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Couple’s life
changes bring
Nicholas E.
Pierce
Technologies to
fruition
By Karen
Campbell Burmood
Midlands
Business Journal
For Gary and
Sally Cohen, the
past year and a
half has brought
some major life
changes
including their
wedding, the
merging of two
families into
one home, the
loss of both of
their jobs and
the start of
their own
business.
Gary had worked
for EDS
in computer
support
(as a vendor)
for WorldCom,
while Sally
worked in sales
on a top 10
account for the
company. With
the downfall of
WorldCom
last year, both
of their
positions were
eliminated.
Shortly after
her job was
eliminated,
Sally attended a
dinner featuring
businessman
Walter Scott as
the keynote
speaker. She
said the
experience was
an inspiration
to starting up
her own
business.
“I was looking
around the room
and thinking
there are very
few women at
this meeting,”
she said.
“That’s when it
hit me like a
ton of bricks.
I earned the
right to be
there. I had
been saying that
I can sell
anything for
anyone, why not
do that for us?”
In November of
2002, the Cohens
took advantage
of their
individual
talents by
creating
Nicholas E.
Pierce
Technologies, a
computer
hardware,
software,
network sales
and service
company. The
company also
offers
custom-built
file servers,
desktops and
laptops,
computer
accessories,
mainstream
software
operating
systems,
business suites
and
security related
software.
Gary serves as
the president
and Sally is the
vice president
of sales and
marketing.
Computers mixed
with sales
seemed like the
logical choice
for the Cohens.
Gary, who
started working
with computers
in the late
1970s, had been
involved in two
other successful
computer
business
ventures in the
past. Sally, who
has over
twenty-five
years of sales
experience,
could go out and
sell Gary’s
expertise.
“The first five
minutes I spent
on the computer,
I knew that’s
what I wanted to
do the rest of
my life,” Gary
said. “I fell in
love with it.
There was
something about
computers that
meshed with my
personality.”
According to
Sally, Gary’s
passion not only
for maintaining
and repairing
computers, but
also for clearly
communicating
and interpreting
“computer
language” to
clients will be
keys to making
their business a
success.
“Gary is happy
when he knows
the computer is
working and when
the person
understands what
to do next,” she
said. “People
like to work
with owners.
(and Gary can go
in and speak in
English to
them.)
We make sure
that we aren’t
talking just in
technical terms
to people.”
According to
Gary, there is a
niche for
network
assessment for
medium size
businesses on
up. He said this
includes
checking on the
overall health
of a network,
including proper
documentation.
“People may have
issues with
their network
running slow at
certain times
during the day,
conflicts
between
applications or
problems with
the server in
some shape or
form,” he said.
“We can make
sure that
everything is
configured and
documented
properly.
“As a business
owner, it will
save a lot of
time to have
documentation of
your network
readily
available when
you go to
technical
support. I think
that area is
going to become
more important
as networks out
there become
increasingly
complex.”
With a
heightened focus
on security,
Gary said he is
also looking to
play a role in
fulfilling
security needs
for businesses.
“Security has
become so
important,
especially with
what has
happened in the
past year and a
half,” Gary
said. “A lot of
people don’t
know what their
exposure is and
what they need
to do to fix it.
A lot of times,
you can walk in
and see that
their exposure
is the first
time you visit.”
While Nicholas
E. Pierce’s core
business will
revolve around
Gary’s expertise
in maintaining
and repairing
computers and
networks, the
Cohens are
keeping their
options open to
other
opportunities
and services.
“We are actively
searching for
other business
pieces that will
make sense for
us,” Sally said.
“I do see us
growing the
business in the
future to
encompass other
services
that may arise
with waves of
technology.”
The Cohens said
some of the
rewards of
owning their own
business include
flexibility in
schedules and a
decrease in
stress levels.
“Since we
started our
business, we’ve
been a lot
happier and
healthier,”
Sally said. “Not
carrying around
thirty pounds of
laptop equipment
has made a huge
difference for
my back and my
demeanor.”
“We are spending
more quality
time with our
children as a
result of having
this business,”
Gary added.
“There is also a
sense of pride
when you tell
someone that you
own your own
company.”
Interestingly,
Nicholas E.
Pierce is not a
real person. The
Cohen’s derived
the name when
Sally’s sister
told them about
an article that
said it was good
karma to name a
business after
the street where
a person grew
up.
“Gary grew up on
Nicholas
Street,” Sally
said. “I grew up
on Pierce
Street, and that
is where I still
go home for
holidays.
The E. stands
for Erskine,
which is the
cross street we
live on now. For
us, the name
means a lot
because that’s
where our lives
intersect.”
While the Cohens
run their
business out of
their home in
West Omaha, they
foresee the
possibility of
moving into an
office as
business
escalates. They
have two
10-year-old
sons, Andrew and
Nick.
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