Ross Ceballo is the owner of NYWNC, which is a full service IT consultancy for small businesses. Ross has established the business in the very competitive market of New York City, and his team includes marketing, development and design experts.

Ross, how did you get involved in IT consulting?

When I was 8 years I was asked to set up a computer. This was my first real experience doing anything like that, and from that moment on I knew what I wanted to do. After years of working in the tech field, I realized that I also loved meeting and helping others, so consulting just seemed like the right fit for me.

One of the ideas that intrigued me about the world of consulting was the concept of “constant change” and how the tech scene constantly evolves. I love the fact that I am able to work with many clients, technologies and problems, that to me is such a unique way to live and I was really drawn to it.

What made you decide to start your own consulting agency?

After 10 years in the field and then a few more years as a freelancer, I knew that consulting was the next step for me. I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. The only thing that used to stop me from starting my own business was fear; I was scared of the what-ifs.

What if I am not good enough, what if I fail. One day I just closed my eyes and took the plunge and never looked back. It has not been easy, but I do not regret it, I overcame my self-doubt, removed all the what-ifs, and became fearless, gaining much experience, developing new skill sets and learning invaluable lessons along the way.

Do you think that being located in New York makes it easier or harder for your business?

I believe that being located in New York is a curse and a blessing. Specifically, on the one hand we have a huge clientele base here in the city, but at the same time we have a lot of talented people we are competing against.

New York City is a great city to do business in because of its economy and its diversity, things are thriving here. But because of its large population and booming economy, one day I can be working with a start-up on wall street and the next week I can be helping a mom and pop shop.

You offer lots of different IT services – which are the most commonly requested?

Though we offer a lot of products, our top three and most consistent requests are: web development, lead generation and IT solutions. Given the emerging tech trends, we’ve found that many small businesses are eager to engage with potential clients on a larger scale. Yet they do not have the necessary knowledge to expand their businesses into the web.

We leverage our knowledge and experience to provide personalized solutions, at a quick pace, providing support and guidance throughout the entire process. Customer input is something we take extremely seriously at all stages of service provision, after all we are working to bring their vision to life.

What is the difference between your lead generation and search engine optimization services?

Both of these services fall under marketing, but the way they go about getting leads is different. The way I explain it to my customers is that both are forms of getting more potential clients. SEO is a passive way of getting more people on your site, while lead generation is when we create a list of potential clients that are specific to your business offerings.

For example, if a client is a chopstick supplier, SEO allows clients to Google chopstick supplier and the client’s page shows up first on Google. With Lead Generation, we supply the client with a list of Chinese restaurants in their area.

They are both great ways of marketing. We also provide email marketing campaigns for clients that need help with their leads. SEO gives you a bigger audience, while Lead Generation gives you a more specific audience.

This allows our customers to decide which approach fits their needs, if you feel like a more personal touch is required Lead Generation may be the way to go, versus SEO which would give you access to a much larger audience.

What kinds of software do you develop?

Most of the software we develop is either a web application or a mobile application. Modern businesses need to manage customer data, keep track of inventory, or organize events. Every business is different and that is why cookie cutter applications won’t work.

My team is filled with experts who understand what businesses need and how to translate that into code and return an easy to use product. Some of our older clients used excel sheets only to manage their clients and products.

They used to spend hours keeping track of data, now with our help they are able to spend more time dealing with customers, innovating, and expanding; and less time focused on the minutia and time consuming details.

What advice would you give to other New York professionals?

There are always 3 things that I say when someone asks for advice:

Develop your soft skills: Specifically networking. Networking is important in any city, but in New York City it is extremely important. Everywhere you go you can find someone who can help you, but if you’re not able to communicate effectively and put yourself out there you will miss out 100% of the time.

There is always time: The worst excuse I hear people say is I do not have time or I am too busy. People make time for what is important to them. What we have the most of is time, it is the only commodity we have control over, people just tend to waste it till they have none. Time is money, and we are all born wealthy.

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity: Do not be lazy, though things happen at random at times. Working on developing yourself, even when the opportunity hasn’t arrived, only puts you in a position to succeed once that chance arrives.

Many people make the decision to give up on something because they cannot see beyond today. But every day is an opportunity for you to grow, it’s an opportunity for you to progress. Giving up on yourself is not going to get you where you want to be.

Thank you Ross for sharing your thoughts!
You can follow up with Ross Ceballo at: https://ny-wnc.com