Need a new hard drive? Maybe some software, a PDA, or a point-of-sale system is more to your liking? Whatever your tech needs, Houston-based Axion Technologies is ready to take your order. Founded by Hadi Nurcahya, a self-admitted geek, the company provides a wealth of tech merchandise, and services to boot. Nurcahya talked about revenue growth, liquidation, and a marathon with no finish line.
What got you personally interested in doing this work?
Since I was young, I always had an attraction to computers--building them, fixing them, or even messing them up. Yes, I am a geek. But I believe you have to be a geek to be good with computers. After eight years in business reselling computers, I now realize that my role has changed. I no longer have time to built computers or work on them. Nevertheless, I enjoy the hyper competitiveness of this computer industry. It is like running a marathon that never ends.
How did Axion get started?
It started like a dream, from the living room of my own home in Houston. We bought our first products from Best Buy's Thanksgiving sale, and advertised them on the Internet. We've been riding the Internet wave since then. Axion was one of the first to sell computers during the infancy of the Internet, probably the first in Houston.
From 1995 to 1999 we showed amazing growth. Our revenue grew 300 percent each year! Then everybody else jumped on the Internet bandwagon. So, as it should have, the Internet hype crashed in 2000. Now the dust have settled, some dot coms like Axion still exist because we think the Internet is just another portal to do commerce.
With the economic downturn, are you seeing more companies seeking to liquidate through your company?
Definitely! They simply sell at or below cost hoping to stay in business or finally liquidate before going out of business. I believe this industry have many young entrepreneurs who like myself enjoy working with computers. But most of these young entrepreneurs do not realize how competitive this industry really is. Dumping products means lower market price. It is a constant issue we face daily that also a problem to most manufacturers.
What are the largest challenges that you see in providing your services?
Convincing customers that it is not all about price. Companies that dump products at cost will most likely not be in business long. And I personally have seen that to be true. I also see many young entrepreneurs with very little experience providing lower prices in exchange for their not so professional service. They lower the customer's confidence in online shopping.
Do you have anything in the works for the future?
Yes, quite a bit, like reselling software development tools, computer telephony, and computer surveillance. I honestly believe Axion as our current bread and butter will not last forever. Due to the fact that computers are getting smaller and faster, most people don't need a 6GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, and 240GB hard drive just to do work in the office or home. Yet that will be the standard not long from now. With that kind of power, those people won't need an upgrade, or to buy a new computer three years from now. Because of that, we would be in serious trouble if we don't think ahead now.
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