Every year, the panel of judges for the Entrepreneurial Awards of Greater Lansing looks at any number of nomination packets.

They are looking to find one individual they will designate to receive the Emerging Entrepreneur Award. If an entrepreneur is characterized by his or her willingness to work hard, take risks and be innovative and yet grounded, Jeff Dettloff, the committee’s choice as 2009 emerging entrepreneur, certainly fits that definition.

In 2004, after 14 years of working for another company, Dettloff decided the time was right to forge a new path and go into business for himself as president and chief problem-solver of Providence Consulting Company. Dettloff’s plan was simply stated: Helping people, solving problems and making technology easier! When Dettloff incorporated his new business, there were no customers, no products or services, no assets and only a few relationships that had potential. Talk about taking risks! Developing a comprehensive portfolio of IT consulting services, marketing plans and materials and processes and procedures, he set out to establish himself as the go-to guy for Lansing businesses and organizations who were struggling with the complexity of technology and feeling the frustration that resulted when things just weren’t going right.

Now, five years later, Providence is strong and growing stronger. The company employs five IT professionals who share Dettloff’s vision; a recent independent customer satisfaction survey confirmed that Providence achieved superior scores in every measured category, including overall performance.

According to Dettloff, “The technological landscape is one of constant change. There are new products reaching the marketplace every day. It’s an atmosphere in which my staff and I are always learning something new and sharing those new things with our clients.”

His clients certainly appreciate that encompassing knowledge. In a letter to the awards committee, one business owner says of Dettloff, “Jeff embodies all of the qualities that anyone would want in a technical provider and has structured his business to include others that possess those same qualities….”

Another business owner states, “What makes Jeff unique is the exceptional breadth and excellence of his expertise.”
And yet another says, “[Dettloff] delivers superior services and always follows up to ensure everything is working correctly and in the most efficient manner for our company and has been the driving force behind making the technology in our company work more effectively.”

This is high praise indeed from successful business owners who appreciate Dettloff’s ability to sort out complex technology issues and provide quality customer support.

Services provided by the firm include:

•    Installing and supporting advanced network infrastructure solutions, shared faxes, printers and other timesaving solutions

•    Ensuring that business data are secure and that appropriate data protection plans are in place

•    Providing essential IT support under the firm’s TechCare service which takes the difficulty out of using and managing technology while helping to control costs

•    Helping clients choose, buy and implement the right software to help organizations improve productivity

•    Discussing flexible working options for owners and employers through remote access

•    Developing and maintaining a technology plan to guide and support business growth

•    Providing training on office productivity software and technologies to help companies save money and compete more effectively

Dettloff says, “Most of our clients are small businesses with anywhere from five to 30 computers. We are often called in a crisis, but once we have solved that problem, we can continue to serve them by evaluating and improving their entire technology function. We are dedicated to the needs of our clients and our promise to ‘make technology easier.’”

Dettloff sees on the horizon an opportunity to assist physicians and medical offices with their IT needs, which may be ramping up with provisions in the economic stimulus package and recommendations from the new administration in Washington to computerize and link physicians. Always on the lookout for new opportunities, Dettloff is eager to venture into this developing field.

Actively involved in the community, Dettloff is a member of the Lansing Rotary Club and chairs the club’s technology committee. In addition, he provides volunteer services for Peckham Vocational Industries, Big Brothers, Blues Fest, Jazz Fest and his church. He is a founding member of the Capital Area IT Council and also is a guest writer for The Greater Lansing Business Monthly on information technology.

A Lansing resident for 25 years, Dettloff is committed to the local community. The firm moved to Downtown Lansing in 2005, and recently increased office and lab space. Providence is also adding additional vendor partners and service offerings to better serve the needs of their clients. Early in 2009, Providence earned the right as an Authorized IBM Business Partner to market their highly respected business class server solutions and related infrastructure products.

Vision backed by a willingness to work as hard as it takes; a readiness to take risks to reach a goal; superior technical skills matched by responsiveness; flexibility and the ability to listen, understand and respond: As this year’s Emerging Entrepreneur Award recipient, Jeff Dettloff is one to watch.