Strictly business: Freshman makes a million

By Jack Gillum

He's years away from a business degree, but don't let that speak for Tyler Dikman's business accomplishments.

From the early days of lemonade stands to his later adolescent years of computer consulting, Dikman could have hardly envisioned today having assistants and his own enterprise.

So, is he an older professional working for a degree, going to classes at night and keeping a profitable company operating during the day?

Think again.

Dikman, a teenager and freshman at Santa Clara, runs a computer reselling business from his Swig dorm room.

CoolTronics, which grossed $1 million just last year, distributes Dell computers to both consumers and businesses at discounted rates. Dikman's company then provides installation while the customer maintains a Dell warranty.

With a serious business interest jump-started by a summer internship at Merrill Lynch, Dikman's now-expanding company was kicked off the ground when most were entering high school.

"That's where I gained a lot of my real world experience," said Dikman, grateful of the opportunity given by a Merrill Lynch VP. "Everything clicked into place."

Business, however, isn't the only thing on Dikman's mind.

Continuing the Jesuit focus of his Florida high school, the young corporate entrepreneur saw Silicon Valley and Santa Clara as a prime location in terms of business and aesthetics.

"[Santa Clara] is near San Francisco, and I am right next to the airport," said Dikman, alluding to the convenience for his company interests. "The campus was also very nice."

Coming to Santa Clara would have been a challenge to most, given a sizeable client base Dikman had left in Tampa. But CoolTronics has expanded to the San Jose area, he says, and that has made him solicit help to take care of some operational aspects.

Tom Porter, a floormate of Dikman, assists with secretarial tasks, such as answering phones and filing. Even he acknowledges the intense pressure of college student with additional corporate responsibilities.

"He's extremely busy," Porter said. "He's either on the phone, doing homework or asleep. He doesn't spend an hour of a day to himself."

After getting so many appointments, Dikman hired his first employee in September 2001. By January of last year, he had hired four more workers, noting that at one time he had been working 60 hours a week.

"I was in over my head," said Dikman.

Besides its origins as a computer reselling business, CoolTronics also provides more specialized services, including database construction, network design and computer training, according to his company's Web site.

Dikman notes that building a relationship early on with Dell has paid off - so much, in fact, that he was invited into Dell's exclusive reselling program.

"It was my job to take care of the clients' needs. I would place the order and contact my sales rep," said Dikman. "After a while, he got to know me more an more."

His current endeavors include opening an office in New York City and starting a campus-based reselling program, called CoolTronics On Campus.

The pilot program, which Dikman hopes to launch later this year at Santa Clara, will offer the same low-cost Dell computers he sells to consumers, but with a more collegiate-minded twist.

"I get so many questions," said Dikman, referring to some students' frustrations when deciding to purchase the right PC. "Everyone knows how to send e-mail. But when it comes to tech specs, very few have the desire to really research what they need, and that's where we come in."

In terms of his New York business expansion, Dikman sees a growing client base in the Big Apple. Some of his current Tampa clients have friends there or live in New York themselves.

In a 2001 trip to COMDEX, an annual computer and technology marketplace, Dikman had a chance to meet with some of the industry's giants, including Michael Dell and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

"[Gates] is a genius of a person," said Dikman. "He is philanthropic and has some great ideas that can improve the marketplace. He goes beyond the call of duty."

Dikman, himself a Microsoft Certified Professional, learned early to manage his budget well. One most obvious and large business expense - office space - was taken care of at his house.

"There was, and still is, virtually no cost," said Dikman. "We keep costs low by having part time employees in profit-sharing programs."

While he eyes the possibility of getting investors on board, Dikman feels that there is no current need for venture funding.

Successful thus far with a client base in the hundreds, Dikman prides himself on using no advertising but rather spreading his company via word-of-mouth. When starting out, Dikman said, the prime goal was really "to gain experience" and get his name out.

"My parents were good marketing tools," Dikman said.

With collegiate goals on one hand and an eye towards a business future, Dikman sees college as an occasion that he doesn't want to let simply slip by.

"So many people don't realize when opportunities are there; if you don't present yourself to them, they're gone," said Dikman.