Niwot alumni team up to aid businesses

The U.S. Small Business Administration states that within the first five years, 95% of small businesses will fail. Such failures aren't necessarily due to a lack of product; instead, many of those "failures" occur at the beginning stages of execution.

This irony is not lost on two Niwot High alumni, Evan Clark or Sandeep Kaushik, since their own business is also navigating these dangerous developmental stages. The hope is that with their knowledge and experience, they will be able to help others and themselves to get their ventures off the ground.

"I feel like there are a lot of companies who have good ideas, but it's hard to get traction. It's hard to find a market and know how to reach it," Kaushik said. He and his partner Clark are currently studying business at the University of Colorado Boulder. As juniors, this is the first year that either of them are taking emphasis-specific courses.

Clark is focusing on entrepreneurship, while Sandeep is pursuing marketing. Both have chosen to emphasis computer science as well. Their two business paths compliment each other--marrying Clark's aspirational business development skills with Kaushik's tangible marketing and networking talents.

Through their studies, the two realized a common desire to get involved with the Boulder start-up community. "In Boulder, there are lots of opportunities to network and make a career out of that. You can help all the amazing start-ups and not even necessarily work full time," said Clark. This idea of helping start-ups was the catalyst behind the partners' current business venture.

After networking with various start-ups and realizing that many weren't necessarily looking for team members, but rather freelance contractors for small projects, the pair saw an opportunity. They are now in the fledgling stages of developing a pseudo-consulting firm where they offer advice and/or service for a discounted fee. They are confident that their tech-savvy youth is an asset to them.

"We understand we're not a professional agency, but a lot of what we're looking for is experience and we would be able to come up with ideas that are fresh and utilize technology in a way that only a generation born with the technology would know how to do," Clark said.

Kaushik continues describing how, with this almost inherent understanding of how to use technology and how 18 to 25 year-olds use it, they are able to come up with unique ideas such as those for marketing. "It's being able to integrate different aspects into what we're doing. For example, I made a bunch of balloons with QR codes to promote a song and it created lots of organic leads." Leads are invaluable to businesses, especially those who are largely internet based: they are what show engagement in a company's site and indicate potential new customers.

Since the pair are still in school and have some time left, this means their business is still very much in the developmental phase, but it is promising. At the moment, they are still networking so as to discover what the market, i.e. other start-ups, need. With a few projects here and there, Clark and Kaushik are getting some of that business-specific experience, but they're still looking for more opportunities to help people and be part of something bigger.

If you are interested in their services, contact Evan Clark at Evan.J.Clark@colorado.edu.