Entrepreneur's Complete Guide to Software

Mike Buzzie is all about automation: "If I have to do something twice, I want the computer to do it." As president and founder of Northern Com-puters Ltd., a computer hardware store in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Buzzie knows computers like the back of his hand-and he knows what he wants from them.

After 10 years of kindly doling out morsels of advice to those who sought his technical expertise, Buzzie decided to open his own computer hardware store in 1993. He tried a number of products to manage his data, but none met his expectations for power and ease of use. Finally, he discovered Corel's Paradox.

"I found I could get up and moving on it very quickly," he says. "I can bring up a form, go to the next, and do a look-up without having to write any code." The user-friendly interface was crucial for the product that would be the backbone of Buzzie's company. "The database is probably our number-one tool," he says. "It's crucial for the day-to-day operations of our business."

Northern Computers has used Paradox throughout the firm's expansion over the past few years. Now heading up a team of 15, Buzzie attributes his success to two main factors: an exclusive focus on computer hardware and an exhaustive attention to customer service.

He plans to continue using Paradox. "I can grow with Paradox," he says. "Whatever I want to do on a higher level, I'm able to do." And given what Buzzie expects from his software, that's no small feat.

This article was originally published in the November 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: <i>Entrepreneur</i>'s Complete Guide to Software.