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Published December 17, 2018

 The dictionary describes the word fervid as being intensely enthusiastic or passionate, especially to an excessive degree. That is exactly the meaning that Renee DeGrand of Green Bay wanted to convey by naming the business she is developing Fervid Life.

DeGrand, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, recently took first place in the 2018 Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan Contest. She will graduate in May with a degree in business administration with an emphasis on management and entrepreneurship.

“I have always been an entrepreneur at heart,” DeGrand said. “When I was a teenager, I earned extra cash by selling on eBay. In my early college days, I made a business out of renting out my car. Most recently, I’ve been operating a photography and graphic design business.”

She had a bachelor’s degree and 20 years of management experience in the hospitality industry when she moved back to Green Bay several years ago for family concerns.  During that time, she considered a career change and was intrigued by the wide variety of programs at UWGB, especially the new entrepreneurship certificate. 

“I had my hobby business, DeGrand Creative Solutions, LLC, (www.degrandcreativesolutions.com), but knew it would be difficult to make a living in photography," she said. "Since I’ve always enjoyed business development and love creativity, I decided to go back to school; the program was there at just the right time.”

In classes, students were challenged to come up with business concepts, and she considered an earlier idea that had been discarded. Originally, Fervid Life was developed as an embroidered T-shirt business with custom designs for various sports.  But she said she realized that market was saturated.

Instead, she turned to e-commerce.

“I wanted to do something where everyone can sell. A problem I find on e-commerce platforms is that it is hard to get exposure because of all of the sponsored ads and you fall so low on the list that if you don’t have optimal search criteria, your information will never be seen,” DeGrand said.

In her business plan, she promises to provide a solution. The idea is to categorize by sport and make it easier to search by hobby or specific interest. This streamlined search model combined with search engine optimization will narrow the broader categories currently used by most search engines to allow focus on those areas a person is fervid about. 

“Our company understands the importance of making time for your passions," DeGrand said. "Beyond individual benefits, sharing hobbies with others provides an opportunity to put political and cultural differences aside and connect with others, the environment, and the community."

Her mentors include Ryan Kauth, UWGB lecturer of entrepreneurship and Green Bay SCORE volunteer, and Elaine Stephens of Breakthrough Technology, a volunteer with the local chapter of Women in Technology Wisconsin.

The challenges she sees going forward are immense. Although she has created a 20-page PowerPoint that defines her business model, DeGrand is finding that e-commerce is an expensive business.

“The cost has been the biggest surprise," she said. "Especially in the first few years where cash flow is an issue and you need more resources to build the business but aren’t bringing in much income.”

She says that initial startup cost estimates were probably off by half. She has some funds to use but is far short of what will be needed. In winning the business contest, she is hoping that she’ll be able to attract investors and is looking at other areas of funding.

It is part of what DeGrand researches in the 10-plus hours per week spent fine-tuning the business model. Other areas of focus include choosing the right technology and partners, attracting and hiring the right people, generating targeted traffic, capturing quality leads, achieving long-term growth, and converting and retaining paying customers.

The target will be smaller sellers who have been wiped out by high fees charged by the dominant players in the market. As the pieces come together, DeGrand said that she is confident.

“I feel like it’s a calculated risk,” she said. “As I keep developing the plan, I see that it can work and it’s a risk I’m willing to take. I don’t think anyone who is thinking of starting a business should be afraid to try because failing or having setbacks will only serve to make you wiser in the end.”

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.