Piko Zoom, the company founded by Jeff Livney when he was a senior at The Woodlands
High School 2004, has designed Web sites, business cards, letterheads and logos
for more than 50 customers to date. Jeff’s business boasts clients like JP Morgan
Chase Bank and Marriott Hotels. About 15 independent contractors, including one
high schooler and some college students, now report to Jeff.
The idea for Piko Zoom took shape while Jeff served an internship at a California
law firm and was given the task of updating the Web site. He discovered he had a
knack for the Web and returned to The Woodlands with plans in place to create Piko
Zoom. Last year Jeff changed his company name to Livney & Parnters and became a
full service boutique marketing firm. He operates his business through a program
offered by the city of Fort Worth that acts as a business and technology incubator,
offering low rent and consultants to help startup companies launch into profitable
enterprises. The Tech Fort Worth program was implemented by Jeff’s school, Texas
Christian University.
Texas Christian University in Fort Worth bestowed the title of "TCU Texas Youth
Entrepreneur of the Year" on Livney in 2006, along with a $5,000 scholarship.
Q: Why did you choose to create Livney & Partners?
Jeff: Well, the company started out as Piko Zoom almost four years ago. I thought
I wanted to be an attorney so interned for a law firm and my project ended up being
to build them a Web site. I didn’t have the slightest idea how to do that but I
had a friend who did, so I paid him less than what they were paying me and he built
a Web site. Then it sort of went from there as Web design on a small scale. Livney
& Parnters is the name of the company now for professional appearance and we have
a full service boutique marketing firm.
Q: What were some of the challenges you faced in starting your business?
Jeff: My age at the time. Just the opportunity to present in front of companies
is hard to obtain sometimes. Sometimes people were worried that I’m just a kid and
how could I do their marketing.
Q: What kept you going when there were challenges?
Jeff: There are always going to be challenges but it’s finding a way to overcome
them and that goes back to my point of surrounding yourself with knowledgeable people.
The best thing was having some clients and mentors I could depend on. I came up
with a board of advisors who are really just a group of experienced business professionals
that are renowned in some circles. I can use their name and picture and bio in my
presentation and that builds a lot of credibility.
Q: Did you get help or advice from other people?
Jeff: Definitely. My stepmom and Dad were the ones that encouraged me in the beginning.
My stepmom is a CPA so she initially helped me with my accounting. A family friend
was a former board member of Enterprise-Rent-A-Car and a successful entrepreneur
in many ventures so he became my mentor. He helped me build my client base. A mentor
wants to see you succeed and is usually a successful business person with networking
connections.
Q: How did you finance your start-up business?
Jeff: The beginning investment was around $500 to buy some software and design Web
sites. It’s been cash flow positive. The nice thing about the way I structured the
company up to this point is through the use of independent contract labor so my
overhead is extremely low. Not having that human capital component really saved
money.
Q: What do you like most about running a business?
Jeff: I obviously have a passion in marketing and I like that it’s always something
new. Every Web site is unique, every marketing project is unique. It’s just exciting,
I love that, the psychology behind marketing.
Q: What is the most important thing you’ve learned through your experience as an
entrepreneur?
Jeff: It’s all about surrounding yourself with talented people that are frankly
smarter than you are. I have a great team of designers and consultants that make
up for the things that I’m not great at.
Q: What would your advice be to other kids thinking of starting businesses?
Jeff: If you are a young entrepreneur, you can market your youth. There are a lot
of opportunities when you are a kid. I don’t pay for legal services or accounting
or any type of professional service because there’s accountants and lawyers and
so forth that like to be involved with youth and want to see you succeed in their
community. It is trade of services. I trade with my attorney for maintenance or
marketing help and so forth.
Q: What would your advice be to other kids thinking of starting businesses?
Jeff: If you have a passion in something and the will to pursue it, there are a
lot of opportunities for kids to go into business for themselves instead of working
at Blockbuster or some other minimal wage type job. Realize that in the beginning
you may not be making more than that job but the potential is really much greater.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share about your experience as an entrepreneur? ?
Jeff: Surround yourself with people that see your vision or idea. If everyone you
work with believes in the end goal, I think that there’s a lot that can be accomplished.
