Amit Shah, a sophomore at the University studying business administration is making waves. During Shah’s sophomore year of high school, he founded AIT Consulting Solutions, an acronym for Amit Information Technology. AIT Consulting Solutions operates as a strategic technology partner, working with small start-up businesses and even large franchises, through mobile and web development, website development and search engine optimization, known as SEO.
But every successful entrepreneur starts somewhere small. Shah began his journey in a hotel at the age of eight. The hotel, owned by Shah’s father, was thrown into chaos when the servers went down during a storm. The hotel manager instinctively called their IT employee—who was unable to come in due to the storm.
Shah took matters into his own hands and soon enough, the servers were up and running again, and Shah’s talent with technology showed. He then became known as the “go-to man” for anything technology-related. Shah was compensated for some jobs, but it was not the money that compelled him, but rather his passion for technology.
Shah has ambitious goals for his company. He explained in an interview with The Pace Press that he wants AIT Consulting Solutions to grow into an empire, eventually becoming the largest in the technology industry.
The young entrepreneur faced challenges along the way. Shah had “zero-knowledge” of software, which required additional resources early on in the company’s start-up. The eventual outcome is eight developers, one project manager, off shore teams in India and one CEO. Already showing promise as a potential global business.
Age presented another obstacle for Shah, because companies would be less willing to trust a young entrepreneur with a large investment. After similar circumstances, Shah and his company took a risk by offering a 100 percent refund if their strategic plan failed with their clients. It worked out in AIT Consulting Solution’s favor, building a stronger pitch and track record for the company as a whole.
The Update Me Now app was created, which tracks notifications and notifies all subscribers when there is a cancellation, new information, or anything pertinent to their respective audience. The app was handed off to another company, but AIT Consulting Solutions is profiting from royalties. Apps for small businesses, counties, and even customer loyalty were quickly introduced.
Recently, Shah has been in contact with large clients including UPS and Web.com. Earning early success with his company would compel many others to leave their education behind—but Shah said his parents stressed the importance of a college education. “I go to school because I have to,” said Shah.
As the CEO of AIT Consulting Solutions and a full-time student, Shah finds time to manage both responsibilities. He spends about 15 hours a week overseeing the company and focuses his other time on his studies.
AIT Consulting Solutions is based out of upstate New York, but is planning to open up as many retail locations within the first year of graduating as possible. Hoping that his company becomes similar to that of Starbucks, Shah explained that each location would include additional IT services, along with the additional solutions AIT Consulting Solutions offers today.
“The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out,” said Shah about finding success in the competitive world of technology. Shah also relayed five key points of advice to up-and-coming entrepreneurs:
1) Make sure you have a strategy
2) Create a timeline
3) Conduct evaluations every couple of months
4) Differentiate between other companies
5) Take calculated risks
Shah is determined to see his company prosper and plans to outcompete any company that provides similar services.
