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Interview with Charles Ramos
By Kisha Lashley
Charles Ramos – President and CEO - CR Dynamics
 Charles Ramos is the president and CEO of CR Dynamics, a company providing help desk services, inbound travel counseling, order taking, reservations, and outbound market research survey work. Mr. Ramos started this company on his kitchen table with $5,000 from his savings and a confidence that he would succeed. Today, CR Dynamics is listed in the Baltimore Business Journal as among prominent businesses in the Baltimore area with 2006 revenues surpassing $2 million. CR Dynamics is also a former winner of the GBC Bridging the Gap 2005 Achievement Award for achievement by a minority business. I met with Mr. Ramos in his office in the central business district of Baltimore to discuss his experiences as an entrepreneur.
BTG - Could you give me a brief overview of CR Dynamics?
CR - CR Dynamics is an outsourcing customer service, help desk and market research firm for state, federal and commercial entities.
BTG - Tell me about your path to entrepreneurship. How did you come up with the idea to start CR Dynamics?
CR - I used to work for a major corporation and got laid off in 1992. At that point, I went to work for a smaller firm, but after one year, I decided to go into business for myself. I relied heavily on my sales and marketing background, so this line of business was an easy transition for me.
BTG - Your company has received many awards since its inception and was most recently listed as the 36th largest minority-owned business in the Baltimore area. What factors would you attribute these successes to?
CR - Sound financial responsibility by managing debt and growing at a steady pace. Also, focusing on being the best we can be.
BTG - How were you able to grow your company from a single person home-based operation to a multi-million dollar enterprise?
CR - I started my company in my kitchen with a $5,000 investment from my savings. At the time, I sold computers on a commission basis. During this time, I realized that I was gathering a lot of valuable customer information. I saw this as an opportunity to go into market research.
Within a year, I had my first employee and not long after, I hired two additional people. I moved all of the furniture out of my family room, built cubicles and rewired the family room to have overhead lighting. Eventually, the home owners association began complaining, so out of necessity, I moved the company into a 2-suite office in Ellicott City. We stayed there for about five years, but there was no public transportation, making it difficult for some of my employees. We then moved into our current location in Baltimore. It is a 7,500 square foot space which meets all of our requirements.
BTG - Although you are now a busy executive, you still find time to be an active member of the community. What is the key to balancing all of your various roles?
CR - It is a challenge, but it’s all about managing priorities. My business is my priority, because it provides me with the means to be active in the community. Also important is learning to say no.
BTG - What has been the most rewarding part of owning your own business?
CR - When I first started off, it (my business) was my financial savior. Now, my rewards are seeing my employees prosper and watching the company grow.
BTG - What were the main obstacles that you faced in growing your business?
CR - This business is all about relationships, so the main challenge would be getting to the right people.
BTG - What are the marketing strategies that you have found to be the most useful?
CR - Word of mouth, since we choose to only handle 4 or 5 clients at a time.
BTG - What has been your hardest business lesson?
CR - Extending credit to clients who didn’t deserve it. We once had a contract in which we extended $20,000 worth of credit, but we were not aware that the client was on the verge of bankruptcy. We ended up losing about $13,000, which was pretty significant at the time, since we were still in the start-up stages of the business.
BTG - Do you have any mentors and role models? If so who?
CR - Everet Ross of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED), Jorge Austrich, also of DBED and Carmen Carmacacho of the Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce. They are all very experienced people and they have been able to educate me on how state government works and on being politically saavy.
BTG - What keeps you motivated?
CR - A responsibility to my employees, since without them I would not be here. I also have a very good lifestyle with my wife.
BTG - Do you have any advice for other entrepreneurs?
CR - Know your business and know it well. Have financial common sense. It is not always important to grow your business too quickly. You may end up in a situation where you are biting off more than you can chew. |