024: Growing his Side Business from 0¢ to $13MM. How Jonathan Burlingham built Starfire Direct.

Background on Jonathan Burlingham & Starfire Direct:

Jonathan Burlingham is President of Starfire Direct. His company is the one stop shop for all things fire. Starfire Direct works with some of America’s finest designers, architects, homeowners, and contractors.

With nearly 20 years of experience in the industry Jonathan leads the NFI Certified Staff to make sure that their customers are getting the best experience possible. No project is too large or small. Starfire Direct prides itself in the most recent and relevant information to help you with your next fireplace project!

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

[0:48] Starfire Direct started in 2007 and sold products for outdoor and indoor lifestyle.
[1:49] Jonathan started with $50, built a small website from his condo and found a company that would drop ship for him.
[2:28] His first biggest sales was from Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, a $7,000 worth of fire glass.
[3:16] He spent $3,500 to build a better website.
[4:38] “Don’t rape your company of funds. Don’t steal from your company just because you’re having a good month or year….Save it. Put it back in the company.”
[5:15] His first year sale was $50,000 and last year they hit $10 million in sales.
[5:44] He has now 30 employees working for the company.
[7:04] Jonathan grew up with an entrepreneurial spirit.
[8:36] “I like to be able to know that if we’re successful, I have something to do with it. And if we fail, it was a direct result of my management style..”
[9:23] One of the most important things to look for in hiring is the “can do” attitude.
[10:07] “Entrepreneurs don’t like to be held in a box. If you don’t like to be held in a box, you probably need to start a business.”
[11:09] He made his first hire in 2010
[14:54] There a lot of factors in growth and success of a business.
- Trust your staff to the point that you’re willing to let go.
- Find a good business niche.
- Make sure you have a positive culture in your company.
[19:41] At one point, Jonathan actually put his website for sale for $25,000.
[19:58] In the first five years, he didn’t receive any salary.
[27:35] “If someone tells you no, find out why they are telling you no..”
[28:26] They invest a lot into online reviews, adwords and retargeting ads.
[29:43] Their target customer is mostly residential.
[37:18] “Share what you have. There’s more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”

Fabulous 4 Questions:

📖 📚 Favorite Book(s)? Holy Bible & The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
🙌😎 Favorite Amazon.com purchase? Magnetic Phone Holder
🌱💸 Favorite Tool that's GROWN your Business? Our newest tool is Shopify Plus…it’s changing the way we do business for the better. If you need a site, I’d check out Shopify.
💭💡 BIGGEST Challenge keeping your Business from GROWING? Space. We need a larger facility, but there’s little inventory right now. But it’s also forcing us to look at other opportunities with 3PL, outsourcing, etc. There’s always another way.