By Lauri Lee
Northside News
When an entrepreneur successfully operates three separate businesses with three distinct income streams, it makes you wonder how it can be done. It’s not like there’s a formula on the internet. I’ve always thought the best word to describe such an individual was serial entrepreneur. But I googled it and discovered the synonymns include speculator, tycoon, magnate, mogul, hustler, and wheeler and dealer, words that most small local business owners wouldn’t like. I continued the word search and landed on multipreneur, defined as an entrepreneur who has multiple businesses or business projects going at once. Now this word I liked. A multipreneur seems to have a curious nature, enjoys being busy with a variety of things, finds ways to use their varied talents and/or interests, seizes a way to monetize an opportunity when it presents itself and seeks ways to include fun and enjoyment into one or more parts of their career. Not everyone can do this because not all business owners possesss this skillset. When I met Joe Beck at the We’re Here Festival in June he was twisting balloons for the enjoyment of children. He is owner and chief twister at Twist N Shout Balloons. I soon learned this was his fun job and that he had multiple layers of expertise lurking in his background.
Joe shared how this income stream got started. As the father of five between the ages of 9 and 22, he started making balloons for them about 20 years ago to entertain them. He did this for a few years and then pursued one of his more serious career paths. About nine years ago, he registered his balloon making gig on a small business website and it just kind of spiraled from there. Soon he was doing the business part-time on evenings and weekends at birthday parties, corporate events, neighborhood gatherings, community picnics and nonprofit events. “I’m self-taught and learned from books. As my skills improved, I increased my price.The neat part is that now this is a family activity and I get to spend time with my teens. I’m helping my daughter set up her own bookings and she’s having fun learning to be an entrepreneur. “On July 4 we did three events (Nakoma neighborhood and festivals in Monona and Wisconsin Dells which was was 7.5 hours of twisting,” said Joe. “The three of us, Miriam (my 17 year old), Aaron (my 14 year old) and me twisted over 2000 balloons that day. Their involvement allows us to do larger events or to have more than one twister so we can spend more time with each one and have fun by asking them goofy and fun questions. We love joking around with them as they watch us make their favorite shape. The most unique shape in our repertoire is a princess balloon. We can vary the colors of the skirt and hair so it resembles Ariel the mermaid or Anna from Frozen. The bottom line is it beats real work.” Contact Beck at 608-320-9143, twistnshoutmadison.webbly.com or josephdbeck@gmail.com.
Beck actually has his PhD in cellular and molecular pathology from UW Madison so he’s trained as a biologist. In his Protein Mods (proteinmods.com) business, he is a manufacturer. Sometimes Beck purchases the proteins in bulk, but other times he grows bacteria culture in flasks and then purifies protein from it. He then modifies the proteins (hence the name “Protein Mods) with colors and other functionalities to resell in small quantities to bioresearchers. Generally, universities and biotech companies purchase the protein products for research and development.
Beck’s third income stream is Black Star Assets (blackstarassets.com) that he owns with a partner. Their decades of experience with online retail and distribution channels puts them a cut above traditional asset liquidation services and remarketing firms. The resale value of any product is maximized by identifying the correct marketplace to ensure the best prospects of turnover – whether the end user be down the street or across the ocean. They are product research specialists working to provide the absolute best return for their clients.
Collectibles, commercial surplus, and equipment inventory is stored in a 20,000 square foot warehouse until it is listed for sale and eventually gets matched with a buyer. Blackstar Assets has worked with nonprofits to sell donations or unneeded items resulting in hundreds of thousands raised for their organization.
The business also has an environmental stewardship aspect. They collect broken, unneeded, or obsolete IT equipment, kitchen equipment from closed restaurants, or manufacturing equipment from businesses to keep the poundage out of landfills. They find the hidden value in good equipment and sell it to another business or put it on the Black Star Asset website for sale. Generally, they take these items on consignment and the seller can get a percentage. The most unusual items they’ve sold has been an antique prosthetic leg and a cemetery plot. “If it is in the warehouse, we’ll sell it,” said Beck. The money earned from sales can benefit the donor, or can be donated to a nonprofit after the commission.