Q 1. Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans: Waypoint is an outsourced IT department for small and mid-size companies. We provide everything for our clients from cloud based solutions to a 24 hour helpdesk. We like to say that we “take the SH out of IT”. We have clients in 12 different states and 3 different countries at the moment.
Q 2. What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Ans: Many of my fellow Entrepreneurs called me an opportunistic one. I was working as an independent contractor through MCI Worldcom for several end clients. The implosion of MCI caused the umbrella company to bring IT in-house which caused the other 2 companies to put our RFP for services. I bid on them and won one of them and hired 2 people to do the job with me, 3 years later won the other company and hired another person.
Q 3. What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans: Hire slow and fire fast, don’t be afraid to make a mistake and set quarterly goal and measure them.
Q 4. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: Being a good listener, Decisive decision making, ability to delegate.
Q 5. How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans: 9-10 hours
Q 6. To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans: My successful wife and the Entrepreneurs Organization
Q 7. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans: We utilize both push and pull marketing. Our goal is to be Top Of Mind and have brand and name recognition in the areas we service
Q 8. Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Ans: Waypoint is a self-funded company with very little debt.
Q 9. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans: When you make a mistake or fail, pick yourself back up and try something different.
Q 10. Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans: Double to triple in size, especially with our profit and EBDITA.
Q 11. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans: Avid Exchange and Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Q 12. How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans: 100%, “GREAT” employees take your company to higher levels.
Q 13. What motivates you?
Ans: The ability to provide for my family and friends and really, to make as many people happy as I can. I am a pleaser.
Q 14. What are your ideals?
Ans: In the simplest of terms…I preach communication and accountability to everyone in my company every chance I get.
Q 15. How do you generate new ideas?
Ans: Discussions with my business partner, my wife and fellow EO members.
Q 16. How do you define success?
Ans: Happiness…PERIOD
Q 17. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Ans: Hitting the 12 year mark and still going strong.
Q 18. What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Ans: Risk takers who can handle stress and have a drive to create and mold and teach.
Q 19. What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Ans: Family culture, everyone here for each other.
Q 20. In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Ans: Wild
Q 21. If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Ans: Focus on servicing the small business market years before I did.
Q 22. What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
Ans: Failing on my business. I manage it 1 task and 1 day at a time.
Q 23. If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?
Ans: Ab Lincoln without a doubt. My favorite quote is from him “It is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”. This man was able to bring people together that were polarized, stubborn and single view minded to pursue a common goal of the greater good of a country.
Q 24. What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
Ans: Believe it or not but the E-Myth made me redo my entire company several years in…which caused major growth that put us on the Inc 5000 3 years in a row along with many other accolades.
Q 25. What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
Ans: Hired close friends hoping and thinking they would fit and work out.
Q 26. How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
Ans: COMMUNICATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Company Details:
Company : Waypoint Solutions Group
Contact : Dan Wilson
Address : 9311 Monroe Rd, Ste A
City : Charlotte
State : NC
Zip : 28270
Phone : 704-246-1717
Toll Free : 1-877-483-2794
Fax : 704-972-7210
Email : care@waypointsg.com
Office Hours : Monday to Friday : 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM