How did I get to this point in life where I was able to start my own business?

Sorry for the long read folks! This is a just some background about my personal journey.

Starting a business is something I have wanted to do ever since I can remember. When I was in high school, I started to work on computers for people in my neighborhood because I was one of the few who knew my way around computers. At one point I even started selling dial-up Internet accounts for a local ISP just so I could pay for my own Internet connection. 

Fast forward a few years, and I got into carpet cleaning when I had the opportunity to buy out a local business. This turned out to be fairly profitable but as I was still in high school and was a teen I hadn’t stuck with it because I was interested in other things. 

After high school I went to university for a few months and decided that wasn’t for me so I tried lobster fishing for a couple of years. Lobster fishing was also not my thing. So eventually I settled on going to tech school in Halifax NS (CompuCollege) in 2003 and took a year long course in Information Systems Administration. 

Following my graduation from CompuCollege I started my career at Dalhousie University where I did a work placement in the Enterprise Novell Support Group where I cut my teeth working on their Novell systems and was tasked with redesigning the printing system used in the computer labs for students. Following that, I went over to the web authoring group where I worked on developing websites for various departments at the university as well as some outside organizations. 

Eventually my time was up at Dalhousie and I moved on to working for a satellite office of a national IT company where I worked primarily on contracts for NS Power. Here I got to visit nearly all of the NS Power locations around the province, servicing a multitude of platforms. Eventually we settled on a project to deploy hundreds of new laptop and desktop computers to staff at head office in Halifax. 

All of this brings us to 2004 when I got a job with the provincial government on one of their help desks. Here I did just about everything under the sun when it comes to end user support. This included travel around the city doing desktop support when not manning the phones on the help desk. I bounced around a couple of departments in the NS Government until 2008 when I moved back to Yarmouth County. 

When I first moved back to Yarmouth, I had taken a part-time job working for a retail data company where I would go around to various stores and take data related to products and inventory. It was a temporary job just to pay the bills. Later in the year I got a call for an interview for a desktop support job at Register.com. 

Luckily I got the job at Register and was back in IT full time. This is where I feel like my learning really started. I quickly got certified in their VoIP Telephony platform and became intimately familiar with its inner workings. Due to staff changes, by 2009 I had become responsible for nearly all of the Windows and Telephony infrastructure in the local location as well as the telephony infrastructure in Halifax and Jacksonville FL. I even flew down to Jacksonville multiple times. Part of those trips was to build out a new telephony system to replace some of their aging technology as well as to better support operations in the US in general.   

In 2012 I left what was then Web.com and took a break from IT for about 10 months. As luck would have it, I was contacted by a former colleague from Web.com wondering if I would be interested in filling a position with a company that specialized in VoIP Telephony. Specifically, this company was a reseller and partner of Interactive Intelligence VoIP contact center solutions. 

From 2012 until 2023 I worked at four different companies that were partners of Interactive Intelligence, and then Genesys (after they bought out Interactive Intelligence). I held numerous positions in support, management, and projects. On a couple of occasions I was Team Lead where I was responsible for managing support teams. I also spent time as a Tier 3 Support Engineer for a large US company where I handled the most complex issues and helped manage a team of Tier 2 and Tier 1 support technicians. 

In December of 2023 I was laid off from my last position. This was totally unexpected and a complete shock. However, I took it in stride and made the best of the situation. I was able to take some time to myself as I didn’t need to go right out and find employment. During this time, I was speaking with a friend who operates his own business which is very similar to mine. He noted that the local area was in need of more IT businesses so I started looking into maybe starting out on my own. 

In April of 2024, I applied for the Self Employment Benefits program through the local branch of the CBDC. This is a provincially funded program that helps people start their own businesses while on EI and then provides additional income to help with cost of living once EI runs out. It’s nothing huge but it sure helps. Along with this funding, there are also many resources and training opportunities provided by the CBDC to help new entrepreneurs with starting up their business. 

During the process of putting together my business plan and doing market research, I realized how much untapped potential there is in the local area. I spoke to many business owners who had a hard time finding (and keeping) someone who could provide reliable technical support that wasn’t just a Computer Repair Technician. 

This is where I felt my nearly 20 years of experience in IT and VoIP could really benefit local businesses. There is a need for people who have experience working with (and for) all sizes of enterprises and businesses. My experience helps me better understand business processes and how to scope out what a business truly needs. This also allows me to provide tailored packages for customers who want managed solutions that combine more than just standard break-fix technical support. 

I want my business to provide value added services and products that help businesses improve efficiency and lower costs. All while knowing that my customers have top notch customer service at their fingertips when they need it.

That’s my story 🙂 – Dennis