The following profile appeared in The Business Journal on Friday, April 4, 2008.
What led you to start Xobee Networks?
In a person’s life, you sometimes come across a fork in the road. My fork was three-pronged, which included going into the film industry as a movie director, becoming a musician (I play about a half dozen different musical instruments) or going into technology/computers. Luckily, I had the opportunity to set my goals early in high school, where I realized that I could best succeed at what I was best at – computers.
In the beginning, I was fortunate enough to work for one of the largest law firms in the valley as their IT Manager, where I was allowed to build and grow my company while maintaining their systems at the same time. Since 1996, we’ve averaged two new positions at Xobee each year.
What is your essential business philosophy?
At Xobee we have two main business philosophies that work well and are equally important. The first is to provide the best and most knowledgeable service to our clients. With a 24 hour technical help desk and direct access to our techs via cell phone and email, we have setup an efficient support service which has worked extremely well for us over the years. I’ve been able to build a service-driven business that can grow exponentially without affecting the quality of service we provide for our clients.
I also strongly believe that our employees are the most valuable asset, which we allow to work in one of the best environments in Fresno. Not only do we provide them with all of the standard benefits, such as health insurance, cell phone usage for personal use and plenty of vacation days but also out-of-the-box benefits. Some of these include a company-paid personal gas card, unlimited drinks and snacks from the kitchen and a monthly prize wheel competition held throughout the month (similar to Wheel of Fortune), which employees spin to determine the prize.
Keeping both our clients and employees happy is really what has helped us become successful in today’s competitive job market.
What are your goals for your business?
Every year, our goals seem to change slightly. Our primary goal currently is focusing on proactive support and service for our clients. We work hard to make sure we utilize technology to its fullest to ensure our clients can do the same. The goals we set ultimately help our clients. The higher standards we have, the better service we can provide.
Who or what inspires you?
My ability to help others with technology inspires me. Whether it is the most advanced and state-of-the-art or simply part of their daily work, providing others with the secret key to making technology work for them is rewarding. Often times, a computer is used as a typewriter to get tasks done. It is satisfying when we can turn the technology into more that can help increase the bottom line and allow the user to become more efficient in their daily responsibilities.
What was your first job and how did you learn from it?
My first job was at Wendy’s in Clovis, shortly after graduating from Clovis West high school in 1994. I worked there for almost two years and found that most of what I learned were the basics of life and business. I realized the value of a dollar, the hierarchy of management structure and most importantly, the power of delegating tasks. Delegating is the key to growing a business. Choosing the right employees to delegate to is often difficult, but I believe the right combination between the two is what sets a successful company apart from the rest.
What don’t we know about Xobee Networks that we should?
Xobee Networks is more than a company that fixes computer issues – we provide solutions to problems. Everyone wants to pay less for telecommunications, we have answers. Need to get more productivity from your employees through technology, we know how. Our client’s company data is important and ensuring that it is secure from hackers, theft, fire or corruption is vital… we provide the solutions. Our main priority is ensuring clients have the right information to allow them to make informed decisions, at no cost – always has been, always will.
