Paul Quillin DardenOWNER AND PUBLISHER | DARDEN PUBLISHING | CHESAPEAKE

When did you start the busi-ness and what gave you the idea for it?

I started the business in 1993. Prior to that, I was a sales rep for an airline mag-azine called Presidential Air-lines. I liked the concept of tying in advertising with edi-torial placement.

I started the magazine Liv-ing on the Virginia Peninsu-la in 1993. I basically invest-ed my entire savings account and bought the rights to the magazine from another local publisher. I did that solely for 10 years. Then I decided to change the name to Living in Hampton Roads in 2005.

I got involved with the Cul-tural Alliance of Hampton Roads and started publishing Bravo! And in 2010, I start-ed Healthcare in Hampton Roads.

What was the hardest part of launching your company?

The hardest part was get-ting to understand printing. The printers have a language of their own. I had no idea how to design a publication and make it cost-efficient. I had to figure out which pag-es would get color and so forth.

What lesson did you learn that you wish you’d known back before you started?

Maintaining cash flow. I went from being employed to self-employed. The hardest thing was understanding that I wasn’t going to get paid un-til the magazine came out. You had to build a nest to live on and be able to spread your revenue out for 12 months until you go again. How to manage cash flow was a les-son I wish I would have known before I started.

What risks did you take?Working for yourself and

being your own boss was a risk. I’m a sole proprietor. I have no employees and it’s an independent contract-ba-

sis business. I pull in a team based on need. There is al-ways a risk of financial fail-ure. You always have to rely on your own passion and knowledge of management to get things done. Once you believe that you can get it done it’s a lot easier.

What was the biggest obsta-cle you overcame?

The biggest obstacle I’ve overcome is competition and raising awareness about our publications. Another obsta-cle was to always make sure the publication was credi-ble and that we were able to raise enough advertising revenue to cover expenses.

What or who has helped you the most in establishing your business?

The business associates and the friendships I’ve de-veloped over my life have helped me in establishing my business.

What do you consider your greatest innovation?

Always thinking out of the box and coming up with cre-ative revenue sources.

How has the company grown, both in terms of employees and revenues?

It’s grown by adding addi-tional publications. I start-ed out with one for 10 years and I’ve added the other three in the past six years. Now instead of waiting for 12 months for revenue streams, I wait three months. It’s a matter of putting out prod-uct in multiple periods of the year.

Has the company earned a profit? If so, how long did it take to get there?

I made a profit within two years. The first year I didn’t know how to negotiate print-ing. I was using one printer who charged me $6 a maga-zine and I found out I could be paying $1.50 a magazine.

Discuss the future plans for the company.

In the future, I’m looking to stretch out my presence in other states. Right now we are looking at Florida. I in-tend to implant myself with business professional groups so I can get to know the busi-ness community and re-search the market. It’s im-portant to figure out what is available out there and come up with a niche that will fill a vacancy.

What is your biggest chal-lenge for the future and how do you plan to handle it?

My wife is retiring after 40 years from the city of Ches-apeake. I plan to relocate to Florida in a few years. The challenge for me will be to manage my presence in both Florida and Virginia while starting up new businesses. IB

– Interview by Lakeshia Artis

DARDEN PUBLISHING SPECIALIZES in regional maga-zines with four publications – Healthcare in Hampton Roads,

Hampton Roads Bravo!, Living in Hampton Roads and Coast-al Virginia, which are complemented with digital online publica-tions.

Excellence Award Winner

The biggest obstacle I’ve overcome is comp-etition and raising awareness about our publica-tions.” PAUL QUILLIN DARDEN

MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2012 » ENTREPRENEURIAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS » INSIDE BUSINESS » E7