Entrepreneurial Pair's Roots Deeply Embedded in Port Orchard

PORT ORCHARD - For information about 360Tactics, go to www.360tactics.net.

Growing up together in Port Orchard, best buds Matt Haver and Jordan Stephens ran cross-country together, raced bikes and went to flight school. They followed each other through college after graduating from South Kitsap High in 2000 — first to Olympic College and later to Western Washington University, which neither finished. So after being friends since age 2, practically their entire lives, they probably surprised no one when they partnered up to run a business.

The two Port Orchard natives have different personalities and skill sets — which is, perhaps, what makes their business, 360Tactics, work so well for them.

Haver studied political science and communications then worked as a radio talk show producer before the industry bottomed out.

Stephens is the computer expert on the team, a Web designer who likes to work with people one on one. He was already doing Web design on a smaller scale and waiting for the right person to come along so he could expand — little did he know that person would turn out to be his own best friend.

The pair separated paths for a while, but ended up returning to Port Orchard and working part-time for a painting company. "We both hated it. We realized what we missed and our skills complemented each other," Stephens said. Deciding one day they were done working for someone else, Haver and Stephens traded their paint brushes for full-time lives as entrepreneurs. It was, in a way, like being back in high school — spending most of the days doing something together. Between the two of them, they spend about 100 hours a week on their business.

"We spend more time with each other than we do with our girlfriend and fiancé," Haver said. "Their support and our families' support is very important."

Keeping their partnership strong is, in some ways, like marriage, Stephens said. "You have to respect the other person and communicate," he said. Haver said that also means keeping each other accountable and being truthful.

But there's one more thing. The two young men, whose parents met through church before the two kids were even born, are devoted Christians. They start every morning with Bible study and a prayer, which includes praying for their clients' success. "I guarantee that keeps the relationship smooth because it's not just the two of us," Haver said.

The sum of two parts

While some of the two partners' duties overlap, each sticks to his own talent. Haver, who did editorial cartoons in college and once worked as a newspaper sports writer, excels both at graphic design and marketing. "I'm not techie at all," he said. "I'm not a computer guru by any stretch of the imagination."

For Haver, taking the leap into the partnership was a bit more "terrifying" — while Stephens dropped out of college to start his own business, Haver was used to a regular paycheck. But running the business itself, he found, is very much like producing a radio show: One has to market himself, write and make a lot of follow-up calls.

Stephens studied computer science, but he found out he can make good money by working for himself instead. Although both men hope to go back to college some day to finish their degrees, he said it's not so much about the piece of paper as the experience that comes through the process. He describes himself as the typical Web designer, but one who is good at personal sales. "Jordan hooks the clients and reels them in," Haver said.

Together, the team can do pretty much any marketing type of work, from Web and other digital media design to print ads, logos and press releases. And now, business has grown enough to bring in additional help — someone who happens to be another friend from their high school days.

Targeting small business

Starting a small company in a small town during a recession is not necessarily easy. The pair hope there's enough business in Port Orchard to help them grow — and they also have a few customers around the country. "We like to work with local businesses because that's what we are," Haver said.

The two entrepreneurs are not afraid to get out and create opportunities. For example, after watching "Boondocks Saints 2" at the Historic Orchard Theater together, they were puzzled why there was no advertising before the show. So they came up with an idea of how to get advertisers and approached the theater's owner, Far Away Entertainment, based on Bainbridge Island.

The result was a partnership that offers businesses advertising for $30 a month, with a one-time setup fee of $150 including ad design. "In a town like Port Orchard, a lot of businesses can't afford to pay $250 a month for an ad in a small theater. We delivered a scheme (to Far Away) that makes it affordable."

With the program in place just a couple of weeks, a few companies have already signed up.

"We're thrilled to be collaborating with Matt and Jordan, who are not only extremely talented, but local," Emily Adamson, director of marketing for Far Away Entertainment, said in a statement announcing the launch. "This partnership is a perfect fit between 360Tactics and The Historic Orchard Theater and offers a huge value to local businesses."

Haver and Stephens keep low overhead — they don't have an office outside their homes. Plus, they started out using their own funds. They hope the company continues to grow steadily so they can support their future families as well as be able to give back financially through things like scholarships.

It was their Port Orchard roots that helped the two launch their business. Stephens said since they did so many things in high school, including theater and music, when they returned to their hometown, they just needed to tap into that old network. And they're ready to settle in the little city where they grew up.

"It was hard coming back to Port Orchard after doing bigger things, but it's been a positive thing," Haver said. "We like the relaxed environment and the small town life is where we want to be, it's where we want to raise our kids."