Andrew Pilgrim Founder, Electronic Computer Services Inc. Aventura, Fla.

Andrew Pilgrim, who was a computer programmer before starting his consulting firm, used his expertise to hire qualified employees.

"I didn't want to do [computer] programming myself; I wanted to grow a company where I had people [doing that] for me, which would give me more freedom to do the recruiting," says Pilgrim, whose firm has grown from two to 50 employees since its inception in 1989. "From day one, I had a marketing person on board while I did recruiting and payroll."

Pilgrim made sure he was knowledgeable in every aspect of his business -- managing people, marketing, recruiting and technical expertise. "I made sure I understood what kind of people I needed to fill what job and that the consultants' personalities were the right ones. They have to be open-minded and willing to take responsibility for their actions."

Return to Introduction