By AMELIA HEAGERTY
Staff Writer
Two tech-savvy 16-year-old students launched their own Island technical support business last month, and they already have business cards and a few “regulars.”
One of only a few businesses of its kind on the Island, Vashon Tech Support (VTS) makes house calls for only $9.95, more than $100 less than an off-Island company charges.
“We have the skills and the dedication,” said VTS co-owner Tyler Sayvetz. “We know how much it costs to have the big guys do it and we can do it for less.”
Sayvetz and Jordan Soltman, sophomores at Vashon High School, said they wanted to start their own business rather than work under someone else’s supervision.
“This separates us from the stereotype of a typical high schooler,” Sayvetz said.
They chose this path because they enjoy “just being entrepeneurs,” he said. “It’s limitless.”
In contrast, Soltman pointed to his near-employment at Subway. Hired on Friday of Homecoming weekend to work the Friday-to-Monday closing shifts, Soltman said he’d start on Monday. But just before he was scheduled to work, he decided he just couldn’t become a “sandwich artist.” No, Soltman had bigger plans.
“It’s fun to be the boss. I remember thinking to myself, ‘If I work at Subway, I’ll never do anything but work at Subway,’” he said, laughing. “It’d be nice to skip that part of my life, working at fast food.”
Instead, he began an agressive push to launch VTS into cyberspace and the community, starting with finding a suitable co-owner after his initial partner moved to Montana.
Soltman and Sayvetz became business partners this year after Sayvetz enlisted Soltman’s help on building a custom desktop computer. Soltman had planned to charge Sayvetz for his expertise, but instead the pair became friends. The duo realized they each had technical talents and ended up going into business together.
As for its services, VTS offers “complete care packages” that come with in-home visits and unlimited phone and e-mail tech support, and individual services such as hardware installation, sound system setup and setting up a multiple-computer home network.
Service rates, an introduction to VTS and online appointment setup are available on its cheery and professional Web site — www.vashontechsupport.com.
The owners of VTS said they have long-term goals for the business and their lives. They both said they’d like to attend the University of Washington.
Soltman, who is working to get his pilot’s license, said he’d like to become a pilot someday.
And Sayvetz is getting some useful experience towards his career goal of business owner.
Both are looking forward to a “business trip” to “Colorado, Argentina, somewhere far away,” to go skiing. The students intend to put 5 percent of their net earnings from VTS into a savings account for just that purpose.
Until then, the pair said they have plenty of worthy expenses — gas, car upkeep, insurance and cell phones, to name a few.
Soltman said neither of the two are what people might expect of two teenage tech whizzes — they don’t even play video or computer games.
The pair enjoy sailing together, they said. Soltman’s favorite class is his independent study, in which he teaches video production to Harbor School students. The programming is then broadcast on Voice of Vashon’s television station. Sayvetz, on the other hand, most enjoys his wood shop course.
Customers expressed satisfaction at VTS’ initial service calls.
“They were very good at what they do,” said Islander Judith McClure, who called VTS to install wireless Internet at her home. “They were very professional. They’re what, sophomores in high school? I was very impressed with them.”
Islander Ronnie Huggins needed help with Skype, an Internet telephone service. She had installed the software, but just couldn’t make it function properly. So, she called VTS.
“Jordan was very efficient and competent,” she said. “Then after he got me on Skype in 10 or 15 minutes, we had a very interesting conversation about the possibility for phones — land lines, cell phones, voice-over-Internet phones. He was very knowledgeable about all that and made me rethink how I might configure my phone setup.”
Huggins has already recommended VTS to several friends and plans to hire the tech support company again to configure her phones.
“What I appreciated the most was (Soltman’s) willingness to listen to me rather than tell me 83 things I didn’t want to know,” Huggins said. “He listened to what I wanted … and I really appreciated that. He was very professional and very mature. I would have guessed he was a lot older than he was.”
Get technical assistance
Visit Vashon Tech Support’s Web site at http://www.vashontechsupport.com,
e-mail owner/founder Jordan Soltman at jordansoltman@comcast.net, or call 484-9640.
