SEPT/OCT 2014
H
business elite canada
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“I started to build up a reservation that this
company wasn’t going to go anywhere and
wasn’t doing anything strategically for tomor-
row,” said Morello. “I came to the decision
that the best thing for me to do was to start
my own company. And I did the opposite of
my father’s company.”
Having learned the fundamentals of indus-
try, Morello used the time off to explore what
was possible by taking a look at the German
automotive importing market and a fashion
house as a few case examples. He started his
own business on an extremely lean budget.
Morello sold his condo and used the approxi-
mate $75,000 left in excess from the sale to
start Backstage in 2010. He soon began to
build up a cash flow to purchase more inven-
tory and add a few employees. He anticipated
the trends and took on a brand name in hair
extensions—HairTreats. Having experience in
a similar operation at his father’s company,
Morello didn’t even draw a business plan.
After only four short years, Backstage is on
course to exceed $10 million in annual rev-
Jonathan Morello (right) with Vidal Sassoon
