Werner Elements Celebrates One Year Anniversary

What does Werner Elements and the Fourth of July have in common? Both are celebrating an anniversary. As we commemorate our nation’s independence, despite the current political climate, Scott Werner, President of Werner Elements, still believes America is the land of opportunity to create and grow his business. Help us celebrate by learning more about the company and our founding father.

 

The Origin Story

The seeds for Scott Werner’s brainchild were planted long before 2016.  By nature, Scott is a people person, allowing him to forge new connections easily.  Before starting Werner Elements, he always had an entrepreneurial spirit and was influenced by his mother and grandfather, who both had a knack for creating businesses. Scott’s previous experience working in the service/cooking industry, and also playing in a band, allowed him to organically build relationships with those creatives. These connections and his artistic outlets led to freelance work for other musicians and other artists. With nearly two decades of graphic design and website development, Scott saw that starting his own company was a tangible thing to do.

Scott’s next step was to continue learning as much as possible. He applied and got accepted to the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. There, he could sharpen his existing creative skills while obtaining the knowledge to start and run his own business. For several semesters, he was going to school full time, juggling a family, and typically working overtime at his job. He did this difficult task all with Werner Elements in the back of his mind. “My family has been the biggest motivation,” says Scott.

Building a Brand

The name, Werner Elements, grew out of his desire to use his last name while establishing a unique business identity, which in turn developed a catchphrase around the word “WE” that also functions as an acronym for the business.

The logo was developed by Scott, alongside a group of students from MCAD during a “Creating and Running a Business” class. His aim was to convey professionalism while also being open to organic growth.  After some intensive weekend brainstorming sessions, Scott and his wife Jan Came up with the slogan, “Yes, WE can do that.”  For Scott, this captured the idea that if they couldn’t do something their clients wanted, they had the connections to find someone who could. As for the color, they went with one of Scott’s personal favorites—purple. This was also a nod to the memory of his late Grandmother, who passed just before Werner Elements opened its doors.

Launching Fireworks

As with any small business, it comes with sacrifice and its share of challenges (including late-night business meetings held on the sofa or in the garage). The first major challenge was filing all the correct paperwork and officially launching the company. “Just before I hit the submit button my heart was racing.” Once the paperwork was filed and the website was live, he felt exhilarated. Completing the website made it feel real and “hosting the Launch Party at Heyday was the cherry on top.”

The second major challenge was determining how to approach the first year with a strong business plan that allowed for growth and flexibility. He also put energy into preparing the independent artists for clients, spreading the Werner Elements mantra, and gathering solid market research. “You can never do too much research and should constantly be updating what you know,” says Scott. “Be open to organic growth and able to scale to that growth, or limit and know how to say no.”

What the Future Holds

Werner Elements plans to continue working with local and family-owned businesses but envisions branching out with satellite locations around the US while providing big agency service without the large creative agency fees. Werner Elements also plans to continue promoting organic growth through communities and their local businesses.

The sky is the limit for Werner Elements. Scott is motivated by the ability to use all his skills to creatively solve problems for his clients.  Since he is in so many aspects of art (music, graphic design, web development, animation, and film) it makes him extremely effective. His work ethic and discipline allow him to adapt and overcome adversity.  “Having these skills allows me to be flexible. What it really boils down to is, that I fit our tagline “Yes, WE can do that!” explains Scott.

Advice from El Presidente

Scott’s advice to young entrepreneurs is simple, “Patience and research, do it right and at the right speed or you could get way over your head, way too quick…Don’t be afraid, share your thoughts, and brainstorm with others—this can help ideate and solidify your own ideas and plans.”

Happy One Year Anniversary Werner Elements. Here is to 100 more!