Why I launched my own business in the middle of a pandemic

This article is part of LinkedIn's Business Reimagined series, where entrepreneurs and business owners share their toughest challenges and how they made it through. To see more articles in this series, follow hashtag #BusinessReimagined

In January 2020, I was building someone else’s dream. In January 2021, I was building my dream, as a business owner. What a difference twelve months can make.

In December of 2019, I was embarking on some large projects at work. My teammates and I were building out the operations, purchasing and field support groups at the company I had started with in the Summer of 2018.

As with most businesses, we started the year with enormous potential. We were increasing our monthly revenue and maintaining higher gross profit margins. My teams were improving metrics across the company, including customer response time from quote to order and inventory turns. And then the pandemic hit. Suddenly, cash was tight, customer leads had decreased and projects were being cancelled or put on hold. 

My company had to make some hard choices on how to conserve cash, and unfortunately I was one of the pieces to go. After two years of building, developing, and collaborating with my team, I was headed to the open market. I was filled with frustration, disappointment, anger and resentment. It was not fair. I worked hard to carry my weight, mentor my team, and pour myself into continuous improvement projects.

Yet, there was a little flicker of hope in the back of my mind. I knew I wanted to create my own business at some point. If I had to pick the timing, starting one amidst a pandemic was not ideal. Still, I thought “what do I have to lose?” A mentor had told me years earlier that waiting for the right time or opportunity was really just an excuse not to move forward and try something.

There was one minor issue: My original business plan was set around the idea that I would create a brick-and-mortar contract manufacturing firm. As I started putting pen to paper and looking at financial planning models, I realized that starting a manufacturing company would be a steep hill without much personal liquidity. I checked with a few lending institutions that told me much of the focus was being put to the Paycheck Protection Program. Could I use my manufacturing background in other ways? And, what would or could that look like?

A good friend of mine was in the executive recruiting industry. Just before restrictions were put in place, we had a chance to grab a beer and talk. He mentioned that I should consider using my manufacturing background to go into recruiting. “You have a unique perspective, as a former operations leader, that many recruiters do not have,” he told me. 

I resisted. How could I walk away from manufacturing? The factory? The sound of turrets pounding through 10-gauge steel or a fiber laser ripping through cold-rolled sheet stock. This is what I knew. I loved being right in the mix with design, engineering, and process operations, and walking away from that seemed treacherous. I felt like a traitor.

It took several months for me to come around to the idea, but being laid off gave me a different perspective. I could just as easily get an offer for a salaried job and be laid off again when times get tough. Maybe it was time for me to finally be an owner and venture out on my own.

The CARES Act — the $2.2 trillion stimulus package Congress passed in March 2020 — ended up becoming my primary funding vehicle. I tapped into one of my IRA accounts, taking a disbursement that would provide some “seed” capital for the business.

My first client was a local precision manufacturing entity, who I found through research and old-fashioned cold calling. Before starting my outreach, I created a potential client roster that captured company industry, size, and manufacturing capabilities. This initial client was on the list. Luckily, after two unsuccessful attempts, I made a connection with the Director of HR and got the opportunity I needed to get me out of the gate. My first assignment was a little awkward, but I was able to match my client with a fantastic market candidate. Just four months after putting together a business strategy, I was off and running!

For me, it was a big deal to be able to meet this client in person, see their facility and visualize their team in action. When I can get to that level of knowledge, it makes it so much easier to take their vision and help them build their team with critical problem solvers who are great human beings.

I have been working to build on that early success. Since that first assignment, I’ve gotten multiple additional ones. Every day is a new opportunity to learn. I set aside time each week for research. I started a “think tank” group with several other colleagues in my field, where we meet up every six weeks to discuss best practices, market news, and growth opportunities. This new business has been the ideal way for me to channel my energy and passion for manufacturing into providing value for companies in this space.

The lesson I have learned is simple. 

If you’re looking for the perfect time, the perfect business climate, the perfect market strategy or the perfect business plan — you won’t find it. Be at peace with some calculated risk, but be bold, brave, and confident in your skills to navigate through the uncertainty and write your own story.