A Loving Memory Launches A Ballstars Business
By Deborah Sexton
Two years ago, Dan’s grandson, Chad, was taking a college class that required him to get information on franchises. As a favor to his grandson, Dan and his wife went to a franchise show in nearby Denver — and while the experience initially wasn’t a pleasant one, the result certainly was. “People would practically grab us and drag us into their booth, so we were getting ready to leave the show,” Dan says. “Then, we went around the corner and met a couple of gentleman from BallStars, and we were immediately interested.”
Since retiring from his job selling books to libraries and schools, Dan, who also is a former basketball coach, was ready for a change and seriously considering taking the plunge with BallStars. Meanwhile, his son Jerry, who was fighting cancer, urged Dan to go for it. “He said, ‘Pop, you need to do it because you can create memories,” Dan recalls. His son passed away in September of 2005 and in February 2007, Dan launched Kreate Memories, named it in his son’s honor.
PHOTO: Dan Kersey, left, became a BallStars’ licensee at the urging of his son who later passed away of cancer. On the right is grandson Chad, who helps with the business.
At-Event Displays Help Drive BallStars Business
Dan Kersey, a former library book salesman and basketball coach in Colorado City, Colo., doesn’t consider himself to be the most technologically proficient guy on the block. However, thanks to the tools provided by BallStars — including a Web site template — he has successfully launched his own tech-driven business, Kreate Memories. The one-year-old business drives part of it sales from its Web site, www.kreatememories.com.Kersey also drives revenue the old-fashioned way by exhibiting at events and offering his company’s personalized products. “I set up a display on weekends at a local sports complex,” he says. “I designed a table with a big banner and some posters from BallStars. Then, I used the oak display case that BallStars offers and displayed the most popular balls. The hours varied depending on the event, but typically I would set up Saturday morning around 7 a.m. and go to around 4 or 5 in the afternoon Saturday and Sunday.”
He generated buzz for his business by creating samples made from photos of area athletes. “I had a full-size soccer ball with a local picture stole out of the newspaper of a gal that was an All States soccer player from the south. We also had designed a basketball for the 2AA State Champions last March. Then we had a bunch of local kids’ pictures that I begged, borrowed, and stole.”
“It created a lot of stir,” Kersey says. “So after baseball season, we set up at a complex that hosts Bantam football games. So we changed up the display to focus on football. I fit right in with that. On average, we probably sold half a dozen right there on the spot. There was a ton of interest. Later I picked up several teams that 20 and 30 players in them.”
Kersey designed a form that allows him to collect information from every one who approaches his display — even those who are “just looking.” “This gives us the critical information we need to follow up with them later,” he says. “So even when we don’t sell balls, we’re getting a lot of exposure for the business.”
PHOTO: Dan Kersey created sample balls that he puts on displays at events. After displaying balls at a Bantam football game, he comments, “There was a ton of interest. I later picked up several teams.”BallStars Business Becomes A Family Affair
Dan Kersey’s BallStars business — Kreate Memories, Colorado City, Colo. — is doing more than creating memories for customers who purchased the company’s personalized items. It’s also creating some great memories for Dan and his family members, many of whom are helping the one-year-old business get off to a great start.
Dan’s son, Jerry, who passed away of cancer in September 2005, was a football coach at an area school. Because of this connection, Dan has contacts at the school, which was helpful in selling balls to parents and fans when the school won the Colorado 40 High School championship in 2007. His grandson Chad helps maintain the company’s Web site, www.kreatememories.com. And when Dan set up a kiosk in the Pueblo Mall, a local shopping center, for two weeks in November and four in December 2007, he got plenty of help from his family.
“My grandson Chad helped out at the booth, and so did my wife and daughter. We were busier then one-arm bandits with football jobs because of our setup in the mall. It was a worthwhile investment because it got the word out about us,” Dan says. “We got an order from a team in the eastern part of the state, and if I hadn’t been in the mall, I don’t know if they would’ve heard of us.”
PHOTO: Dan Kersey set up a kiosk in the mall during the months of November and December to capitalize on a high school championship win and holiday sales. The resulting exposure later netted him orders from other parts of the state.
The Facts about Friends and Fund-Raising
Sometimes succeeding in business is just a matter of knowing the right people — and offering the right product.
Dan Kersey, owner, Kreate Memories, Colorado City, Colo., found that out when an area high school approached him about organizing a fund-raiser for the booster club. Kersey set up a display with products, and the school did the rest, including manning the booth and handling sales.
“They even processed the orders,’ Kersey says. “All I had to do was print the balls. They made a percentage of the total sales. That opportunity came about by word of mouth through someone I met when I exhibited at the sports complex.”
The fund-raising event was successful enough that Kersey plans to do a number of similar events this holiday season, all built around the BallStars Christmas ornament. In the meantime, Kersey’s keeping plenty busy (full-time, in fact) by partnering with at least seven area photographers. “It will create cash flow by setting up exhibits in their stores,” he explains. “It’s just about getting out there and being seen. It’s not going to work any other way.”
PHOTO: BallStars balls make great fund-raisers. Not only team members but students, parents, and fans are all interested in having mementos of the season. Kersey found assisting schools with fund-raisers to be a great money-maker.
Dan Kersey
Kreate Memories
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