Window Into Web 3.0: Blinds.com CEO Jay Steinfeld (Part 7)

SM: How are you able to increase gross margins when prices and demand are going down? JS: In a bad economy, if you are strong and well financed, you have an opportunity to talk to manufacturers who are hurting from decreased demand. We offer to pay them very quickly if they give us better prompt

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Window Into Web 3.0: Blinds.com CEO Jay Steinfeld (Part 6)

SM: What were your revenue levels when you starting bringing in your executive team? JS: That was in 2005 and at that point we were doing $15 million. We acquired a company that was doing $18 million, which brought us to $33 million. With that acquisition I got a COO from the other company. That is

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Window Into Web 3.0: Blinds.com CEO Jay Steinfeld (Part 5)

SM: Fast forward and compare where you are now. Back then you were filming videos in your bathroom, and now you are using artificial intelligence. What else are you doing? JS: Some people know exactly what they want. We want to provide them with the type of filtering that will let them find what they

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Window Into Web 3.0: Blinds.com CEO Jay Steinfeld (Part 4)

SM: If 42% of your business is referrals, what percentage is driven by search strategies? JS: I am not sure how you want to consider it, but we have a lot of direct-type in traffic due to the name, blinds.com.

Window Into Web 3.0: Blinds.com CEO Jay Steinfeld (Part 3)

SM: How much revenue did you do in 1996? JS: I started it in the last week of June 1996. I probably did $500 a week. That is rough, but I am sure I did not do more than that. I was hoping for a sale a day back then.

Window Into Web 3.0: Blinds.com CEO Jay Steinfeld (Part 2)

SM: What did you do after Meineke? JS: The company was sold, and I got fired. They pushed me out of the company and forced me to deal with what I wanted to do. Right before I was fired we were looking at other businesses to franchise.

Window Into Web 3.0: Blinds.com CEO Jay Steinfeld (Part 1)

Jay is the CEO of Blinds.com, a company he founded in 1996. It has since achieved revenues surpassing $50 million and is ranked #192 of all US e-commerce companies. It is also the world’s top retailer for blinds, shades, and other window coverings. SM: Tell me first about your personal background leading up to this

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Long Road From Cuba: Manny Medina, CEO of Terremark (Part 7)

SM: How is Latin America going from a broadband adoption point of view? MM: It is skyrocketing. We opened in Bogotá, Colombia, a year and a half ago and that is going extremely well. We are happy with growth there. We are looking at taking the cloud to Latin America. I think there is tremendous

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