January 26, 2004              SAN DIEGO COUNTY'S AWARD-WINNING BUSINESS WEEKLY                Vol. 25, No. 4

Small Business

SPOTLIGHT: O.A.P. PACKAGING

BY JULIE POUCHER HARBIN

O.A.P. Packaging distributes packaging materials throughout San Diego and Mexico to companies that manufacture or distribute various products.

They make the deliveries throughout the region via their own delivery trucks, and saw revenues grow 30 percent in 2003 over 2002.

O.A.P. stands for “Once a Princess,” a name co-owner Debbie Janney came up with after liv­ing for a short time in the Philippines where she “enjoyed the luxury of a daily maid, seamstress, manicurist, pedicurist, and someone to mow the lawn.” While her husband Jim was working as a civil service employee at the Subic Bay Naval Base there, she held a variety of mainly unpaid jobs and golfed daily with her own caddy.

Janney said O.A.P.’s chief competitors are Kent H. Landsberg Co., Harbor Packaging Inc., IPD Packaging, APPCO, and 25 or more companies in San Diego that sell the same products as they do.

RESUME

Name: Debbie Janney.

Title: Co-owner. (Husband Jim is co-owner.)
Company: O.A.P. Packaging.
Address: 497 11th Street, #12, Imperial Beach.
Phone: (619) 423-4993.
Founded: March 1, 1997.

Prior experience: Twenty-three years in the packaging distribution business.
Source of start-up capital: $280,000 in per­sonal funding.

2003 revenue: $2.4 million.
Number of employees: 10.
Web site: www.OAPIB.com.

BACKGROUND

Born: June 25, 1960 in Artesia, Calif.

Education: Numerous college and continu­ing education courses.

Residence: Imperial Beach.

Family: Husband Jim Janney, no children. Two golden retrievers.

Hobbies: Golf, camping, water sports, travel­ing, and bicycling.

 

JUDGMENT CALLS

Reason for starting business:

I had been working for a packaging company as sales/ office manager. Personally, I thought I would have worked there the rest of my life. The company was sold to one of the large packaging companies here in San Diego. After working for them for two weeks, I knew my customers would not be taken care of the way they were accustomed to or deserved. After talking to my husband, and my mentor, it was time to open my own busi­ness and put my money where my mouth was. Hence the starting of O.A.P. Packaging.

Biggest plus of business ownership:

Having our own business enables me to promote and insist on running our company with old-fashioned philosophies. I insist that everyone know how to handle our customers. We have a set routine, so everyone tries to be on the same page everyday when it comes to taking care of the customer. Do what you said you were going to do. Never make a promise you can’t keep. I love working in the great envi­ronment that we have created.

Biggest drawback:

Heartaches of letting an employee go that you thought could do the job and then later you found out couldn’t.

Biggest business strength:

Reaction time to solve the customers’ needs.

Biggest business weakness:

I can’t tell a customer or employee “no.”

Biggest risk:

Extending credit to custom­ers has been the scariest part of the business. Today your customer is paying their bills and all of a sudden there’s an unknown change in their paying habits. They owe you lots of money and they won’t return your phone calls. Then to make it worse, instead of paying their bills, they file bankruptcy.

Smartest business decision:

Moving back to Imperial Beach from Chula Vista. We work close to where we live. We work on the San Diego bayfront with a serene and peaceful view of Imperial Beach and San Diego. It makes for a great working environment.

Biggest business mistake:

We were told not to hire friends. We made the same mis­take a lot of people do.

Toughest career decision:

Deciding whether to close the business or keep it going. A few years ago, I was frustrated and wanted to close the business. Some days you tell yourself, “What the heck am I doing? Maybe it would be better to work for someone else. Let him or her handle the headaches and heartaches.”

Biggest ongoing challenge:

Growth. I know it seems crazy, growth is great but at the same time it is a great challenge when it comes to making it all happen.

 

DREAMS

Goals yet to be achieved:

Longevity of employees for the stability of the company.

My five-year business plan:

Our goals today are the same as always. It is important that every­one who works for us to have job satisfaction.

I would sell my business only if:

I was unable to be part of the company’s day-to-day activities.

PHILOSOPHY

Guiding principles:

Do what you say you would. Be honest. Be fair. Share.

Most admired entrepreneur:

John McNeil, owner of Pacific Pulp Molding, in San Diego and Tijuana.

The most important part of my busi­ness:

Customers and the entire O.A.P. team.

My business works best when:

I am in the middle of everything.

Important lessons learned:

When it comes to extending credit to companies, set the friend­ships aside. Check everyone’s credit equally.

Advice for those looking to go into business:

You must be passionate about your business with set ideas and desires. Be prepared. Know the facts. Have enough money set aside to take care of your financial obligations properly. Lastly, but not least, having an accountant or tax adviser you can trust.

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE SAN DIEGO BUSINESS JOURNAL