Do you know where I can find those big scissors that cut? Can you write me a press release? Where can I find a cake that has my company logo on it?

Those were the type of questions Kimberly Baeth heard time and again while working for the North Hennepin Chamber of Commerce-that gave her the idea for her year-old business. Golden Openings handles the startup details involved in getting new business owners out of the gate.

Baeth took her first client by default. When she approached the board, explaining, “The Chamber could exist alone on organizing startup details for new members,” Baeth discovered the Chamber had too much on its plate to take on a project that would require the time and responsibility involved. But she wasn’t satisfied, and being on the direct receiving end of the numerous calls that came in asking for this sort of help, she hated to let callers down. She agreed to help organize a grand opening for their newest member in her free time, and word quickly got out about the event’s success. It didn’t take long for her to act on the opportunity she perceived in the numerous calls that followed.

For her 26th birthday, she asked her father to make her two pairs of life-size scissors that really cut. She was working on her first two jobs before she had her business cards designed, and threw the rest together in startup fashion.

From the Chamber, she brought to her new business the benefit of knowing the mayors, newspaper editors and area business owners. She joined five more chambers in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and developed three strategies for Golden Openings. They were, first to help new owners to concentrate on starting and running the business while Baeth organized their public relations in all of its forms. Her last strategy was to strive for the “small town” feeling, allowing the grand opening to create new business working relationships for all that attended.

Maintain the company’s clear focus, Golden Openings has grown exponentially over the months, organizing over 40 openings between March and October of 1997. Baeth took a day off on October 2nd, when her first baby, Stephanie Lynn, arrived 20 days early. Her husband Kevin took over for the Dixie Staffing grand opening scheduled for that evening. And on October 3rd, Kimberly and little Stephanie delivered banners, cakes, and ribbons to Galyan’s Trading Company, and went home to answer the phones…Is this the place that rents those big scissors that really cut?