Typically, drinking games slow reaction time and decrease the ability to operate heavy machinery. For Matt VanDeWalle, a junior at Ball State University, these games have boosted productivity.
Aside from attending classes and doing homework, he has another activity he enjoys. This activity has began to consume his time and energy and is using his building skills to create an essential accessory to his favorite game.
VanDeWalle designs and builds beer-pong tables.
He was given the idea when a couple of his friends asked him to help with a design they wanted to put on a table. After spending a few hours on the details of the design his friends were amazed by the product, and so his new hobby began.
After reviewing and deciding on what he could do with all the talent he had for creating table designs he thought to himself, why not put this to use and sell beer-pong tables specially designed for everyone?
It was after helping design the table for his friends that VanDeWalle began his business. Several friends from different schools began generating buzz when they spread the word about his talent for replicating details and designs of any sport to put on a table,
After thinking about what he could call his product and what type of design it would have, VanDeWalle created a Web site to address more clients. He designed his web site with pictures of his friends playing beer pong on the tables he had designed.
He is so involved with his tables and designs that he is constantly on the lookout for potential customers.
"I carry around my camera phone with pictures of my recently designed tables," VanDeWalle said. "When someone exclaims about how cool the party's table looks, I take out my phone, and skim through the rest of my pictures, hoping maybe they too would be interested in buying a table."
To expand his production of beer pong tables, VanDeWalle offers a wide variety of styles.
"I enjoy taking my ideas along with other people's ideas, and putting them together on a table to make a design that my client likes," VanDeWalle said. "I like to think of my motto as 'Pimp My Tables.' It's all about the customers - what they want, how they want it, and where they want it. The sky is certainly the limit."
He says his best designs have been the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana University basketball tables. He also makes other football or basketball courts and adds fraternity or sorority signs on the table instead of team logos.
VanDeWalle thinks his production of tables will increase once more people learn more about the tables. But no matter what, he is proud of what he has started and continues to build these tables for his own fun.
VanDeWalle said that because creating tables has become so important and enjoyable to him, he spends a lot of his time and energy on making sure that every detail on the table is completely accurate.
"Sometimes depending on the design of a table, I will spend eight or nine hours measuring the d+â-¬cor to put on the table," VanDeWalle said. "Just because I want it just right."
VanDeWalle hopes the experience will help better himself for his future in business. He is happy that he has a small business running, and hopes when he steps out into the business world everything he has learned about customer satisfaction, production and reaching deadlines will pay off.
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