Key Points:
- CEO Josiv Krstinovski founded KRS IT after he promised his critically ill father in his final days that he would fulfill his dream of owning and operating a business one day.
- The IT Consulting Firm, based in New Jersey, is renowned for its lightning-fast response, extensive cyber security services, expert knowledge, 90-day money-back guarantee, and reasonable technology solutions.
- Josiv says the pandemic has challenged CEOs to adopt a hybrid approach to providing services in some industries. Moreover, as a society, we have grown to accept the increased use of technology.
If Josiv knows one thing to be true, it’s this: “If you are passionate about your aspirations, you’ll never feel like you’ve worked a day in your life.”
Josiv is a passionate and motivated person who wants to help small to medium-sized businesses (10 to 250+ employees) reduce the risk of poor unmanaged IT systems that can cripple an entire company. He is also a self-published author of the book titled “2021 Guide to Ultimate Cyber Security.” His vision is to provide business owners with enterprise-level IT services and support and educate them on how to protect their companies from failures.
His company, KRS IT Consulting LLC, offers a complete outsourced IT department for its clients – manufacturing, engineering, architectural, healthcare, CPA, and law firms – at an affordable flat rate.
The USA Leaders recently interviewed Josiv, who says that as a CEO, you must be able to lead your company through challenges and guide your team to achieve success in a rapidly changing environment.
(The following Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.)
The USA Leaders: Your family background in an immigrant household is quite impressive. How do you think your family’s values and principles have contributed to your academic and professional achievements in Information Technology?
Josiv: I think I always had the mind of an engineer since I was a young child. I was fascinated by how everything worked. I would take apart electronics and be able to put them back together as if nothing happened. Being raised in an immigrant household, my family taught me to work hard and achieve my goals.
I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, with a minor in Business Management. My brother and I have an 8-year age difference, and he pursued a career in Technology. At that time, we were lucky enough as our family bought us a computer system. Ever since the first day of owning a computer system, that’s where my life changed forever.
The USA Leaders: It’s been reported that you quit your corporate job before starting KRS IT Consulting. What made you leave that high-profile position and pursue this path?
Josiv: I quit my corporate job in 2008 because I felt I was not being treated fairly, and my father was battling cancer. I wanted to spend more time with him and support him during his illness. Meanwhile, I also offered consulting services to small businesses in the area. Sadly, my father passed away from cancer after a year.
I promised him in his last days that I would follow my dream of running my own business. I also made it my mission to honor his memory and legacy.
I established KRS IT Consulting in 2010, right out of my parents’ basement. We achieved remarkable growth and hired more staff members over the years. After renting office space for a decade, we recently bought an office building to accommodate our entire team.
The USA Leaders: You have shared an insightful statement: “Measuring success is one of the most important tools, which every business must have in place.” Could you tell us more about the specific metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) that KRS IT uses to measure its success?
Josiv: We believe that you cannot improve what you do not measure. That is why we tailor our services to each client’s needs and goals and provide a custom road map that guides us to deliver an award-winning service that no other technology provider can match. We pride ourselves on our lightning-fast response, extensive cyber security services, expert knowledge in various industries, a 90-day money-back guarantee, and the inclusion of hardware in our plans!
One of the recent additions to our service delivery was the implementation of a CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Survey System) that allows us to monitor and measure our performance with our clients. We have achieved a high satisfaction rating, and our Google reviews are impeccable as well.
The USA Leaders: As the CEO of KRS IT, you have emphasized the importance of effective communication and integration of systems and processes for company growth. Could you share some specific strategies or initiatives that you have implemented to ensure seamless communication among departments and within the organization?
Josiv: One of the biggest challenges that I faced as a leader was managing staff, communication, and procedures. However, the most crucial part of being a CEO is to make sure that all the departments communicate well, and that I can integrate systems and processes to help the company grow and scale.
Moreover, leadership is one of the primary core focuses of my role. Each week, we methodically plan out our goals and actions. We have daily check-ins with staff and routinely monitor our progress. This single system that we implemented led KRS IT to have a year-over-year hypergrowth of 20%.
Through this experience, I realized that a company playbook was vital for the growth and scalability of the business. I took many coaching classes and sought guidance from mentors, and we quickly learned that each department needs a playbook. We now have a well-established playbook and a great company culture that helps us take our company to the next level.
The USA Leaders: Tell us something about your team. How do you make sure that they are motivated and productive?
Josiv: Our team is amazing. I know many CEOs would say the same thing, but I can honestly tell you that our team goes above and beyond for our customers, and we receive a lot of positive feedback from them. We reward our team for their achievements and this is one of the reasons why we have a high retention rate for both our clients and employees. We maintain a fun, positive and energetic company culture.
The USA Leaders: What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
Josiv: Believe it or not, I really enjoy driving and taking long road trips. I like exploring and visiting national parks, museums, and historical sites. I have a huge appreciation for old architecture in buildings, and I love shopping for antiques whenever I get a chance.
The USA Leaders: It’s exciting to hear about the plans for 2024 and the emphasis on cyber security. Are there any new services or solutions that we can look forward to?
Josiv: 2024 is going to be a huge year for us. With new regulations being passed and cyber-attacks becoming even more of a threat to businesses, cyber security is a must. We are constantly adding new solutions to our cyber stack, advancing our knowledge, and offering new programs to help businesses with compliance, recurring third-party audits, and high-end CSO services. We see an increasing need to have a standard in place.
The USA Leaders: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to make a name in their respective industries?
Josiv: My advice to any entrepreneur is to follow your dreams and not be afraid of failure. Failure is the fastest way to success. You will face a lot of ups and downs, but if you are passionate about your field, you should pursue your business idea.
If you are only looking for money, but not passionate about your venture, I would not recommend going ahead. You need to have passion for your business. If you love what you do, you will never feel like you are working. Attend as many seminars as you can. Read a lot of books, but make sure you also implement what you learn. Hire a mentor, or a coach, and don’t reinvent the wheel. Learn from successful people!
Quotes
“Measuring success is one of the most important tools that every business must have in place. You cannot improve what you do not measure.”
“Hire a mentor, or a coach, and don’t reinvent the wheel. Mirror success!”
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