No one will mistake Buffalo, NY for Silicon Valley, but over the last few years, the region has become something of a hot bed for technology companies.

And this has caused a land grab for the area’s top tech talent.

Although the Western New York area is home to over a half dozen colleges and universities, many technology companies are finding it increasingly hard to find IT staff.

In Sunday’s Buffalo News, VoIP Supply was profiled as one local company that is not only flourishing, but doing it all with local talent. As an employee here for the last five years, I can tell you that it has been thrill to see a little five man operation turn into over 70, with aspirations to be well over 80 by the end of the year. While the growth in headcount is great, the greatest part about the growth is that most of the people who have come into the doors here have been friends (and or family members) and those who were not will soon become.

So many times in business we all forget about what really matters; people. A few weeks ago, I had a candid conversation with our CEO, Benjamin Sayers. We were talking about the vision for the business and it had nothing to do with size, revenues or profits, but what he said was “creating an awesome work environment where everyone looks forward to coming to work, feels challenged, appreciated and has the ability to learn, grow and succeed in whichever path they might choose.” If that does not define people over profits, I am not sure what does.

Over the last week, fresh off our recognition as the Best Place to Work in Western New York and the story above in the Buffalo News, I have had the opportunity to first hand see what can happen when a organization is created that puts people first and profits second. Sure we aren’t perfect, but it will never be because of a lack of trying.

To the 70 current employees, I’d like to say thanks for all that you do here and to anyone who is looking to be part of an enjoyable, dynamic, high energy culture, check out the employment opportunities we have here; it’s well worth the five minutes.

No one will mistake Buffalo, NY for Silicon Valley, but over the last few years, the region has become something of a hot bed for technology companies.

And this has caused a land grab for the area’s top tech talent.

Although the Western New York area is home to over a half dozen colleges and universities, many technology companies are finding it increasingly hard to find IT staff.

In Sunday’s Buffalo News, VoIP Supply was profiled as one local company that is not only flourishing, but doing it all with local talent. As an employee here for the last five years, I can tell you that it has been thrill to see a little five man operation turn into over 70, with aspirations to be well over 80 by the end of the year. While the growth in headcount is great, the greatest part about the growth is that most of the people who have come into the doors here have been friends (and or family members) and those who were not will soon become.

So many times in business we all forget about what really matters; people. A few weeks ago, I had a candid conversation with our CEO, Benjamin Sayers. We were talking about the vision for the business and it had nothing to do with size, revenues or profits, but what he said was “creating an awesome work environment where everyone looks forward to coming to work, feels challenged, appreciated and has the ability to learn, grow and succeed in whichever path they might choose.” If that does not define people over profits, I am not sure what does.

Over the last week, fresh off our recognition as the Best Place to Work in Western New York and the story above in the Buffalo News, I have had the opportunity to first hand see what can happen when a organization is created that puts people first and profits second. Sure we aren’t perfect, but it will never be because of a lack of trying.

To the 70 current employees, I’d like to say thanks for all that you do here and to anyone who is looking to be part of an enjoyable, dynamic, high energy culture, check out the employment opportunities we have here; it’s well worth the five minutes.

Press Release

Another great Voip Supply Promo this week!

This week VoIP Supply has a great promotion featuring GN Netcom products. You can save $100 when purchasing a GN9330 and GN1000 combo. The GN 1000 Remote Handset Lifter answers and ends calls remotely, allowing you to roam free around the office. The GN9330 Wireless Headset is the perfect pairing and provides noise cancelling sound with a lifter. It is also WiFi-friendly. Your voice will always be transmitted clearly, even as you are moving through a noisy area. The headset allows a nine-hour talk time without recharging, ensuring you are always ready for every call.

So make sure to check out VoIP Supply, because these essential VoIP items won’t last long. Get a great deal by saving $100 when purchasing this great combo.

Yesterday VoIP Supply was awarded the Best Place to Work in Western New York (for companies with 51-100 employees).

This is a tremendous honor and a testament to the quality of staff employed at VoIP Supply. Growing at such a rapid pace, constantly adding more and more people and always having to change in order to set the pace and stay on top of our game is a challenge. Ensuring that the workplace is safe, fun, and enjoyable while maintaining a high level of morale makes that challenge that much more exciting.

So far this year we have added 23 new people (more than 50% growth), changed our ERP and CRM platforms, expanded into additional office space, refined and documented all company processes and procedures, and expanded into two additional markets (IP Surveillance and Voice Recordings).

I am proud to be part of an organization that can pull off all of these things, do it with a smile, and look forward to coming back in tomorrow. To all those at VoIP Supply, thank you for being part of this team.

Always an interesting component of the CEO’s role is the summarization of one’s employment at the time of departure. These are usually quite different when the employee is leaving on their own versus when they have been terminated. We conduct exit interviews whenever possible to determine the reasons for the change from the employee perspective and to learn how we can improve if necessary.

“The grass is greener.” Often times people leave the company because they feel that there is a more suitable opportunity elsewhere. In many companies I am sure this is true; at VoIP Supply the owners and managers work very hard to create an environment where people can grow their own green grass and not feel a need to leave. If the greener grass is more money for less work, responsibility and accountability then there will always be a short term gig with skeletons in the closet. This is not a new concept and sometimes there may well be greener grass depending on where you are coming from. Many have left VoIP Supply to pursue greener pastures. Most have come back to seek their old spot or continue their quest, also embarrassed to return once they found that the grass was green but spoiled.

“I was not treated fairly.” What is the benchmark for fairness? It is pretty self explanatory yet there are different measurements based on experience, responsibility, competence, expectations, seniority and level of compensation. Being treated fairly, at least at VoIP Supply, is generally an issue of perception. Not liking the way you were treated is different than not being treated fairly. Times change, people change and the needs of the business change; as a result it can often be seen as unfair when something that was acceptable or tolerated 12 months ago is no longer going to cut it. When the needs, attitude, and direction of the company are in direct opposition of your own needs, attitude and agenda; that is when it becomes easy to take a stance of not being treated fairly. It takes a lot of time and energy to fairly and consistently manage 65 people, and to work to ensure management is on the same page when it comes to fairness and consistency. In short, fairness is often based on perception and not reality, and it is a two-way street where fairness must go both ways – in the reality wagon.

“Too much was asked of me.” America has built an economy where too much is asked of everyone, work weeks are no longer 40 hours long and the expectation is that everyone is to perform at a comparable level, even after a superstar comes in and raises the bar. VoIP Supply is not too different, as a lot is asked and expected of everyone; the difference lies in understanding an individual’s capabilities versus attitude and drive. When someone quits because “too much was asked of them,” it is always a sign of a poor attitude, lack of motivation or unwillingness to be part of a fast-paced, rapidly growing, constantly evolving environment. You know what? That’s ok; the world needs those people too, just not here at VoIP Supply. Those driven to succeed, grow and be successful are held in extremely high regard.