Founder of the Flock

Who would have thought that honoring celebs from all walks of life in the form of a duck, could spark an incredibly successful and thriving homebased business? Craig Wolfe, founder of CelebriDucks, did. The list of CelebriDucks includes icons from NBA, Major League Baseball, and others, as well as a long list of famous folks. His company continues to receive a phenomenal amount of publicity including segments on NBC, Fox and CNN, and articles in The New York Times, USA Today and even Playboy, among others.

Craig Wolfe, owner of CelebriDucks.

Wolfe still remembers negotiating his dual license with Coca-Cola and the NBA, totally naked with a face full of shaving cream. Woot! Three cheers for a guy who’s literally working naked. In part one of my interview with Craig, he shared what it took to start his business. In part two he shares his tips for running a business.

Working Naked: What have you learned from your business that you can share with others?

Craig: It’s not a matter of how much money you make…it’s how much you keep. People spend all kinds of money on fancy offices, equipment, staffing, etc. and expand right and left and then one day they are bankrupt. But they were bringing in millions and selling everywhere. Again, perception is not reality. Keeping your overhead in check is key.

Working Naked: What have you learned from any mistakes you’ve made?

Craig: I’ve learned a few things:

• Get a big enough deposit when working with a new client. In an economy like this, be really, really careful who you extend credit to and never have too much owed by one account.

• Be really careful whom you get into bed with. You really have to have a good, trustworthy group of people you can rely on from manufacturing, to artists, to accounting, etc. A great way to start is to pick people who are more talented than you—people who can counter your liabilities. And I would add…people you like!

• Retail customers can put you under so don’t become vested in one retailer or vendor. They can make you or break you. Know when to walk away because it may not be a good deal.

Craig has no shortage of new business ideas. He owns 100% of his company so he doesn’t have to answer to anyone and can grow at his own pace. “What is so unique about all this,” says Craig, “is that I do it all from a very nice home in Marin County that I love.”

Working naked at its best!