Mike Olson started as a freelancer but grew his operation into what it is now today, a robust IT firm serving 40 to 50 businesses in Rochester and beyond with a small team of two.
The owner of Olson IT Solutions Inc., Olson got his start in 2016 and expanded during Covid.
“I worked for a gentleman who showed me how to land freelance work working for bigger companies like Wells Fargo, Target, Hy-Vee and other Fortune 500 retailers,” he said. “Once he showed me how to do that, I was like, I can do this for myself and I started and it took off.”
For his first few years in business Olson concentrated on those freelance gigs. But as of 2018, he also started picking up local work and has thereby grown leaps and bounds from where he was before. He offers everything under the IT umbrella, including cyber security, security education, and management of networks and computers, among other services.
“We’re an all in one shop for businesses,” he said. “We’re a partner with their business.”
Olson does a lot of consulting as well. Another part of his work is helping businesses develop strategic plans for technology and the implementation process “for them to get the best services available that they need to be successful,” he said. “We save time with strategic planning.”
“Like any new entrepreneur, you think you’re going to do one thing and you throw that out the window and do a bunch of other things,” Olson said. “We found our niches in a lot of areas.”
“We are well known for restaurants and small- to medium-sized businesses for providing quality service in a timely manner. People call me directly and we resolve their issues. We feel we give a nice personal touch to the business. No one likes to wait for anything so we try to be prompt. That’s always been the goal since we started – keep it personal. It’s really helped us.”
Olson has some clients in outlying communities but most of his work is found within the confines of Rochester. Since starting in 2016, he’s grown and is now watching businesses he’s helped with their IT needs succeed within their own individual industries.
“It’s been a fun journey,” he said. “We’re seeing those people thrive. It’s fascinating to see people blossom. We’ve grown a lot since we started and we have helped a lot of people.”
He is passionate about “technology in general,” Olson said. “I’m passionate about making things work, and solving business level concepts to help businesses grow with the technology they have or need to have. I love being able to share cyber security with clients as well. We love this area.”
Olson IT Solutions has helped thousands of people with their IT needs, he said. And as for success, Olson says he’s already found it. “I’m happy with where we’re at,” he said.
“We’re always happy to take on new clients. That in itself to me is success. I don’t need to look at a dollar value. If my customers and clients are happy, that makes me successful.”
Olson doesn’t invest in any formal advertising and instead relies on word of mouth for attracting new business. It’s a method that’s working well for him, he said. “If I continue to do good work, people will continue to find me and I think that’s attributed to my clients and customers.”
“We go above and beyond,” he said of his two-man team. “We’re passionate about this industry we’re in. We look forward to serving everybody who needs IT, whether you’re a restaurant, a mom and pop shop, a financial firm, a lawyer, whoever. We can help you grow your business and make a good plan for your business to grow strategically and financially.”
“We’re there until the end,” Olson said. “We want to see the growth happen. If we see you grow, then we know we’re doing our job right.”
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