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Bowman Williams, CEO and founder of Williams Global |
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From: Bowman Williams, CEO & Founder When I worked for a Corporation, I use to sit in my little office and my little cubicle and dream about one day having my own business and being in control of my life. When I worked for a Corporation I felt like my life had no meaning. The work I did wasn’t interesting or challenging. Most of the meetings I attended were a waste of time and they never accomplished anything. I also realized that the only way for me to get ahead in a corporate environment was to become someone I wasn’t, not "rock the boat" and to work a lot of overtime. Deep down, I knew I could be successful in my own business if given the chance. I soon discovered that I wasn’t alone. There were several people in my circle of friends that dreamed about running their own business. One day it hit me like a ton of bricks! The Internet! I should put together a business model that utilized the speed and efficiency of the Internet. In the mid-90s the Internet was still in its infancy stages and there weren’t a lot of development tools on the market to help people design websites. Although I had obtained a B.S. Degree in Accounting from the University of N.C. at Charlotte and had become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in 1989, it seemed a no-brainer that I would do something related to accounting. Instead, my first venture into business would be as a web developer. I had developed those skills in my current job. I actually learned it on my own. I never took a course. So, in 1999 after much thought, planning and prayer, I left my comfortable job that I had been at for 13 years and started my own web design firm. I started my business in a spare bedroom in my 900 square feet home and with only $1000 in the bank. My first 18 months in business I failed miserably! I discovered I didn’t know a thing about running a profitable business! I didn’t know how to set prices, market to the public or work efficiently. I was trying to use the same work habits I used in the corporate world. But, corporate work habits fail in "real" business. The main reason they fail is because the employee is rewarded for being inefficient. For example, the employee that stays the latest and works the most overtime is valued more than the employee that completes assignments on-time. Employees are also encouraged to NOT make decisions or to think for themselves. Instead, they have to get management approval before doing almost anything. These approaches will not work in "real" business. Efficiency and the ability to make quick decisions are essential in running your own business. Once I changed my thinking and applied different work habits, my business started to grow. I started making my own decisions and began trusting in my own abilities. I also did a few other fundamental things: Narrowed my focus and found my niche I learned how to say NO! I stopped trying to take on every project or make everybody I came in contact with a client. I found a smaller niche of people to work with. I went after businesses with less than 10 employees. I also became very specific about the services I offered. Operated an efficient business I transitioned my local clients to the Internet. Local customers are sometimes resistant to change and giving up their individual access to you. But, I showed them how I could actually benefit them more by utilizing the speed and convenience of the Internet. We were able to maintain our low prices and still offer quality customer service. It would just have to be done online and not face to face. Utilized the Internet I put our programs and services on the Internet. This allowed us to work with many more clients and to expand our market to include all 50 states. I never wanted to be a "traditional" accountant or CPA that sat up in a high-rise office doing absolutely nothing to increase his client’s chances for success. I didn’t want to send out a $300 bill and a stack of reports each month that the owner didn’t understand and for sure wouldn’t use. I wanted to provide accurate, relevant and useful information that our clients could understand and use to make sound business decisions that would help keep them in business and PROFTIABLE for years to come. That would later become our Mission. Today, Williams Global has transitioned into a servicing company. We work through affiliates to provide low-cost high-quality online business services. Our affiliates are developed in-house. Once they go online we continue to provide the infrastructure, the computer network and the administrative functions for them. We will continue to add more and more affiliates to our business network. The services they provide will be affordable, relevant and useful to our clients. People ask me what is the key to running a successful business. The first ingredient is a dream and a burning desire to achieve that dream. The "how" will become apparent as long as the desire remains strong. Bowman R. Williams, Jr.
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