Founder of upscale potato chip brand: Good time to start a business

It takes guts to start a business, even in good economic times. So you might think that only the most wildly optimistic entrepreneurs would attempt it now, with the country in the depths of a recession.

Maybe so, but it’s hard to keep a good idea down, according to Leon Stoltz, founder of the Decatur-based, upscale potato chip brand Potato Finger. He says now may be the best time to launch a business — if you really believe in your product, are willing to work hard and surround yourself with smart, supportive people.

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Sean Drakes/Special

Distribution of his potato chip brand is growing, says Leon Stoltz, who believes ‘it’s a great time to go and start a business and help the economy. You can only trust yourself.’

THE LEON STOLTZ FILE
Name: Leon Stoltz
Age: 41
Residence: Druid Hills
Family: Wife, Lainie; children, Benjamin and Isabelle
Recreation: Praying. Brainstorming new and creative business ideas.
Favorite books: "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin Sharma and "Leon and the Champion Chip" by Allen Kurweil
Music: Anything with a beat, and a die-hard fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
If I weren't in business: Would be a missionary, helping underdeveloped communities start micro businesses.

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Stoltz, a native of South Africa who is married to an Atlantan, started his potato chip business five years ago with help from an advisory board that included some of metro Atlanta’s most successful business people. He has since passed on the favor by helping launch other startups, including Hot Squeeze, a bottled sauce developed by longtime Atlanta caterer Sue Sullivan.

That experience led to one of Stoltz’s latest ventures: Idea Ocean, a marketing services firm that helps would-be entrepreneurs refine and test their products, locate startup funding and many other services.

Q: So this is the best time to start a business?

A: You know what I sense? It’s like when South Africa changed regimes and [Nelson] Mandela took over and businesses started being open to everybody. I would go into coffee shops and at every single little table, people would be sitting there trying to make things work. I get so excited because I feel all this vibrant energy — from people who get it — that this is the best time to do this. I had a meeting yesterday with two aspiring entrepreneurs who get it — that they can do a lot even in the direst of times.

Q: What about existing small businesses? Aren’t a lot of them hurting right now?

A: Businesses fail for many different reasons. I don’t think many small businesses have really felt the pain yet. However, we’re really afraid of what’s going to happen, so we all work harder and we work longer hours and we’re more creative. I’m not discounting all those people who have lost their jobs, but even for them, it’s a great time to go and start a business and help the economy. You can only trust yourself.

Q: What are some successful strategies for small businesses in times like this?

A: It’s great to have a small business. Things can get very tough, and that’s one of the biggest reasons you have to surround yourself with a support group, to give you advice and people who can cheer you on. Also help people when they are growing their businesses. Then, where are they going to go when they need another project done or another module done? They’re not going to go to someone else. They’re going to go to the people who got them started.

Q: And that’s the idea behind Idea Ocean, isn’t it? Entrepreneurs helping other entrepreneurs, for a fee?

A: I pull in everybody that’s necessary to make a product work. We basically cover our administrative costs. Idea Ocean is there to help, not build wealth. Sometimes we take an interest in the company, but we don’t do that on a regular basis.

Q: Can you give me an example of what you mean?

A: There’s this product called Hot Squeeze. Sue Sullivan came to us with this idea. She said, “I’m a caterer. I make this sauce. People love it. They always ask me to bottle it.” So we went from sort of a concept through packaging. Helping to set up her business with a strong foundation. …. We helped her with the sales channels, marketing, distribution. This is just making those connections and giving her the support so that she can create the strong base to take her product to market. For me, business is probably 100 percent relationship-based. I hardly ever do business with people I don’t know on a personal level.

Q: How did you learn this skill of relationship-building and getting people to help others?

A: My mom. She told me just to be a good person. Also, Mary Propes [a business consultant and candle company founder] is one of our advisers, and I give her so much credit for helping me navigate the business world pretty much as an outsider. She is just an incredible connector. Everyone on my advisory board is like that. They will do things with no self-interest. On the flip side, when people are so generous to you, you can’t help but try to help them back. I can’t stress it enough. Small business has to stand together and help each other.

Q: Five years along, how is Potato Finger doing? Are high-end potato chips a recession-proof product?

A: As far as numbers now, I cannot tell you anything. We are privately held, and I love it. I can say that more brokers and distributors are working for us now than we have ever had, even with the tough times. We get more distribution every day. If you go to Vegas, you’ll find us there in I don’t know how many hotels. This is the third year we are the Rachel Ray product or snack of the day. We were just featured in Bon Apetit. We recently started advertising with Citadel Broadcasting — the first time we’ve done an ad on the radio — and we sold out in many of our stores after the ads ran. Citadel has done a fabulous job in helping us … and they are an example of how you can be creative in structuring a deal. We got really creative. There’s no way I could just go in there and buy $80,000 worth of advertising in one shot. Yes, pay the standard rate but be very creative about the relationship.

Q: You have another business you’re launching, a Web site called Wazzok. What’s the concept behind that site?

A: I had an issue with American Express, and as a consumer, I couldn’t do anything with it. I couldn’t get a resolution, so I took eight months and built this software package. We bill it as the place where David rates Goliath, making sure consumers get good service. When credit cards change rates on you and you don’t know it, you have one central place where you can say, “I don’t like this.” And we offer alternatives. Our focus is going to be helping smaller businesses get exposure.