Retailer delivers on service after the sale

For Erik Busenbark, business truly is all about the service.

Busenbark, who lives in Reno, connects customers to the services of DISH Network, DirecTV and Clearwire Internet with his company VIP Enterprises.

He installs most of the products he sells, and he is the guy who picks up the phone when customers call. Giving people the attention and service they can't get from a toll-free number is Busenbark's mission.

"It's pretty basic," he says of what he does. "I provide customers what they need and want from telecom providers. I tell them all the options up front and give them good service so they stick around and send me referrals."

Busenbark primarily sells the services of DISH Network, but also sells DirecTV and Clearwire Internet.

He went out on his own after seven years of working as an installer for other companies. As the economy faltered, he noticed that his workload declined and more companies left the business.

"People care about the bottom line, but many realize how important that personal connection is having someone they can go to when they need help. I answer the phone, and I get back to everyone," he says.

Ever on the lookout for entrepreneurial opportunities, Busenbark came to the telecom business about eight years ago. He had worked as a casino dealer, and very quickly decided it wasn't the job for him. He lasted about five years in the job, going from full-time to part-time when he launched a vending machine business. Eventually he knew he just had to stop. Dealing cards to augment the vending business left him with no time to make his business successful.

Caught in a vicious cycle, he one day saw an ad for DISH installation training, and decided to take a chance. It was a tough first few months; the training was just for two weeks and he was sent out on his own to do three to seven installations a day, in a territory that encompassed Reno, Lake Tahoe and Yerington.

"I was a crappy installer at first," he remembers. "There was just not enough training. And it was a huge territory. I felt underpaid, overworked and yelled at. But that's how it is with big companies.

"Doing this on my own is challenging; I have to figure out everything. But it's also kind of fun."

Busenbark has been hard at work since starting the company in February. He quickly found out that running his own business presented challenges he didn't expect.

"The time thing kills me. Half of my day is spent on administrative tasks. I wish I had more time to go out and look for more work, but you just never have enough time," he says. "It's really tough to get started. I should have 10 people doing all the stuff I need to get done. I can easily work 12-14 hours a day, but I do take Sundays off."

Making time for his wife of nine years, Heidi, and two sons, Jesse, 4, and Blake, 7, is as important as ever, despite his tough schedule. Playing with the boys before bedtime, and going to events such as Blake's school Jog-a-Thon fills up what little part of his day isn't spent working. But Busenbark is optimistic the hard work today will pay off in the near future.

"Five years from now, if I keep going like I am now I will be in good shape. Not sure I can keep going like I am now ..." he says laughing. "I need to find good people. I can do a lot with this business. I'd like to have people run things for me, so I can take time off, but I always want to be involved.

"I like doing the installs. I get to meet good people, and every job is different," Busenbark says. "I don't want to be a big company. I am trying to blow people away with the service."

The serviceman

Who: Erik Busenbark

What: VIP Enterprises, retailer, installer for DISH Network

Family: Wife, Heidi. Sons Blake, 7, Jesse, 4.

He says: "Study ... do things. Make life a journey."