Although many dream of starting their own company, few have the resourcefulness and determination to make their dream come true. Still fewer, are able to successfully propel a start-up company into the global market place. As Founder and President of Titan Building Products, Richard Bergman knows how it feels to be a Canadian entrepreneur with an international perspective. 

1. As president of a young company, how did you get started and, perhaps more important, how did you prepare for your current success?

Titan Building literally began as an idea and started in a spare bedroom and the basement of my house. That was back in 2008. Since then, of course, we have moved to our own facility, although we still have only six employees. Titan was not my first business venture. I began as a carpenter when I was very young and was running my first contracting company at age 21 – building decks, fences and even custom homes. This exposure to business alerted me to many problems that I thought required resolution. I then left construction to attend law school where I enjoyed patent law. I worked briefly at a Vancouver firm before returning full-time to developing innovative building products. Actually, it was while I was involved in the legal field that I realized I should be applying my skills and knowledge to the field of product development to try to make one little part of the world a better place. 

2. What is your “signature product” and why do you think it succeeded?

While we were still operating out of a spare bedroom and the basement, we launched the Titan Post Anchor which was our first product – or as I like to say, our first “building solution.” Our target was the DIY and builder communities. It succeeded because it solved some big problems and eliminated a lot of frustration for people. Until then, the only choices for surface anchoring wood posts were unattractive low quality non-engineered anchors or very expensive cumbersome options. 

3. When did you first consider markets outside Canada? Where do you sell your products now?

Our products appeal to people outside Canada. Actually, we think of the US and Canada as one market although technically we are exporting to the US which was our immediate market from the day we started. We have found growing interest in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and now Israel. Although it is unlikely they will ever surpass North America, these markets should not be ignored. For example, the UK is very densely populated with some 60 million people. Even a small fraction of that market amounts to a sizeable annual sales figure. 

4. How do you get started in a new market? Do you look to others for help or do you “go it alone” – so to speak? 

There is no easy way to enter a new market. We have tried contacting local retail lumber associations with limited success. We have considered using government envoys to point us in the right direction. So far, our most productive relationships have come from local people finding us and telling us why they feel they can help. It is not difficult to come up with a short list of potential partners. The hard part is contacting them. Cold calls are difficult. Emails alone often will not suffice. The people you speak to may have no idea you have a winning product because they have not seen it. Even when they contact you, the hard part, again, is finding the right partner, one is who able to build the market and take full advantage of its scalability. You need a partner with direct industry experience, who knows the local industry, the buyers, the unique market conditions and all the differences in order to fully exploit your products. 

5. What advice do you have?

Once you have local success, it makes sense to expand your customer base around the world. Institutional buyers seem to be the last people to know of new innovations. It is the consumers who will find out first, create interest and contact you – if you make it easy for them to find you with a professional web presence which is a big story unto itself. Great original content that people are looking for is critical. Otherwise, you have a static site that misses the mark unless people are searching directly for you. My best advice? Get out there and sell direct to consumers everywhere! Prove the demand. Prove it to yourself, and then prove it to potential buyers. Everybody gets interested when you have proof that there is a market for your goods.