14 seo 15 as business & professional Cutting Costs On Disposables FUNNY &FIERCE 0"- FiER DESERT CITIES By JON ROBIN BAITZ OCT 31 - NOV 16 Tkts: $18 - Festive pre-glow on opening night $22 ea Rated M (mature) BEHIND THE EMERALD An exclusive behi t n d-thesrnes f in g o al the smashh musical look a mak Nov 20, '14, 7 pm NEVERENDING STORY Dec 11 — 14, '14 PETER PAN D ec 1pm2 p1 r,e '24w SILENT MOVIE JEKYLL & HYDE Jan 9 - THE MUSICAL Feb 1,'15 SPRING Feb 13 - AWAKENING Mar 1, '15 for youth 2 pm show Tkts $6 ea thrilling! electrifying musical NEIL SIMON'S RUMORS NEXT TO NORMAL hilarious farce Mar 13 — 29, '15 powerful musical ELTON JOHN & TIM RICE'S AIDA Apr 17 — May 3, '15 melodious musical score May 22 —Jun 7, '15 THE BALDWIN THEATRE • ROYAL OAK, MI 415 S Lafayette Ave Royal Oak 48067 All seats reserved I Visa / MC accepted Sorry, no refunds or exchanges on individual tickets Tickets at 248-541-6430 or online at STAGECRAFTERS.ORG 50 October 16 • 2014 Entrepreneur grows business with Hebrew Free Loan help. I Josh El'Chonen Special to the Jewish News W hat began in an apartment building basement as a way to make extra money has ballooned into a paper goods business that's grown 25 percent every year for Nick "Nachy" Soloff of Southfield. Soloff grew up in Monsey, N.Y. After high school, he started working part- time for Fabulous Paper, a distributor of disposables located on the East Coast. "It was my first experience working and I learned a lot:' Soloff said. "They were headquartered in Brooklyn and I worked there for a number of years:' After he married Nechama Zimmerman of Southfield and moved to Brooklyn, he joined a rabbinical seminary called Chaim Berlin. He was then hired to work full-time for a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI) in New York City as an appren- tice. In the city, any building that is six stories must have its facade inspected every five years. The inspection is done by a QEWI, who is either a licensed architect or engineer, to ensure they are structurally sound. "I love mechanics. I tweak my own cars and house appliances just for fun. I like how the workings of so many micro-components come together for one purpose Soloff said. At that time, Soloff decided to pur- sue a degree in mechanical engineer- ing. He moved with his wife and child to Oak Park in the fall of 2007. "My wife and I looked at several out- of-town communities and decided on Detroit:' Soloff said. "I wanted a place that wasn't on the East Coast. Other communities were too small or didn't seem to be a good fit:' Soloff enrolled at Wayne State University. Because of his experience working for a paper and plastic dispos- ables company, he had an eye out for local pricing and variety. "I noticed that local paper and plastic goods were selling at relatively high prices. Also the inventory was mediocre Soloff said. "Party goods, catering goods, dinnerware and dispos- able household goods together make a lucrative industry. I realized that with my connections I could become a `mini-distributor' while also pursuing my bachelor's degree:' He called and got advice from his former manager in New York, who Nick Soloff in his Paper Goods PLUS store in Oak Park encouraged him to start a business and extended him a line of credit. Soloff made his first order of supplies and opened up shop in his apartment building's basement. "We were opened partially through- out the week, mainly for local families. Our first customers would always call first," Soloff said. They decided to call the store Paper Goods PLUS. "Basic cups and plates with a few napkins for starts:' Soloff said. His wife, Nechama, supported the business. Soloff recalls the first time he realized they could grow their business into a full-time career. "We sent out 500 postcards three weeks before Passover in 2008 to members of the local community:' he said. "A week later, we had dozens of customers coming in for hours straight during the pre-Passover countdown. "My wife came down with the baby to help:' he said. "To make it worse, we weren't even using a computer. We were acting very old-school — orga- nized by paper, to sell paper, to make paper:' A few years later, Soloff bought a house in Southfield and they relocated the business to their home's basement. Business continued to grow steadily. Soloff quadrupled his inventory — and this year celebrated his seventh anniversary in a new storefront on Lincoln Street in Oak Park. Some of his clients include large schools, catering companies and synagogues. "I feel fortunate to be able to help families save money for the Jewish holidays and throughout the year:' Soloff said. He gives thanks to the Marvin I. Danto Small Business Loan Program, a division of the Hebrew Free Loan (HFL) in Bloomfield Township. "They introduced my wife and me to local business professionals who met with us many times:' he said. "Their guidance on system organization for suc- cessful implementation of strategy and business development really boosted our confidence and a healthy growth:' Rob Schwartz, who heads HFI:s small business division, said, "The real advantage of the small business program is we give individuals access to financial capital along with tailor-fit mentors. We have a pool of many busi- ness professionals who volunteer their time throughout the year. "It's integral to us that small busi- nesses continue to thrive in our grow- ing community:' Soloff receives stock from local dis- tributors as well as manufacturers from overseas. "It's a thrill-ride. There are bad days along with the good days. The social aspect of helping new people and developing real relationships is the real benefit," he said. His advice to others starting a small business: "Don't let someone else decide what you're passionate about. Stay positive and pursue your idea:' Soloff still lives in Southfield with his wife and three kids, Aliza, 8, Dovi, 6, and Zevi, 2. The family attends Beth Tefilo Emanuel Tikvah in Southfield. ❑