Business Trailblazer Gabriel Shaoolian

Entrepreneurs are dreamers. Some are fortunate enough to see some of their dreams come true. A precious few see their businesses grow beyond their wildest dreams.

I started Blue Fountain Media, a result-driven website development and online marketingcompany, out of a tiny corner of a cramped apartment in downtown Manhattan. I had planned on going to medical school, but when I designed my first website for a class project, I was hooked.

With no funding and no outside financial support, I knew that failure was not an option.

I literally walked up and down the street, walking into businesses of all sizes and telling them that they needed to build a website that would deliver more sales, clients and customers. I faced a lot of rejection, but I was persistent. Business began with a trickle, but as I built a stable of very satisfied clients, the word of mouth led to more and more business.

As the business grew, Blue Fountain Media expanded to larger offices to accommodate a rapidly expanding staff.  I filled the new offices with a dedicated, talented and passionate group of designers, developers, marketers and project managers… a group that took enormous pride in their work.

When you are an entrepreneurial company, every dollar counts. I knew that virtually every dollar I earned had to be invested back into the business. Specifically, it had to be invested in great talent and reliable technology.

When you are in the business of technology, then the technology you rely upon has to be the very best there is. Every employee, whether they are a designer, developer or marketer needs to be fully outfitted with computers, monitors and with onsite/offsite servers with accessories such as printers. In addition, you need a business partner with a customer support that you can trust.

“Dell has been a tremendous partner for us,” Shaoolian said. “There is a Dell computer and two Dell monitors at virtually every desk in the office.  As our business heavily relies on 100% uptime and proper functioning of all hardware systems, we cannot afford to waste time with computers that fail to work and the Dell computers have been remarkable reliable. This is why we’ve continued to be a customer from day 1.

We are also in a very visual business. The clarity of the Dell monitors helps our design team to come up with stunning designs. The Dell 24” monitors also make a huge impression on our potential clients. During our client presentations, visitors are blown away by the size, clarity and brightness of the Dell monitors.

Just as importantly, Dell’s pricing worked well with our budget and our Dell representative has been incredibly responsive to our needs.

In just a few short years, Blue Fountain Media has grown to over 80 employees and has offices on two continents.

Blue Fountain Media has become a leader not only as a website design and development team, but has developed great expertise in online marketing, search engine optimization and online reputation management. Clients include The United Nations, Procter & Gamble, The National Football League and OppenheimerFunds.

Myself and other company experts have been featured in numerous media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, SmartMoney, Crain’s New York Business and Inc. magazine.

My days of knocking on doors may be over, but the entrepreneurial drive is still very much there. Our business has grown because we help our clients’ businesses to grow. It’s hard to describe the kind of satisfaction that provides.

As for the future, with Dell’s help, a lot of hard work and the continued passion, dedication and talent of my staff, I have to believe that the sky is the limit!