Self-employment

See a chance and take it

Entrepreneurs are natural problem solvers. Most new businesses are born when an entrepreneur spots a void in the marketplace, sees that something isn't working or believes there's a better way. "I saw a problem and the challenge to solve it seemed very exciting," entrepreneur Endre Roth says.

ROGER PIERCE
[ 2005-10-05 ]

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Roth owns Logic in Action (www.logicinaction.com), one of the first routing software vendors in North America to specialize in sales force routing and travel plan optimization for consumer goods companies. His firm helps companies with outside sales reps reduce their driving time and costs while on the road.

Big companies that sell consumer goods through retail stores typically employ outside sales reps to frequently visit those stores throughout an assigned sales territory. "It's vital for companies and their reps to optimize their store visits from a geographical perspective so they don't waste time and money crisscrossing a sales area," Roth says.

From his work in the industry of sales force automation systems, Roth realized there wasn't a really good solution on the market to help reps better manage their trips. "I became obsessed with the problem and knew I could solve it," he says.

"Most routing software vendors are focusing on routing trucks and busses and cannot handle some constraints specific to travelling sales reps, such as scheduling periodic visits and long-term planning," Roth says. "So, we developed a unique solution to solve those problems."


Like most entrepreneurs, Roth's story is a perfect example of spotting an opportunity and seizing it. However, he cautions against hesitating too long before plunging into the choppy waters of small business. "You're never going to have all the information you need or you think you need," he says. "Don't wait to jump on an opportunity -- get into the game and figure out how to play."



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