EnTrends

When asked what a typical work day
involves for her, Campigotto said that she
would like to say she is flying all over the
world. But that is not the case. She mainly
acts as an intermediary. A majority of
Campigotto's work is done remotely via e-
mail, phone, and other communication
means. In the last month, Campigotto has
worked on three projects simultaneously.
Her work involves a great deal of multi-
tasking and requires good time management.

She often is involved in strategic meetings
with clients and the coordination of
subcontractors.

In addition, Campigotto tries to find time for
her own business development. She says
that, much like other consultants, she thinks
about how to bring about the next client
once a project is finished.

Campigotto says that the task of naming one
particular mentor in her years of experience
would be hard for her to do. "There are way
too many people that are involved on a
professional level, and on a personal level,
that affect your success, that the list would
just go on and on."

When it comes to challenges, Campigotto
says that she tends to be very enthusiastic
when it comes to ideas. Unfortunately, she

consultant who specializes in global
expansion. With her company, Boomerang
Consulting, Inc., she utilizes a world's
worth of experience and provides crucial
strategic services for international
business development.

Born and raised in a German-speaking part
of Switzerland, Campigotto grew up in a
culturally rich environment. Her father was
originally from the French-speaking part
of Switzerland and he also spoke Italian.
Therefore, Campigotto grew up tri-lingual.
At the age of eleven, she added English to
her assortment of languages. To this day,
Campigotto claims that English is by far
her best language and it is the language
she dreams in.

Campigotto later moved to Australia,
which she still considers her home, to earn
an undergraduate degree. While at
university, she majored in Spanish and
Japanese. After graduation, Campigotto
continued to live and work in Australia for
an American multi-national company.
When a plan to transfer to the U.S. fell
through, the company offered Campigotto
the opportunity to stay in Tokyo or
transfer to Canada. After inquiring about
the climate in Canada, she chose Tokyo.
Years later, a variety of circumstances
have coincidentally placed Campigotto in
Canada.

Campigotto says that she approached the
start-up of her business a little differently
than most entrepreneurs. Instead of
aiming to fulfill a need in the market with a
new innovation, Campigotto says that she
simply had enough of working for
someone else. She saw the decline of
corporate relations between management
and employees and she longed for
independence.

Therefore, Campigotto launched
Vancouver based Boomerang Consulting,
Inc. in 1999. She provides services such
as market entry strategies, market
feasibility studies and assistance with
intercultural business communication.
Within the communication arena,
Campigotto project manages translation
services. The fact that she speaks more
than one language means that she is able
to assess whether a company's internal or
external communications are sensitive to
the cultures in whch they are working.

Campigotto says that although English
seems to be the main business language
throughout the world, it does not excuse
the fact that if you are trying to sell
something to a non-English speaking
market, you owe it to them to market a
product or service in their own language.
One area where Campigotto often finds a
lack of this understanding is within
corporate web sites.

Campigotto aims to bring an awareness of
other cultures to companies looking to go
global. She says that most mistakes occur
when companies begin to make
assumptions about the market they wish
to enter. Even if the language is the same,
Campigotto says that business practices
can vary a great deal.

Not only does Campigotto handle
objectives such as branch development
and communications, but she also does a
great deal of work with strategic global
partnerships as well. A majority of her
work involves marketing intangibles such
as training, human resources, recruitment,
consulting, and communications.
However, most of what Campigotto does
is confidential, so company names cannot
be released for competitive reasons.

A majority of Campigotto's clients are in
the business-to-business service area. She
does not work in export logistics. Her
strength lies in market entry strategies for
service providers where there is more
sensitivity to relationship marketing.

What sets Campigotto's business apart
from others in her industry is the fact that
she works with a limited number of clients
and provides personalized service. Not
only is she part of the strategic planning
process, but she also project manages the
implementation of each strategy. If the
proper result is not achieved, then she is
still available and accountable. For her to
provide the best service, Campigotto says
there has to almost be a partnership with
her clients. There is a lot of trust involved.

finds that people sometimes consciously
try to get free consulting because of that.
"It's a fine line between what you tell
people informally and what you present as
a service."

As for success, Campigotto says that at
the end of her second fiscal year, she has
doubled her projected revenues. However,
she never wants to feel that she has
achieved success, but that there is always
more to come. In the future, she would like
to focus her expertise on Australia, the
U.S., and Canada.

Campigotto enjoys the freedom of being
an entrepreneur the most. She likes the
flexibility and variety that it offers. As a
consultant, she can be immersed in
several different industries and challenges
in one year. If she were working as an
employee for one company, she could not
do that. The creativity required for both
her clients and her own company is
something she enjoys.

Campigotto enjoys a multitude of
activities away from work. While her
business is her admitted hobby, she also
makes personal time for herself. She likes
to travel, but when at home, she enjoys
reading, walking and hiking and going to
the gym. Her pursuits tend to be those of
a peaceful nature, instead of super active.
Because her work is very people-oriented,
she enjoys more introspective activities
outside or work.

When it comes to reaping the rewards of
being a successful entrepreneur,
Campigotto says that she tends to put her
profits back into her business and does
not draw heavily upon them. Because she,
like many entrepreneurs, faces the
uncertainty of the future, Campigotto is
extremely careful when it comes to
finances.

"I've never borrowed money for this
company. I started it with my savings. It
took me a long time to get my business up
and going because there is so much
networking and marketing that one must
do at the beginning." Campigotto's long-
term goal is to have an office in Australia
as well as Canada. She would like to
purchase a condo/work space
combination.

As for her personal style, Campigotto
enjoys understated elegance. She does
wear suits to work when necessary, but
she does not like the corporate look per
se.

Campigotto has a condominium with her
husband in the west end of Vancouver
that she has decorated with a modern
classic look. Because it is only two blocks
from the beach, there are many large
windows that give it an airy feeling. Her
home is also close to a downtown area
that is filled with restaurants, cafes, and a
large park. Campigotto says that
Vancouver is very much a lifestyle city.

When asked what advice she would give
to other entrepreneurs starting out,
Campigotto says, "Dare to dream, but
have a plan. You need to be clear as to
where you are going. When I started my
business, I actually took a year off to clear
my head and think about what I wanted to
do. If it is at all financially possible for
someone to do something like that, even
for a lesser amount of time, I recommend
it. I am a firm believer in planning. Also, be
open to the fact that it may take more time,
more effort, and more money than you
first anticipated."