Texas based business owner Richard Chavez is the founder of RC fiber, a company specialized in the installation, testing and documentation of fiber optic cable and equipment. Chavez started his company from scratch, taking advantage of his vast knowledge in the industry.
Here is his story…..
Mr. Chaves tell me a little bit how you started your company?
Once retired I needed something to do and it was easy to work on what I know, so a company called me to work as a contractor teaching and supporting their fiber optic projects and that is pretty much how I started getting into the business.
Could you give me some examples to illustrate the challenge you faced in starting your company?
The biggest challenge I face when the company got started was the acquisition of equipment, is very expensive to own fiber optic equipment, I started by renting from a company that specializes in renting this type of equipment, I tried to stay away from financing with banks, I had to start very slow because I was trying to finance everything myself.
Other challenges have been paying taxes, now I do not worry about employee taxes, but employer taxes as well and they add up quick and high.
Contracts have also been some big challenges, trying to read and understand them and meet customers objectives in a timely manner can represent an increase in stress.
So this leads me to my next question, when problems arise how do you resolve them?
I try to be in contact with other colleges and friends in the industry to obtain some feedback in certain situations, I can say that my friends and good relationships have gotten me out of many problematic situations.
How have the experiences that you have had during your entire career influence the way you run your business?
The experience I had helped me do a good job right the first time as opposed to go back and fix problems, now that I have my own company money is of the essence and I have to be careful about the end result, also is my reputation on the line and I always strive to be the best.
How do you motivate and reward your employees?
I like to praise my people when they do a good job, we have a praise program where the employees can choose from different types of gift cards, we also have Christmas parties, cookouts, for Thanksgiving I like to get my people frozen turkeys, it saves them a little money. I think that the happiest my employees are the less likely they are to get another job and when you have quality people working for you they become your biggest assets.
How do you select people to join your company?
I have to know their experience level in the field, which is one of the most important things. I can not afford to hire anyone without experience in fiber optics. Degree is not so important to me because we do not design the systems, the design comes from the customer, and we primarily deal with the installation process.
How are things going in your company in general, in terms of company work force are sales up, down or flat?
2009 was one of the slowest years we have had. However; we managed to keep our people working. Currently, the work load is very high, we have been force to expand and increase our work force, and due to the Government broadband stimulus money we have been busier that ever.
How do you keep up with best practices in your company?
We follow best practices standards, also we assist many trade shows and we keep up with trade magazines and the national standards.
Could you describe a typical day at work?
A typical day in a new job starts by surveying our surroundings, we need to make sure that we have proper equipment and materials, designs, we meet with our customer at each site, also the technicians and Engineers that will be involved in the project to make sure everyone understands the what is going on. Our goal is customer satisfaction.
How did you first enter your line of work?
I held a job at AT&T as a cable splicer, received most of my training there in fact I retired from this company, once I left the company I realized how important fiber optics would be in the future so I found the same line of work in different companies to acquire more experience, I keep educating myself and my employees about the many different ways and methods to work, in this industry the change is constant and we as a company have to keep up.
What advice would you give to someone who was considering a career in fiber optics?
Education, lots of training in the many fields that deal with fiber optics, it all depends what kind of level you want to be, Fiber Optics Engineers actually have an upper hand in the business, they are involve in most aspects of a local area network, from design to installation.
After working with Mr. Chavez in one of our projects I realized the great value of experience, after being in the business for so long Mr. Chavez has a bank of knowledge in the fiber optics industry.
