Brothers take the long view.

PositionWestern - Interview

For a decade, western North Carolina has tried to brand itself as a magnet for creative, digital-age businesses. Wall St. Cheat sheet (wallstcheatsheat.com) fits that category. In November 2008, two South Florida natives, brothers Damien and Derek Hoffman, started the financial-advice website in Asheville. It now attracts more than 100,000 visitors a month and has been cited by The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, USA Today and other media outlets. Editor in Chief Damien, 32, has a bachelor's in public policy from Duke and a law degree from the University of Miami. CEO Derek, 28, earned a bachelor's in economics from the University of Michigan. They don't disclose revenue but say their business is profitable.

Why Asheville?

Damien: I'd gone to Duke and loved North Carolina. I worked for an investment bank called Inner Circle LLP but got burned out on New York. My wife and I wanted to start a family and didn't want to do it in Manhattan. We loved Asheville and thought this would be ideal. We came in January 2007.

Derek: I followed a year and half later from Chicago. I'd studied in Australia and visited New Zealand. Asheville reminded me of New Zealand. I'd worked for Procter & Gamble and Gillette and wanted to go out on my own. Damien and I started brainstorming. We'd always had an interest in economics and finance, so we launched Wall St. Cheat Sheet.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Asheville isn't exactly a financial center.

Derek: It doesn't matter. We're in the digital era now, and we can communicate and work with other people online and through laptops, cell phones, social media. It's the future--the mobile desk.

What stage is your business in?

Derek: We're in the "garage phase," just pulling the car out of the garage. We work with about 10 people on a contract or part-time basis.

How do you make money?

Damien: We sell subscriptions to our flagship newsletter--$15 a month, the cost of a stock trade--and sell premium products, like our precious-metals reports. That's $29.95 a month. We get probably 70% of revenue from premium products, though that'll probably become 50% as advertising revenue, sponsorships and...

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