This was the last incarnation of my IT consulting firm I started in 2003. Originally I called my firm Longboard Consulting, You will notice on my resume I only list it as Maverick Technology Services. Well for resume purposes that makes so much more sense than explaining all the things that can happen to a busy small business as it tries to growth through mergers and acquisitions. Between 2003 and 2010 my business progressed through Longboard Consulting to MSR Technologies to MAX Tech Consulting Services (very short lived) to Maverick Technology Services. I would even break up Maverick into 2 dvisions, the other being Maverick Media Services. MMS still exists and operates today as consultant for web design, location based web cams, and A/V installations. Way to much to explain in a resume, but if you are here then you have decided to look deeper.
As Longboard Consulting I worked as a small business IT consultant for about 2 years creating success with approx. 50 local businesses in the Tampa bay area. Then in 2006 I met Shane Robin, owner of MSR technologies, and started sub-contracting overflow work from him. He had specialized in computer repair and sales and was looking for a partner with big IT experience. We merged our companies in 2006 under the MSR Technologies banner. Shane had a well established client base in the Temple Terrace area which we grew to encompass the entire Tampa bay area. During this time we started several new business ventures including a Medical Practice Management Software re-seller division, a Medical Billing division, and a A/V installation division. While the core of our business remained IT consulting which included Network Administration, desktop support, wed design and hosting, and computer sales we were able to specialize in IT support of medical offices by using our customer base from our Medical Software business to grow exponentially in 2006 & 2007 to well over 600 customers.
Our A/V division grew during the end of the housing boom when home automation was a hot selling point. We were installing anything from simple media rooms to fully dressed $50K home theaters. We also completed several commercial A/V installation projects. The largest of these were putting in the multi-media instructional systems at USF’s College of Medicine and installing a Video Conferencing system for then Senator Martinez whose offices in Tampa were on USF’s campus.
Unfortunately this was also very bad timing on our part as we did not see the economic collapse coming in 2007/2008. As we were in this large growth cycle the economy suddenly went into the global recession I am sure we all remember. So as our customer base began to shrink so did we. We went from 15 employees back to just Shane and I. We struggled along and eventually started to grow again, but it was never quite the same. In 2009 I sold my interest in the business back to Shane and moved back out on my own. This time my business was called Maverick Technology Services.
As Maverick I went back to a more pure consulting role, helping business not only with their IT infrastructure but their whole business. My focus was on helping start-up businesses get off the ground with a solid foundation built on a mix of solid infrastructure and sustainable growth plans.
Eventually an offer of employment with the digital signage giant AccentHealth LLC game along, and after years of independent ups and downs I decided it was time to re-enter corporate world. Having had the experience in the small business, entrepreneur world I felt more than ever I had a lot to offer a big company in our changing times. No longer could big companies look at themselves as “too big to fail”, as learned any company can fail. I now bring that constant small guy, agile ideal to the corporate environment. I would find out that in 2013 MSR Technologies would go this same route and be acquired by Big Sur Technologies. This I felt was a testament to the business Shane I had grown and the reputation we created.
So far I believe I have made a difference…