I’ve known Howard Deskin for many years; he is a friend and fellow neighborhood volleyball player. On the volleyball court, he’d occasionally ask my opinion about a particular business or kick around a business idea. I knew that he worked for Wachovia Securities and didn’t want to move to St. Louis after their merger with. A.G. Edwards. So late last summer when he started asking my opinion about some business ideas, I suggested that we have a more in-depth conversation…off the volleyball court.
Howard had started his career as a CPA for public accounting firms. He parlayed that experience by moving into the private sector as a financial analyst for a Fortune 500 company. Due to a very long commute into New York City, Howard and his wife took the opportunity to relocate to Richmond and Howard began working for Wheat First Securities (now Wachovia Securities). While he started his 23 year career there as a financial analyst, he eventually migrated into business systems management. He found that he was very good at translating the clients’ needs to system developers and managing technology and conversion projects. He was also very good at generating ideas and finding different ways to solve problems.
Along the way in his career, Howard had formulated many entrepreneurial ideas and, along with the MBA he received, had whetted his appetite for business ownership. Over the years, he had considered a wide array of options. When he and I first met, the top idea he considered was becoming an independent business consultant. He had considered franchises in passing but had not thoroughly researched his options; he thought it would be helpful to do so and enlisted my assistance.
In addition to a genuine interest in business ownership, Howard was looking to have more control over the work he was doing. He wanted to be able to put his own ideas to work for himself, and have the ability to directly help his customers; he preferred having tangible results. He also wanted to find something he could envision himself still doing when he’s 90. And of course, like all business people, income potential was important to him.
After a thorough exploration process, Howard was surprised to find two very different businesses that both had the potential to help him reach his goals. Ultimately, Howard selected WSI (we simplify the Internet), an internet consulting business that helps companies leverage the power of the internet to increase their revenue and profit. Howard saw that this business would allow him to put his creative problem solving skills to work for his clients and allow him to have direct client interactions and produce tangible results for his clients. He also felt that it was a great transition from his job at Wachovia as it would take advantage of many of the skills he had developed there. With his contacts in the financial services sector, Howard saw lots of opportunities to help those clients. The professional setting and typical business hours were also important to him.
Here’s what Howard had to same about his experience with The Entrepreneur’s Source: “Robin’s patience in walking me down the path of discovery was well received as I questioned everything. Her wealth of experience in dealing with folks just like you who had the same thoughts rattling around in your head (positive and negative) is critical information to help keep a logical decision making process logical. In addition, she is a small business owner who has not only gone through a similar selection process, but has been running a successful business for several years.”
Howard’s company WSI-Web Business Advisors caters to small to medium size companies and provides a full suite of Internet services including Internet Marketing, Web Analysis, Design, & Development, e-commerce, e-mail marketing, Search Engine Optimization, and Social Media strategies with the focus on attracting visitors to your website and converting the visitors into customers. As WSI is the largest Internet Consulting firm in the world with 1,500 business owners in 87 countries, the WSI network has access to a variety of solution providers with expertise in all components of the Internet. The internet changes by the second, and WSI’s R&D team keeps up with the changes and provides its business owners with a slew of information to keep them educated in the best ways to help their clients.
For a complimentary Internet Business Analysis for your business, and to learn how Internet Marketing strategies can increase your company’s revenue and better leverage your marketing budget, contact Howard:
Howard Deskin
O:804.464.1230
|
|
