Vivian Nelson, principal of PC Sales & Solutions, works from a laptop computer in his office. - Contributed
Bill Gates does not know it, but he is the inspiration behind one small Jamaican technology company with big ambitions.
PC Sales & Solutions was started two years ago by Vivian Nelson and Yanique Oakley with the ambition of becoming one of the top five Internet technology companies in Jamaica.
Nelson, aged 31 and the technical expert, says the story of Bill Gates and Paul Allen starting Microsoft in a garage back in 1975 was what gave him the confidence to follow his dreams.
Gates took ideas from different sources and put them together, making Microsoft what it is now, he said.
"I was so enthusiastic about his example that my friends used to call me Bill," Nelson reminisced.
Efficient operation
Gates famously said that "The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency".
Nelson says many Jamaican companies could amplify their efficiency simply by more effectively using the technology they already have, and that is the current focus of PC sales.
Located in the Cross Roads Shopping Centre on busy Slipe Road in the Kingston 5 area, the company has been quietly carving a niche in the local information technology industry.
"With Internet growing in dominance here in Jamaica, there is an opening in the market for network solutions," Nelson said.
Opportunity to grow
Companies are using computers in their branch network, but many enterprises have still not developed efficient, networked computer systems.
"My speciality is linking branches so they operate their computers from one server," he said. This allows systems to work with one database which can be offered from a head office, instead of each location requiring its own database.
Such centralised systems permit more effective control over information while opening the possibility for added services such as video conferencing.
Oakley, in her 20s and an equal partner who is responsible for the financial and administrative side of the business, was the one who sourced the loan which has made their expanded corporate service possible.
"This offers us an opportunity to grow," she said. They acquired a computer server to provide data backup for corporate clients, as they needed a system that could offer storage as the backbone of their corporate thrust.
The Biz Boost loan was the type of assistance that their young business needed, to be able to pay for this big investment, she stated. Sourcing financing at 10 per cent on a long-term basis has proved a very attractive option for their operation.
The Biz Boost loan is offered to small and medium-sized businesses engaged in value-added activities, said Thelma Yong, the JNSBL credit and risk assessment manager.
"The expansion plan developed by PC Sales & Solutions fits these criteria and appears to be a worthwhile project."
JNSBL Ltd, the biggest lender in the micro, small and medium-scale enterprise sector in the island, is constantly on the lookout for worthwhile projects to fund, the JNSBL manager stated. With more than 19,000 customers, the Jamaica National Building Society subsidiary has continued to positively impact the lives of Jamaican entrepreneurs.
"The partners in this business are skilled and have the experience to make their project a success," Yong said.
"They will become more competitive with the new equipment."
Nelson has armed himself with certificates in computing and is continuously educating himself, while Yanique has as an associate degree in business administration.
Smart choice
In expanding their corporate service offerings, they are not abandoning the company's bread- and-butter services, however. Oakley manages the company's Paymaster service as well as the Internet Café and fax service. Nelson still repairs computer hardware, outside of the contracts to deal with corporate network solutions.
Nelson, who had seven years experience in the IT field, became an entrepreneur when he realised that he was employed on contract and thus was effectively already operating as a small businessman. Oakley saw it as the smart choice when she was separated from her old job in insurance as a loan collector.
"Things are looking positive," she said. "We are spreading our wings."
They only recently shifted to the Cross Roads Shopping Centre and have substantially slashed their operating costs from their previous location which clients had difficulty finding.
"I am living my dream," she stated. "When I reach my retirement age, I should be able to hold my own."
Contacts: email: pcsales.solution@gmail.com or telephone 929-0166.