Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Fredricks.
Karen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have been using the Act CRM software for my entire adult life to keep me organized and make me more productive. I used to teach it at a local computer training center. In 2000, I became certified in the Act product while working as the Technology Director at a local accounting firm. In 2002, I asked to write the “Act 6 for Dummies” book and made the decision to branch out on my own. Since then, I have expanded to include 4 employees with offices in California and Oregon. I wrote 10 additional “For Dummies” titles on various CRM software products, 2 technology “Cook Books” for a British publisher and created training videos for Lynda.com, a subsidiary of LinkedIn.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Technology has always been a male-dominated industry and things haven’t changed much in the last 20 years. However, I feel that women should be viewed as an asset when it comes to technology as we tend to be more nurturing and empathetic when it comes to the problems our clients face. Being in technology has also meant that I must keep up with current hardware and software products to remain a viable resource. I have had to adjust my business to reflect technology trends.
I also jumped into opening my business without fully realizing all that is entailed in running a business. I have become the chief Marketing, Sales and SEO Manager, as well as the bookkeeper. And, my job does not start at 9 am nor end promptly at 5.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Tech Benders – what should we know?
Our knowledge of CRM software definitely sets us apart from our competitors. We specialize in all aspects of CRM from the purchase of the software to training and support. We are experts in report writing so, that our customers can use their CRM data to analyze the trends of their own business. We also do very specialized SQL database repairs.
Writing 13 books on CRM software has made me an expert on literally every aspect of the CRM systems I support. It was not easy to find employees whose level of knowledge and skill sets would complement mine so, I had to search out of state for the expertise I needed for my company. My employees all have extensive backgrounds in their respective areas of expertise.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My spouse, Gary, has been my biggest advocate and cheerleader. I think it is imperative for every organization to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to provide a reality check. A great mentor can look at your obstacles objectively and often provide very simple solutions. A few of these seemingly “simple” solutions have resulted in huge increases to my bottom line.
Contact Info:
- Address: Boca Raton, FL
- Website: www.techbenders.com
- Phone: 561-470-5450
- Email: blog@techbenders.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TechBenders
- Twitter: twitter.com/actguru
- Other: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karenfredricks
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