Business Focus Weekly
A publication focused on helping your business to grow and become more focused.
Crystal Madsen Photography
Owner: Crystal Madsen

KW: Tell us about your business.
CM: I have been in business for 10 years. It has evolved into an extremely successful full-time business. When I started receiving compensation for what I do, that’s when I realized this is what I want to do. I can provide a custom service that really pulls their personality out because it is easy for me to connect with people on a personal level. I love to find out what makes you - you. Boudoir is about 40% of my business, but I do many services weddings, seniors, cake smash, maternity

KW: Who is your target customer?
CM: For boudoir, I have shot 18-56yo's. But the target is 23-34, year-old women. obstacles for me is that I’m not sure what their income levels might be. 
Rest of the photography target market: parents, mothers 40-55.

KW: What has been the greatest impact of COVID-19 on your business?
CM: I’ve never been busier. Usually, December, January, February, March are the slowest, but right now I am shooting 2-3 times a week – mainly boudoir. I’m not sure if it’s because people are home more and want to feel closer in their relationships or if it’s because I’ve been in business for the last 10 years and my SEO is strong. 

KW: What are one or two actions you’ve taken to make a difference?
CM: This is a tough one. When COVID first started, I was determined to be more active on social media, but I really haven’t been. I think I have just been really lucky.  

KW: What is a mistake you’ve made along the way that other people can learn from?
CM: The biggest thing I’ve learned from myself is that I care too much about what the public opinions are about my work. I’ve been specializing in boudoir for 6 years, and before that, I was known for high school photography. Some parents had researched and seen both options, then confused the two. I had some times where I wondered whether I should continue, but I realized that my work is not for everyone, it is classy, tasteful and there is a market out there. It gave me confidence in propelling me forward toward what I want to do. Regular photography's biggest learning curve was undervaluing myself, trying to please everyone, pricing too low. I was shooting and editing so much it didn’t feel like it was worth it anymore. When I realized I needed to charge for what my time is worth, everything changed for the better. 

KW: What is inspiring to you today?
CM: When I receive an email/review in how much confidence I gave a client during the whole experience it really keeps me moving forward. Clients find a brand new confidence that they have found from such beautiful photos that they never knew they had. 

Crystal Madsen Photography
Owner: Crystal Madsen
509-499-1090

By Kendra Wiiest
Azteca Investigations and Interpreting
Owner: Larry Valadez

KW: Tell us about your business.
LV: I have been in business for 10 years. My business is primarily investigations. I am a retired federal probation officer, starting in various probation jobs in 1972. My current specialty is doing investigations for attorneys, which include accident reconstruction, criminal defense, wrongful death cases, drug cases. They can hire me to do the interview and take pictures, then bring them the information. If needed, (if it goes to trial) those attorneys can call me as a witness. With the ability to speak Spanish, I am a certified social interpreter for the state of Washington department of social and health services. Because of the Spanish/investigation interpretation, I have had to go to Mexico City and Columbia regarding rape and drug charges/accusations. I once went to Idaho Falls, ID to interview some Spanish-speaking clients who were involved in $1M damages in potato crops. All of my cases involved dual ability to investigate and speak in Spanish.

KW: Who is your target customer?
LV: Local attorneys, although I have worked for attorneys throughout the state.  

KW: What has been the greatest impact of COVID-19 on your business?
LV: Not too much of an impact. I can do interviews from car to car windows. We have interviewed with umbrellas and have adapted to the situation. Criminal cases don’t go away, so we have to adapt. 

KW: What are one or two actions you’ve taken to make a difference?
LV: I have not been in people’s homes since March. I have found other ways to do interviews...at picnic tables, between cars, It works fine as long as people understand why we are doing the interviews that way. 

KW: What is a mistake you’ve made along the way that other people can learn from?
LV: I could have marketed myself better if I wanted more clients or if I wanted to grow my business. This is my retirement job, so growing has not been interesting to me. The business has been pretty steady since I started 10 years ago and is a comfortable job. 

KW: What is inspiring to you today?
LV: I do several surveillance cases with L&I or insurance. Where people say they are disabled, so I will stake out a residence for up to several days if needed. Watch them go to their car. It’s rewarding when I catch people that have been dishonest. When they are out jogging, but say they can’t walk. I don’t like cheaters. 

Azteca Investigations and Interpreting 
Owner: Larry Valadez
larryvaladez@yahoo.com
509-499-3812
 
By Kendra Wiiest
Sneva MFG
Owner: TJ Sneva

KW: Tell us about your business.
TS: I started the company in Mt. Hood, pretty much the first twin tip ski company. We have been in business for 27 years. Built the first pair in 1994 in San Diego. We try to source all local materials. Everything is done in house.

KW: Who is your target customer?
TS: Skiers mostly. Skiers that really love to ski. We don’t get a lot of beginners. We get dedicated skiers, mostly 30 plus, that are experienced and willing to pay for quality products. 

KW: What has been the greatest impact of COVID-19 on your business?
TS: We’ve had the busiest year ever, but it started later than normal. All demos were shut off. The season ended early. Events were shut down. I would worry about whether the mountains would open. Now they’re open and I am so busy I haven’t had time to ski!

KW: What are one or two actions you’ve taken to make a difference?
TS: Mostly just wearing masks and social distancing. Online orders increased, so we put up our website to help with that.

KW: What is a mistake you’ve made along the way that other people can learn from?
TS: Something I did early on, was I was excited about what I was doing. I didn’t think about making money at it so I put it in front of a lot of people and it took off. Patents seem difficult in this industry so that was a joke. To do something differently would be to not put my product in front of so many people. I was so young and excited to get my idea out. So other bigger companies took my idea and ran with it. Other companies offered me a job, but when I refused, they said they already had the idea for years for twin tip skis. Maybe having a strategy would have helped before showing them. 

KW: What is inspiring to you today?
TS: When I see people out having a great time on my skis. When I see people enjoying what I built. It keeps me inspired to keep doing it. 

Sneva MFG
Owner: TJ Sneva
317-496-8935
tj@snevamfg.com

By Kendra Wiiest
SPI Media
Owner: Mike Ellis

KW: Tell us about your business.
ME: It is a social media management company, but so much more. There are several social media management companies in the area, but we specialize in promotions, marketing, and PR...and how to expand the reach for what we do for our clients beyond social media. Always looking for opportunities for our clients outside social media. We realize the importance of story-telling, professional writers, and good photographers. I started in 2011 in Florida, looking for an opportunity to move back to Spokane.

KW: Who is your target customer?
ME: We work with restaurants, furniture stores, laundry/dry cleaning services, utility companies, non-profits. Companies that know they need someone to manage their social media because they don’t know how, don’t want to, or don’t have time.  

KW: What has been the greatest impact of COVID-19 on your business?
ME: COVID has made us work harder for our clients to show them the value of what we do. Also, to create bottom-line results. Our clients have had the biggest year ever and the biggest week ever just in the first week of January 2021.

KW: What are one or two actions you’ve taken to make a difference?
ME: Reconfirming with all of our clients that telling stories, especially about what they’re doing in the community to help others. Also, showing what their employees are doing to help others... is driving our business (and theirs) forward. 

KW: What is a mistake you’ve made along the way that other people can learn from?
ME: Believing my own PR. Meaning whenever I lose track of being humble, that is when I make a mistake. I remember I need to keep a hold of my humility. “Brag about others often” – that's what I remind others about on Facebook. We can all fall into negativity, it’s important to read books and remember positivity. 

KW: What is inspiring to you today?
ME: Most inspiring people in order: Mother Teresa, my mom, then my bride - Dianah. My mom taught me kindness and compassion for others. That is the greatest gift.


OFFER: I am offering to set up a meeting to talk about financial goals, no commitment.

SPI Media
Owner: Mike Ellis
386-295-7739

By Kendra Wiiest
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