Woman entrepreneur and businesswoman, Jackie Luo of E-ISG Asset Intelligence Inc., admits that being an entrepreneur comes with many worries but seems to enjoy creating something of real value and opportunities for others with her company. Her company produces the software product “Visual Asset Manager,” an affordable solution to asset management for enterprises to mid-sized companies to government agencies.
Jackie shared more information on her product and her thoughts about being an entrepreneur with MyCity4Her. Read on for her full interview!
What is the unique problem or situation your product or service solves?
Our product, Visual Asset Manager, is a software solution that helps enterprises and government agencies track their valuable equipment and other physical assets. Companies routinely lose track of their equipment, not knowing where those assets are located or who is responsible for them. Consequently, these organizations waste untold amounts of money attempting to replace lost, stolen or misplaced equipment. More importantly, their employees become less productive because they don’t have the right equipment when they need it. Some employees spend the majority of their time tracking down a piece of equipment rather than completing the job they set out to do. Most enterprise asset management software platforms are unreasonably expensive. Those standard solutions could easily cost $1-2 million annually, making them unrealistic for mid-sized enterprises and government agencies. Visual Asset Manager is an affordable, but equally robust, enterprise solution to address this need.
What in hindsight would you say you underestimated about this particular industry or running your own business and why?
Before I joined E-ISG, I talked to many entrepreneurs, just to prepare myself for the transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship. I didn’t realize how true it was when they told me: “entrepreneurship is only for tough people.” Growing a small company can be very stressful. I worry about employee burn out, making payroll and where my next sale is going to come from. These are the things I never had to worry when I worked for big companies.
What is the best business related advice you have ever been given?
The best advice I got is “compete against your own potential, not other people.” I have applied this not only to business but life in general. This mentality allows me to push myself to set my own goals, and pursue new challenges.
What were the hardest barriers in getting your idea off the ground?
This question perhaps doesn’t apply to me. I am not a visionary person. My partner Eric Beser, who founded this company, is the idea person. Since I know I am not good at predicting how people are going to adopt a new product, I tend to gravitate towards a solution that addresses an existing problem. If I know that the customer has a problem to solve, and our solution is a much more efficient choice, then it gives me the confidence needed to build the business.
What do you enjoy best about being an entrepreneur?
I can one day tell my daughters that I played a role in building something of real value; that I took a small company and made it big, creating opportunities for other people along the way.
Do you feel becoming an entrepreneur has helped you grow as a person? If so – how?
Definitely. As the CEO of this small company, I had to deal with most aspects of growing the business (other than the technical part). I learn new things every day and that has humbled me and in turn helped me to become a better person. For example, I know social media is an important tool for generating leads for our business and I don’t have much expertise in this area. We hired a digital marketing agency to help us. My team and I learned so much. I think my team enjoyed the opportunity to learn and it helped to motivate them.
Where can people learn more about your company?
For more information, please visit www.e-isg.com, or the Intelligent Asset Manager blog
If you had to share one final thought with our audience of thousands of women in business – what would it be?
Plan for a long journey. Don’t get stressed out. Structure your time so you can work efficiently while having time for your family. Don’t be afraid of sharing that structure with your co-workers so they understand your desires and limitations and can help you.
About E-ISG Asset Intelligence Inc.: E-ISG Asset Intelligence is a Baltimore-based software company specializing in equipment and property management solutions. E-ISG Asset Intelligence provides industry specific frameworks for emergency management agencies, government contractors, professional service companies, financial institutions and healthcare facilities. E-ISG Asset Intelligence’s revolutionary software, Visual Asset Manager, is a fully customizable solution, designed to eliminate costly manual processes and increase productivity by effectively managing facilities, equipment and employees. Visual Asset Manager is a powerful tool that converts large amounts of disorganized data into one centralized, single-silo of information.