(The following interview with Isaac appeared in The Fresno Bee on Sunday, January 18, 1998)

Small Business Profile

Business Name: Datatech
Owners: Isaac and Linda Davidian
Founded: 1980
Location: 5150 N. Sixth, No. 127, Fresno*
Employees: 6*
Annual Sales: $540,000*

Q: How did you start (or become owner) of the business?

A: "In 1978, I was working for a produce shipper-broker-grower operation, Borelli Produce Distributors**, and I was given the job of writing computer software for a computer we had just purchased. I had no previous experience. In about 30 days, I had my first program running invoicing and accounts receivable, and we went on to write programs for other functions. In 1980, I was enjoying that so much I wanted to start selling the software. I talked the owners of Borelli Produce into forming Datatech. At that point, it was a division of Borelli Produce Distributors, and in 1986, I purchased the business. We started out specializing in software for farmers, labor contractors, produce shippers and brokers and other related businesses."

Q: What made you choose this type of business?

A: "I kind of fell into it. After I started writing software, I found I liked that more than doing the accounting, so I just decided that computer software was the area I wanted to be in."

Q: What is your background?

A: "My father had worked for Borelli Produce since 1949 and when I graduated from Hoover High School, I went to work for Borelli and so I mainly had on-the-job training from my father in bookkeeping and accounting operations. So I took over those operations that he had handled for years."***

Q: What are your biggest challenges as a small business?

A: "Right now, it is keeping pace with all the changes in the computer industry. The hardware is continually getting faster and better, and we have to integrate those things into our software. We have to provide a product for our customer that is easy to use, and at the same time, handles all the functions they need. But we have to be careful we're not on the bleeding edge of technology, where we are selling our customers products that turn out not to work. We like to see the technology settle in and see the benefits for our customers."

Q: What are the biggest rewards of being a small business?

A: "In this particular business, I enjoy the entire process of being able to identify a customer need, design the software, write the software and then be able to see the end result as the customer gets the software implemented... We can see immediate feedback, and we do things that many times are specialized for an individual customer. I've also been able to have all six of my children work with me in the business. Right now, I have four of them working for me."

Q: What is your philosophy of customer service?

A: "In our business, we have to give a very high level of customer support. We have people dedicated just to customer support that handle questions on the phone. We have an 800 number, and the knowledge we have has to extend beyond just how the software works. Many times, we have to be able to answer a question that has to do with an accounting problem and how do we handle that accounting problem with the software."

Q: What makes you stand out from your competitors?

A: "I believe two things: number 1 is the support we give, and number 2 is the programs themselves. In the farm market, we've designed a program that is very easy to use, and we will provide training for it. We do that at a reasonable price."

Q: What plans do you have for your business?

A: "We are continually expanding our marketing efforts. We have new areas we are getting into and new programs we are designing. One of the things is designing new programs integrating hardware that goes beyond basic accounting. For example, in payroll, using automated data-collection devices in the field to get the payroll information. These are pieces you can buy from other people and integrate into our system. We will also get into imaging, being able to scan and store documents."

--Interview by Bee reporter Sanford Nax

Footnotes:
*In the two years since this interview, we've moved to a bigger office across the hall (suite 125), we have added two additional employees, and our annual sales have gone up.

**Borelli Produce Distributors is no longer in business, but it's owner, Harry Sbragia, is now running JMB Distributing in Nogales, AZ, and using (what else?) Datatech's software.

***Isaac's father, Sharon Davidian, went on to found Hallmark Insurance, a successful insurance agency located across the hall from Datatech.