People display photos because it makes them feel love, happiness, or inspiration.
Name: WeMontage
Location: Neenah, WI
Website: www.WeMontage.com
Product / Service Offering: Custom removable photo wallpaper
Co-founder Interviewed: James Oliver, Jr.
This article is part of our Business Startup Spotlight series featuring entrepreneurs and their companies. We hope that these founders’ interviews will inspire and motivate you as you undertake your own entrepreneurial journey.
Tell us a little about yourself with a focus on what motivates you?
I am internally motivated to be the best I can be, which is easier these days since for the first time in my life I am doing what I was born to do. I am an entrepreneur.
When did you establish your company and where did the idea originate?
I started working on the idea in September of 2011 when I saw a show on HGTV which they were covering a whole wall with beautiful, large photo collages. I wanted one and there was no way to do it, so I created WeMontage.
What need or needs does your company seek to fill for its customers?
The product is the logical evolution of the way people will display their images.
People display photos because it makes them feel love, happiness or inspiration. WeMontage customers love the product because the large, unique format gives them more love, happiness and inspiration from their photos than they get from traditional picture frames.
Some places nails in walls aren’t allowed, like dorm rooms, assisted living facilities, and some apartments. WeMontage is perfect in those instances.
Finally, the cost is substantially less than custom picture frames or popular canvas wraps.
What is the one thing that sets your company apart from its competitors?
We are the world’s only website that lets you turn your digital images into a large, custom collage on removable wallpaper.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while getting your company up and running, and how did you overcome it?
Trying to get funding was challenging. Luckily, I got into gener8tor and was able to raise the capital I needed to launch the business.
< see related: Learn More About gener8tor! >
Are there resources you have utilized that other founders might find compelling or useful?
Yes, www.justreachout.io is a great tool to hustle for PR on your own.
What steps have you taken to secure funding for your company and what, if anything, would you do differently if you had to start over?
I raised capital after completing gener8tor. If I had to start over, I would have raised more money.
Have there been any questions you have had as an entrepreneur of a fledgling startup that you had a particularly hard time finding the answers to?
Finding a technical co-founder was very difficult.
What challenges, if any, are you grappling with?
Like many startups, we are still trying to get more traction.
What is the most helpful tip or “hack” you’ve ever learned, stumbled across, or been given?
Knowing how to send cold emails, especially to reporters, is a great skill to have. Here’s an article that I wrote on my blog that shows how to get a cold e-mail featured on CNET:
How a Cold e-Mail Got My Company Featured on CNET. I hope it helps someone.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your company?
The product is beautiful, affordable, and our customers love it! We’ve been featured on the Today show three times, Good Morning America, Money Magazine, the DIY Network and CNBC, to name a few. All that PR was accomplished by my hustle. You don’t need to hire a PR agency, you can do the PR thing on your own.
Are you familiar with other startups you believe should be spotlighted? If so, we would like to hear from you. Tell us about them, sharing your comments below!
Sandra Sloan
Sandra has previous supply chain and business operations experience which she is leveraging as an author with FundingSage focused on spotlighting entrepreneurs and their startup efforts.
