Just as I was reaching a point of frustration with my consulting business, my husband was starting a company of his own. He was working as an IT consultant for a firm in Atlanta. The firm was struggling with plans for growth in a post Y2K and post 9-11 world, where cheaper talent was available overseas for big development projects.
Darren thought he could do it better, but he knew there were big gaps between what he had and what he felt he needed. He recruited another consultant from the existing company who had a long-term contract with a large local employer, giving us instant credibility with other clients. A third co-worker was added to cover all the back office mechanics of actually running the business. It’s the kind of role that would be described as “secretary” if a girl did it, but it’s actually a very important component of the operation that allows the consultants to focus on taking care of clients without the distractions of billing, collections, and all the government paperwork that seems to grow as the business grows.
The team came together just as the old company began the process of selling itself, so the exit of the two partners was slowed by their need to assist with that transition. In the meantime, Darren mostly coded the operations guy out of a job, which caused some issues when he was ready to join the team full time. With a small business, you can sell or you can deliver what is sold. There’s not much else to do.
As part of the startup, each partner put in a small amount of money and was given a third of the company. Note to the reader – do not give away for pennies what will cost you thousands to buy back. But that’s another story.
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