Dr. Leslie Klein, P. Eng
Access to the Internet is invaluable to today’s highly mobile entrepreneur. More importantly, C-COM Satellite Systems Inc., provides the technology that enables vehicles and portable structures to be globally connected.
C-COM Satellite Systems Inc., was founded in 1997 with the intent of designing and developing a system capable of delivering high speed Internet over satellite into vehicles and transportable structures. With the rapidly growing demand for Internet services worldwide and with no technology available to make it transportable, C-COM designed, developed, and now manufactures and sells its proprietary iNetVu® Mobile Satellite Antenna Systems – a technology which makes it possible to deliver high speed Internet services, voice over IP, and video over satellite into locations where no terrestrial infrastructure exists.
Dr. Leslie Klein co- founder, President and CEO of C-COM Satellite Systems Inc., has seen revenues of his company increase by 14.4% to $10,475,614 in 2010 and generated a net after tax profit of $1,846,037, representing an increase of 40.4% from last year.
Dr. Leslie Klein is an Electrical (Professional) Engineer with MBA and Ph.D. degrees. He was employed by such notable corporations as Hewlett Packard (NYSE: HPQ), IBM (NYSE: IBM), Control Data Corporation, and Bell Northern Research. He has been involved in the high-technology business over the past 35 years and has been a founder of a number of successful computer companies.
C-COM continues to develop new and improved mobile solutions that allow high-speed two-way satellite- based Internet, voice over IP, and video (SNG and DSNG for TV transmission) delivery into vehicles practically anywhere in the world using virtually any type of satellite modem.
Find a niche market that is looking for an opportunity…
What inspired you to start your business?
Internet access and its effect on the world. Much like radios transformed the world and made it possible to have them in cars, I believed that Internet access will be ubiquitous and will be in great demand even in places where there is no terrestrial infrastructure available.
Where did your business’s seed capital come from and how did you go about getting it?
I founded the business on my own and later brought in a few private investors. In 2000 we took the company public.
Expedition in Northern Russia
What makes your products different?
It is designed to work reliably from the deserts of Africa to the Northern parts of Siberia and Canada and they are very cost effective for what they deliver. They’re also easy to repair and simple to use.
How did you build your management team?
Slowly over a period of time as the business developed; and we realized what type of skill set we needed to do the work.
Creativity and positive feedback one gets from the work one does.
How do you keep your staff motivated and engaged?
We have exciting projects to work on; we pay our people well, and let them make many decisions that help the company. We also offer our employees stock options.
How did you brand your business and market it?
We developed a brand name for the product, advertise it and make sure whenever we get a large contract we announce it to the world. We use a lot of pictures to show the use of the product worldwide.
Cellular Backhaul post-Japanese Earthquake
Could you give a brief description of your biggest success so far?
We have delivered over 300 of our antenna systems to Softbank in Japan for use as a cell tower replacements for disaster recovery after the tsunami there in March of this year. We were able to ship over a 100 units in 3 days when the request came and sent employees there to assist with the restoration work. The satellite antennas which became temporary cell towers were able to become operational 8 minutes after they have been activated.
Do you have plans to expand to new markets/products?
Yes. We have a number of new products being released this year and we will be entering new markets as well.
What are your goals as an entrepreneur?
To get the company to the next level and generate more sales with new applications.
What is your exit strategy?
The company will be acquired at some stage. I am not in a hurry to exit at the moment. We are profitable, have no debt, have a worldwide presence and a great reputation for quality and reliability, so I am happy to keep going and do it even better.
How do you define success?
Success is the ability to create something that delivers useful solutions to people who need it and are willing to pay for it.
To what do you most attribute your success?
Hard work, focus, persistence and belief in my abilities to succeed and not taking ‘no’ for an answer.
Polish Military (Wi-Fi Solution)
What three pieces of advice would you give to others who want to become entrepreneurs?
Find a niche market that is looking for an opportunity, develop a product for it, put a lot of your energies behind it and deliver a superb service for it. You will succeed.
If you were to recommend a book or movie to a young entrepreneur, what would it be?
I have not had much time to read books lately, but the last great book I read was Einstein’s, Leonardo + Michelangelo’s biographies.
How has being an entrepreneur affected your life?
It has made it extremely interesting and rewarding.
What is the best part of owing a business?
Creativity and positive feedback one gets from the work one does.
I am not in a hurry to exit at the moment.
If you had the chance to start over again, what would you do differently?
Very little. I have made mistakes in my life but they helped me to get better and I learned from them lessons that were very useful. It is always better to learn from the mistakes of others of course.
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As an entrepreneur, how have you balanced your personal life with your successful business?
I have a very understanding wife who is also an entrepreneur and I was able to arrange my schedule in such a way that it did not materially inflict any hardship on my personal life. However, business has been very high on the agenda and when I needed to make an important business decision, I would try to make it in such a way that my personal life would not be considered as an impediment in making the business decision. So business is up there very much with my personal life and I try to balance it whenever possible.
Success is the ability to create something that delivers useful solutions to people who need it and are willing to pay for it.
Dr. Klein has been able to transform a crucial gap in Internet-related services into a profitable business. His company’s success proves that there is always an innovation out there waiting to be discovered, an idea waiting to be capitalized on. The Internet is increasingly fertile and convenient ground for business opportunities and practices, and C-COM has succeeded in breaking down the limitation of Internet services imposed by terrestrial infrastructure. C-COM’s success proves that finding a niche market combined with a market need will result in a business opportunity that will translate into success. There is always an idea out there waiting to be capitalized on, an innovation waiting to be sold. Visit C-COM‘s website to find out more about their products and services.
