HGBA Member since: 2008
HGBA Board Member since: 2009
Phone: 703-257-2040
Email: matt@buzzcart.com
Web: buzzcart.com
Address: Linden Technology Center
7631 Coppermine Drive |
Manassas, VA 20109
Company Background
When and why did you decide to head this company?
I grew up in a small town, my family had a family owned business started by my grandfather back in the 40s. So, in that sense I was always in an entrepreneurial environment. My father always told me, "There's nothing like being in business for yourself."
At the time I was always more interested in science and technology than running a business so I went off to school and got a computer science degree and never got involved in the family business.
But the notion of forging your own way was instilled in me I suppose. It wasn't until I'd been working at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for several years that I realized I could still be a business owner and also be involved in what interests me.
So, in 1998, after six years of working in the Advanced Technology Lab at DIA as a lead engineer for Internet technologies, I decided to leave and start my own internet business.
Where did the name BuzzCart come from?
To be honest, the domain name was available! We wanted something that had some pizzazz, that didn't sound techie, and that people could remember. We drew up a list of available domain names and BuzzCart just stood out as a great name.
How does your business serve the Haymarket-Gainesville community?
Our business is fundamentally about helping other businesses. I saw a long time ago that E-commerce was a huge opportunity for everyone, including locally-owned, independent small businesses. But many small store owners have no idea how to make it happen, which is where we come in. We're very dedicated to the idea of "Shop Local, Shop Online" which is all about getting local small businesses the same capabilities as the big guys, and allowing them to retain their local customer base instead of losing out to Amazon.com.
What do you want people to know about BuzzCart that they probably don’t know?
Many people don't know that we've been in business for 11 years. That was back when
e-commerce was just emerging as "The Next Big Thing." BuzzCart is actually a service of AITG Inc. As AITG we've been building enterprise level e-commerce systems to customers all over the US and in nine countries around the world. Some of our customers are in the top 500 E-tailers list. It's this level of experience and performance that we bring to the table for our small business customers as BuzzCart.
Please share one of the greatest moments you’ve experienced in your business.
I guess I'm still waiting for that moment. I'm proud of everything I've accomplished so far, and proud of my team. But, I measure my success by how I can help others, and it's always been a goal of mine to give back more to the community and other charitable organizations. My biggest hero has always been my father, who, as a small business owner set up scholarships at the local high school and sponsored various civic organizations. When I get to do more of that, I'll consider that to be my greatest moment.
Please share one of the oddest moments you’ve experienced in you business.
Well, there was the time a customer wanted to pay me in gold ingots...
In time travel world - What would you do differently?
I probably would have allowed myself to have a little more fun in my college years. I've always been sort of a driven type-A personality, and switching majors 3 times in college didn't help. A semester abroad would have been great and some summer downtime would've been nice rather than summer classes. No one told me it got more hectic as you got older and had a family!
What are the top 3 business tips you can offer other business owners & professionals?
1. You can't be an expert at everything, so trust those who you hire for their expertise. They may be employees, contractors, vendors or whatever. I see this often working with small business owners. It may be a simple business strategy or trusting advice for selling online. We've been doing this for 11 years and know a thing or two.
2. When starting out or expanding, don't underestimate how much capital you'll need. Plan on doing everything wrong - twice - and still have enough money to cover that.
3. Be agile. Unless you've got a limitless budget you'll never be able to tie up all loose ends, but don't let that stop you from moving forward. Small businesses can't afford to be stuck in the mud.
Working with HGBA
For you, other than general networking, what is the primary benefit of being an HGBA member?
Other than the obvious business benefits of meeting with other businesses, I welcome the opportunity to learn more about the community around me, such as when SERVE came and spoke to the group. And besides representing their businesses, many members are actively involved in the community as well, which provides me with more opportunities to get involved.
What if?
If you could have a superpower, what would it be, and why?
I've always wanted to get my pilot's license, so I'd probably want to fly.
What is your favorite take-out food?
Chinese food, definitely.
What’s your favorite animal and why?
I'll say the Narwhal, since that's my son's favorite animal.
If you would like to be in the monthly Spotlight, please click here to download and complete the profile questionnare. Email it to communications@hgba.biz. We are also drawing business cards at each meeting to line up the next spotlight member.
We look forward to hearing from you. |
