Since I live outside the town of Almonte, I couldn't resist sharing this local entrepreneurial success story. Leonard Lee, well known entrepreneur and founder of Lee Valley Tools (gardening and woodworking tools) is doing it again with his company, Canica Designs. His woodworking competency and knack for listening to customers has landed him smack dab into a market that's about to ignite. Woodworking tools transformed into medical scalpels. And US legislation requiring the use of better scalpels is just the ticket to ignition.
Some might say this is luck, and yes, I'd say some luck helps, but don't underestimate listening to customers and matching this to trends. Being ready to capitalize on a market opportunity (in this case, the market is being born out of regulatory requirements) means you've got to be product ready when the event hits. That also means you've got to be proactive in piecing together the landscape trends before they occur. If you wait until the trends are obvious, someone else will beat you or worse, you'll miss the market.
So hats off to Leonard - another Canadian success story in the making!
Leonard's company was also featured on the national news last night. Click here to read the article and view the video.
Smart Little Start-Up
Hi, Wendy. I'll add one more to that list of things Leonard Lee's done right: enlisting the help of a media relations professional.
I've been working with Canica Design as their media relations consultant for the past year and our efforts have generated substantial coverage for the company. (CTV NewsNet and CBC Newsworld also carried the story nationally. Our recent coverage also included features in Canadian Business and the Discovery Channel). Although Canica and Leonard Lee's background as founder makes for a compelling story, a key reason for the coverage is that we are consistent and persistent in our efforts to reach the editors, the producers and the reporters.
My work with Canica also reminds me that simple, interesting facts about a company can often be the most effective means to attracting and holding the attention of an editor and reporter. And those must be packaged into a compelling message that can be delivered in one or two sentences. Oh, and aim high. It's not often your story will make the National but if you don't try you never will. - Shaun Markey, President, Shaun Markey Communications Inc., Ottawa
Posted by: Shaun Markey | May 06, 2005 at 09:09 AM