At six-foot-five, he’s a big guy with big ideas about small gadgets.

Martin Applewhaite is the owner of Omegacell Communications which specializes in cell phones and accessories unique to Canada. Previously, they were only available in Asia and Europe.

Both his parents own businesses, and Applewhaite acknowledges the entrepreneurial spirit may be in his genes.

“It started out as fun, but I saw more potential for it,” the 24-year-old recalls. “I did give a try to the nine-to-five route, but I kept coming back to the thought of my own company.”

When he was in university taking his bachelor of commerce, one of Applewhaite’s friends (and future business partners) showed him a glowing cell phone antennae accessory. They went online to the website where he purchased the unique bobble and both agreed: “This site is awful. We should make a better one.” With the help of another friend who was into computer design, the three decided to create a better looking, better functioning website to sell the accessories—almost as a joke.

What blossomed out of that joke was an online store that started to take on a life of its own. They ran the company while in school but, after graduation, it was only Applewhaite who opted to make a run at a retail store.

“I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t try it,” he says. He didn’t plan on being in retail. “It was a surprise to me—and my two original partners who thought I was crazy to do it.”

Applewhaite sourced phones from Asia and Europe with more advanced technological features, such as mp3 players, than their Canadian counterparts. His phones run from $120 to $1,500 before activation costs.

The foreign cells work only on Fido and Rogers networks, but that hasn’t stopped Omegacell from selling over 150 phones a month, plus accessories.

“That’s quite a few more than we projected,” Applewhaite beams. “And, it’s more than we need to keep above water.”