The IT world has plenty of success stories of young entrepreneurs who take their ideas and run with them. Bobby Richards, a student at the University of Texas (Dallas) hopes to be one of them. He told us about his company, Wireless Evolutions, and how he hopes to stay ahead of the curve in the upcoming wireless revolution.
Tell us a little about Wireless Evolutions.
Wireless Evolutions performs custom wireless network installations in homes and small offices. Our installations include a site survey, router configuration, PC configuration, network capabilities (printing, file and Internet sharing) and security.
Why did you start Wireless Evolutions?
The wireless network industry is expected to be a billion-dollar industry within the next several years. We plan to dig in and develop a reputation by the time the industry begins to grow. Wireless Evolutions is our name because that is exactly what we plan to do, evolve with the industry.
What kind of a response have you had so far to your service?
Initially there was and still is much confusion as to what we do. The whole wireless concept is still in its early stage. Our goal is not only to install wireless networks, but to educate people on all the benefits and drawbacks of the technology.
What effect has the economic slowdown had on Wireless Evolutions' business plans?
The slowdown has really had little effect on our planning. Our problems lie within the fact that there is currently little understanding on the technology.
How many employees work for WE?
I'm the technical guru, and Chris Duty handles the business and marketing side. The two of us will be able to handle a substantial amount of growth. Additional employees will be added when needed.
What sets you apart from your competition in this industry?
We are in at such an early stage that there is virtually no competition. There are many network installation companies but none that we know of that specialize in home and small-office wireless networking.
Although all the necessary equipment can be purchased at any local computer store, there is much to consider when installing a wireless network. Although the concept of wireless networking is new, the technology it uses is one of the oldest forms of technology: radio. There are many household objects that can hinder the signal and not allow the network to operate fully. And as far as security, it is amazing how many networks are left using the default settings. Our wireless networking services include equipment evaluations, software configurations, and security applications.
Who are some of your customers?
In the home market, we target households with multiple PCs that would benefit from sharing a broadband connection but realize that wired installations are much more costly and are difficult to physically implement. In the small business market we target new companies or companies perhaps moving into a new office. Wireless implementations are much more cost-effective and allow for more flexible growth than wired solutions.
What can we expect from Wireless Evolutions in the future?
We realize that there is an excellent local market. We are currently searching for the best marketing strategy and feel confident that once we get our name out this business will grow. As our business plan states, we hope to cover most of Texas within the next 18 months, specifically cities such as Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.
Do you know a local company we should cover? Let us know about it. Send your local profile candidates to dan@computeruser.com.
