Diving into the world of E-commerce requires more than just an idea , it requires a strategy.
That is exactly what Steve Hundley used when he started his own business in 1994 and what he tries to offer his clients today. Offering a one-stop shop strategy for multiple Web services, Rancho Bernardo-based Internet Strategy, Inc. today represents the result of a seed planted with the 1994 formation of the Hundley Group, Inc.
After spending a number of years as a realtor, Hundley decided to start the Hundley Group in Silicon Valley to help real estate and related companies improve their communications.
At the time, Hundley had a multi-media strategy in mind, but that quickly changed once the Internet picked up speed in 1995 and he created Internet Strategy, Inc. in San Diego County.
ISI, which is part of the Hundley Group, is now a full-service provider of communication, E-commerce and training solutions that aims to maximize business efficiency. While the company still has a strong focus in real estate, ISI has branched out and provided services to other organizations and companies, like the San Diego Urban League.
The company is locally based along with the Hundley Group, which relocated to Rancho Bernardo in 1997.
Offering more than just a Web site, ISI also creates and implements fully integrated marketing plans, customized training programs and other support services that are designed to improve efficiency, he said.
– Local Firm Has
Clients Worldwide
Although ISI is based in Rancho Bernardo, business isn’t based on the local market. ISI has about 50 clients around the country and the world, including First American Title, CCN and McMillin Cos., he said.
Working with ISI has been a pleasant experience for Dale Stein, vice president for the Southern region of INET, a systems integrator of telecommunications equipment and data networks. Stockton-based INET is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pac-West Telecomm with offices in San Diego.
Referred by one of INET’s clients, Stein said ISI had a good approach to their Web site and he felt more comfortable with them.
Producing a Web site means having to understand a company’s business and culture, he said, adding that ISI understood INET extremely well.
Although INET’s site was developed two years ago, Stein said that the company has continued to work with ISI to modify the site as needed.
Stein also said that he refers clients to ISI whenever he can.
Even though the company has relied on word-of-mouth referrals for advertising so far, ISI reported about $5 million in sales for 1999.
– Self-Reliance A
Part Of Its Philosophy
Growing the company using cash flow, Hundley said ISI is built on old-fashioned hard work and referrals instead of venture capital.
This strategy has worked well for the company, which has seen growth in many aspects. Considered an old-timer among many of the relatively new start-ups in the industry, Hundley said that ISI has been able to build upon its services over time while still allowing for customizations.
With clients throughout the United States and abroad, he notes that there are very few companies in the industry that can say they support worldwide Internet applications such as FASTWeb. The FASTWeb Internet-based system is used by Santa Ana-based First American Financial Corp. for order-entry, routing and tracking of products and services. First American offers its title services throughout the world.
Still, acting as a one-stop-shop for services often means that ISI is more expensive than other companies, he said. While this may put off some clients, Hundley said that his best customers are those who went to someone else first. The clients were either dissatisfied or their needs could not be met, he said.
Working to meet deadlines and satisfy customers, Hundley is also constantly trying to make sure that his employees are motivated and satisfied.
As a result, ISI has adopted a relaxed environment with a flexible dress code and work hours to foster creativity and productivity, he said.
“We offer a quality of life that a lot of people can’t find at other companies,” Hundley said.
ISI also promotes from within the company and supports employees who want to learn another job inside the company, he said.
“We empower people to write their own ticket,” he said, noting the double-edged sword.
“We train employees to be more valuable and then we have to pay them more,” he said with a smile.
With the company growing quickly, Hundley said that ISI is always looking for talented people who love what they do and can complement the team already in place.
As Hundley looks to the future of ISI, he notes that there have been some growing pains along the way. Going from six employees in 1997 to more than 60 today has resulted in many changes.
The rapid growth has produced a new infrastructure with vice presidents and managers that handle responsibilities that Hundley once carried out.
Although the new system allows for a much bigger workload and more growth, it has come with a price, he said.
While many of the relationships are close, Hundley said that his contact with employees is becoming more distant as the company grows. Although morale is at an all-time high, Hundley said he just met an employee who has worked at ISI for two weeks.
Still, Hundley can easily talk about his family and his employees in the same breath. After mentioning that his 12-year-old son, Andrew, just won a technology competition at school, he might talk about one of his employees who camps out at the office, who is having a baby, who is getting married or who mountain bikes.
