EnTrends

The entrepreneurs and businesses
featured in ProfilesUnlimited.com vary.
This makes the service appealing to the
media. Spotts features companies with
revenues in the $6-10 million range and
higher, but also start-ups who have no
revenue yet. There are those in
telecommunications, design, retail, and
other services. Spotts includes a large
variety of entrepreneurs because she
knows that is what the media craves.

Spotts' revenue comes from the
entrepreneurs that are listed in her
directory. An annual listing runs about
$2000. This fee allows entrepreneurs to
post pertinent information about
themselves and their businesses in an on-
line profile at ProfilesUnlimited.com.

Entrepreneurs are then open to the media
for interviews and publicity. This free
publicity can prove to be invaluable,
especially when compared to what an
entrepreneur could be paying in
advertising fees. Entrepreneurs featured in
ProfilesUnlimited.com have been
interviewed by The Wall Street Journal,
Entrepreneur Magazine, The Edward
Lowe Report, and CNNfn.

Have you ever wondered where
different magazines and publications get
their sources for articles about
entrepreneurs? Well, Tracey Spotts, the
President and CEO of
ProfilesUnlimited.com, is who some of
the biggest publications (including
EnTrends!) go to. Spotts has created
the only on-line tool for the media to
locate specific entrepreneurs to feature
in print and broadcast.

When founding ProfilesUnlimited.com,
Spotts feels that having an
entrepreneurial family may have planted
the seed. However, as the former press
manager for The Young Entrepreneurs'
Organization (YEO), Spotts received
many calls from reporters and
producers looking for very specific
entrepreneurs to interview. Many times,
the reporter was already working on a
story and just needed one more source
to complete the article.

After Spotts came up with the idea, she
implemented two advisory committees,
one of CEOs, and the other of members
of the media, to figure out how to make
her idea work. After receiving much
positive feedback, Spotts began her
business.

ProfilesUnlimited.com is unique in that it
allows members of the media to search
for entrepreneurs based on very specific
criteria, such as age, gender, annual
revenue, start-up costs, location, etc.
Once the media finds the entrepreneur
that they are interested in, they can view
press releases, media kits, bios, fact
sheets, and more about that
entrepreneur. They also have access to
direct contact information to arrange an
interview.

EnTrends asked Spotts what a
typical work day involves for her
and if there have been any people or
businesses that were instrumental in
the founding of her company.

Spotts says that a typical work day
involves answering all her E-mail
inquiries, making phone calls, and
staying in close contact with the
media. As for those who have
helped make her business a success,
Spotts claims that many
entrepreneurs and prominent
members of the media have been
influential.

When she initially had the idea for
the company, she asked some of
those people to serve on her
advisory committee. Not only did
they give her great advice, but they
gave her the self confidence she
needed to leave her full time job and
get the business up and running.

Spotts claims her recent success
comes from having had additional
media sign up to use the site. She
enjoys hearing testimonials from
entrepreneurs who have been
approached by the media because of
their place in ProfilesUnlimited.com
Spotts' company is also getting
national press. The company has
been featured in a few publications
and was also interviewed by a public
radio station on the Midwest.