Michael Beirne

By Anne Field for Real Small Business

Q. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

A. NovaForge was started as a response to the attacks on Sept. 11. I had founded a company a few years before and was trying to find the next thing. I'm in the Reserves and was called on duty that day. But I didn't have that much to do and had time to think. I realized that one big need would be securing business. And, while a lot of people were doing cyber security, nobody really was pursuing a comprehensive security solution. After that, I realized that, to add the most value, we needed to focus on a specific industry. Over a period of three months, I identified biotech as the one to target -- a high-growth industry, very sensitive to security concerns.


Q. How did you fund the business?

A. Out of my pocket. We just closed a round of seed funding from five private investors, all CEOs who know me.


Q. What are the biggest challenges you've faced?

A. We're in a pretty sensitive marketplace; we've got some really good expertise. But we're a young business and we're providing a vital service: It's not like we're doing a brochure that a company can just toss if they don't like it. So, convincing clients to let us tackle their security is a bit of a challenge. But we've already managed to get a handful of clients.


Q. What's the most significant mistake you've made as a small-business owner?

A. I waited too long to hire a sales team. I'm doing it now, bringing on experienced and young salespeople, so I can focus more on aligning the business.


Q. Have you changed your business strategy?

A. First, we decided to focus on security, then to focus on biotech. That was a pretty significant change.


Q. Have you encountered any surprises?

A. The willingness of biotech companies to outsource this function. They're a culture of outsourcing. If it's not core to the business, they outsource it.


Q. Who in the business world do you look up to and what have you learned from them?

A. I would say Vern Harnish, who started the Young Entrepreneurs Organization. He really nails it on the head. I've learned a lot from him about alignment, making sure everyone in the business knows what everyone else is doing.


Q. How do you set yourself apart from others in your industry?

A. We focus on a bigger, overall solution. We're the one company that can assess your full security needs, from cyber to physical security. We come in and help businesses prioritize, then we may provide some of the services ourselves, or we may hire others. But we always manage the solution. Also, our biotech focus makes us different. And our team has an extensive business background, so we're able to give clients a perspective that's based on business experience.


Q. What one piece of advice would you give someone starting his or her own small business?

A. You need to learn how to reach out for advice. There are a few organizations out there you can try -- the YEO [Young Entrepreneurs Organization] and SCORE [Service Corps of Retired Executives] are just two examples. Get as much advice as you can from people who've done it before.