. That desire set in
motion a chain of events that led to the Arizona teenager spearheading
what is now a multi-million dollar enterprise that she may someday
control. When she finishes school, that is.
Weems, now 17, is founder of Origami Owl, a custom
jewelry company whose direct sales business model turns would-be
entrepreneurs into salespeople and evangelists. The company, which she
founded in 2010 at age 14, generated $24 million in revenue in 2012 and
this year expects to reach $250 million, according to the company.
Origami Owl takes on independent associates – known as “designers” –
who buy products at a discount and then peddle them to others for a
marked up price. One of the favorite points of sale are “jewelry bars,”
or private parties at someone’s home or another venue operated by a
“hostess” (the hostesses get discounts and some free products too). The
company has about 50,887 designers.In a sense, what Origami Owl is offering is a canned small business that could appeal to would-be entrepreneurs interested in making a few extra dollars. That motivation is really what got Weems herself started in the first place.
At 14 Weems announced that she felt a car would be an appropriate gift for her 16th birthday, but was told by her parents, Chrissy and Warren, that she should earn her own wheels instead of relying on their funding. They suggested she start a business.
“I started researching and looking for ideas,” she told FORBES By Karsten Strauss....read more |
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