| "When
we grew to about $8-to-$10 million, then it became very difficult for the
family members to do everything by themselves. When it was $2 or $3 million
dollars, I used to get up in the morning and talk to customers and sell the
items, and at night I would try to balance my books and keep the records, and
sometimes I don't get to sleep until 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. Sometimes I
constantly had to remind myself that I cannot be in everywhere at once."
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Los Angeles. In this segment of the
show, called In the Trenches, we visit with Charlie Woo, the founder of
MegaToys. He manufactures and distributes a wide range of children's toys.
Charlie has been the inspiration to develop several blocks near downtown L.A.
into what is now called Toy Town.
An LA Times writer said, "Mr.
Charlie Woo knows every wrinkle on his territory, a ramshackle patch of
downtown Los Angeles. This is Toy Town and Mr. Woo is its unofficial Mister
Mayor."
KEY IDEAS.
- There is no substitute for long hours and hard work.
- Take control of the entire process.
- Don't be greedy.
- Demonstrate trust by sticking to the facts.
GO FURTHER :
- READ THE
TRANSCRIPT: All the words of this show are part of
Small Business School. - Other stories about manufacturing .
- Join a National Trade Association. In the toy industry there are several in which Charlie participates -- Toy Industry Association, ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) and the Toy Association of Southern California. Charlie has been president of the Workforce Investment Board of Los Angeles (and their $150M job training programs) and the Chairman of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
- CONTACT:
Mega Toys
905 E. 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
T: 213-617-1353 F: 213-687-9951
URL: http://www.megatoys.com
Email: Click here.
OTHER SEGMENTS:
Sliver of Genius: Tom Velez is a founder of CTA; they build satellites. Although he started out as an SBA 8A contractor, he not only graduated out of the program, he has been one of the SBA's real success stories. Since 1989 CTA has done work for the government and with the downsizing of defense and spacecraft, he has expanded into the commercial arena.
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Do the right
thing. 
Integrity
Selling. 
Law Talk.
StreetFighter
Marketing. EVEN FURTHER:
- GO TO SCHOOL: If you enroll in Small Business School,
you can watch this show as well as learn from over 300 other entrepreneurs. It
is all online. It requires DSL or cable connection with no firewalls. If you
answer the questions in the teaching notes and study guide, you may qualify:
- to get listed within your business type and within your state's listings,
- to be profiled on a show (local or national),
- to generate automatically a business plan for debt financing and/or a SCOR for equity financing,
- to be listed within the Small Business Index, and
- to qualify as one of the 400,000 small businesses to be listed and then further qualified as the first 2000 to be the best of small business within each business category.
- AT YOUR LOCAL COLLEGE: Check this list of schools (partial). Also, check for classes with your local Small Business Development Center, Chamber of Commerce, and Economic Development Commission.
- LOOK AT STEPS 1 - 8. Think about where you are and where you want to be.
- STUDY BUSINESSES BY TYPE.
- WATCH TV! To find out what is airing in your market, usually on your local PBS-member station, click here.
We invite your questions or comments.