Michael D. Croft resigned from his engineering position in October 2009 to focus on his recently incorporated company, eSavV Technologies – an IT company focusing on website development, mobile applications, software development and Internet marketing.
Two years later, he has 10 employees and, with several hot projects on the burners, may be looking to add even more in the near future.
PBN: I understand you’ll be a face in the crowd at the United Nations summits. How did a small-business owner in Lincoln end up down that path?
CROFT: Social media! Our online marketing campaign led me to an old friend via social media who recently graduated from Columbia University. He put me in touch with a colleague of his and the connections started coming. We developed a web application for a renewable energy organization affiliated with the United Nations. They were very pleased and made me a member of their technology advisory committee. These committee meetings will be held at the U.N. headquarters in New York.
Beyond Cash Donations: How New Forms of Giving Are Transforming Not-for-Profit Accounting
Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,…
Learn More
PBN: You’re also working on a mobile application specifically for tablets. Could you tell us more about that?
CROFT: Tablet software is where business technology is headed. We are developing an advanced mobile tablet software application with an administrative Web-based component that will allow companies to manage content on the mobile tablet in real-time and even brand the tablet as their own. This will be a game-changer.
PBN: Let’s talk industry trends. Native apps are out within the next two to three years, you say. Why’s that?
CROFT: I would not say they are out, but their popularity may wane as they compete against a new wave of mobile applications called Web Apps. Rather than a native mobile app requiring a specific platform such as Android, iPhone or Blackberry, Web apps will function similar to a native app but will run on any smart phone with a browser. This means, in theory, a single Web app can run on multiple mobile devices and does not require a separate development effort for each mobile platform.
PBN: You founded an IT company during hard economic times. Were you recession-proof? What pressures does a small business face in Rhode Island?
CROFT: I don’t think anyone is recession-proof, however, I do believe certain businesses may fare better in hard economic times and I believe our business is one of them.
Our products and services can increase business productivity while reducing business expenses. With a down economy, businesses need to be creative and more accommodating to discretionary consumers and in today’s market, all roads lead to technology.
More consumers are finding and purchasing products online and via mobile devices, saving on travel costs and in many states, taxes. Traditional business and marketing methods are very expensive and are becoming obsolete.
We develop technology solutions for clients across the globe so our pressures are more international than regional. Our headquarters is in Lincoln and look to hire resources right here in RI when we can and we do not offshore any of our work. We are fortunate that much of our pressure lately has been keeping up with demand.
PBN: How do you see your company growing in the next 5 to 10 years? And what are the steps to getting there?
CROFT: I see our services being catered to larger organizations looking for high quality enterprise technology solutions. I see us expanding to offer licensed enterprise software products and adding IT Staffing to our services. I also see our company increasing our staff size yet remaining a relatively small and niche team.
I always focus on quality, rather than quantity and a small number of the right people with the right processes can act like an army of workers. The steps we are taking to achieve these goals include keeping up with the latest technology and innovating our own, branding ourselves to the right audience and executing a strong online marketing plan while always keeping our clients happy.
