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Jim DeBetta, serial entrepreneur and now President of Slingshot Products, spoke to IdeaTango about how he got his start in the industry. You'll hear how he helped ramp up a company that sold millions of dollars worth of products to retailers such as Wal-Mart, Bed Bath and Beyond, and numerous other. Jim also talks about what led him to create his company and partner up with Slingshot Products to further his cause in helping inventors and entrepreneurs around the country.
Listen to the interview using the button below:
You can download the interview (right-click "download" and select "Save As").  About Jim DeBetta!
Back in the mid 1990’s, Jim joined a start up firm that imported binoculars, telescopes, and optical products for children. His retail customers included a "who's who" in retail such as Target, Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, Sears, Michael's, Cabelas, Home Shopping Network, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Costco, and many others. Jim employed nearly 20 people and also employed dozens of sales reps all over the US, Canada, and Europe. Ultimately, Jim helped expand the company from virtually no significant revenue to a leading brand in the industry that has sold more than 50 million dollars of product since 1997. When Jim was ready for a new adventure, he left the company as President and Chief Operating Officer. Jim then joined a 100 million dollar premium incentive company as their National Key Accounts Manager. Jim represented major national brands such as: Toshiba, Sony, Nikon, Nautilus, Mavado and others. The products were used to create various incentive programs for fortune 1,000 companies around the world. As the founder of DeCavi Corp, Jim has helped hundreds of inventors and start-ups learn how to get their products developed and sold to major retailers. Jim recently merged his firm with the renowned Slingshot Product Development Group which employs a team of nearly 40 engineers, designers, and marketing experts who help individual inventors and Fortune 500 firms alike. Both are recognized as leaders in the product development and commercialization arena. Jim is a Patron of the United Inventors Association, Inventor's Association of Georgia, Rocky Mountain Inventors Association, and has written articles for numerous industry publications and is a staff writer for Inventor's Digest. He also appears as a guest speaker for various entrepreneurial organizations and hosts forum and blog discussions on leading invention websites. Jim will be speaking at the InventBay International Inventor's Expo in Las Vegas October 18-19, 2008. You can find out more aboutJim at www.jimdebetta.com or www.slingshotpdg.com. |
