Interview with Bartosz Tomala, owner of the Omegasoft store

Maciej J.: Why have you become an entrepreneur? What has decided about your career path?

Bartosz Tomala: A strong need of independence. As far as I can remember, I always wanted to run my own company. In my childhood, which happened to be in times of communism, I used to breathlessly watch American movies about capitalists which were rarely shown on TV those days.  Before I established my own company, I had been working a full-time job for two years. During that period I had three bosses and each of them was really great. Being dependent on others’ decisions was a big discomfort, though.

You’re the owner of Omegasoft company which deals with software sales. Why have you chosen this industry?

As is often the case it was a coincidence.  Once I wanted to buy a computer program, which I couldn’t get in Poland. I brought it from abroad but soon I didn’t need it anymore and I decided to sell it on Allegro. When I realised the price it’d reached, I immediately ordered next ten copies. That’s how it began.

What were the company’s beginnings?

It was very modest at first. In the beginning I was combining a regular job with trading on Allegro.
I used to run to the post office every morning to send orders from the previous day. During my work time I tried to answer clients’ emails. In the evening after work I was preparing packages for the next day and handling with some cash settlements. I spent weekends studying HTML and improving my auctions. I had been functioning that way for three months when I realised I could earn my living by new activity. I quit my job and fully devoted myself to the company.

What products is your company focused on?

90% of sales are antivirus programs.

Omegasoft is advertised as the fastest shop in the internet. What does it mean?

We deliver the vast majority of our assortment in electronic version what helps us to overcome logistic barriers. We are not dependent on courier companies, days of the week neither parts of the day. In most cases, products are delivered to a client immediately. You just click and then you have it. The biggest limitation for us are banks because transfer sometimes may take a few hours and they also don’t work on weekends. Fortunately, most clients use electronic payment systems these days and we’re able to fulfil orders in real time. We have our own IT system which service everything. Client puts a program in the online basket, pays and in the next few minutes receives an email with the program and a bill attached. For our customers it’s a great comfort and a save of time and lower costs and easier management for us.

Who is your main customer? What is your target group?

Every computer owner is. Everyone needs an antivirus, after all. But being serious, our customers divide into two groups: small firms and private persons.

What values do you find important in business?

I would list three of them:

Responsibility – for me and for others - it is an inherent part of independence. I just take the consequences of my own decisions or, differently speaking, it is the price I decide to pay for my autonomy.
Loyalty – it is truly essential for working with people.

Constant development – The world is changing and companies are developing. We have to evolve to keep up with these new conditions.

What do you consider as your biggest success in the business?

My greatest achievement are people who surround me. I have a great partner as we complement each other. We have great employees with whom I enjoy to work.  For me, right people are the base of any business and that’s why I think we did great here.

And what do you consider as your greatest failure?

After first successes I had a moment when I was focused only on profits and everything was dedicated to that goal. Company’s development and customer service were less important. I only cared about high earnings and a comfortable life. Soon I realised it was short sightedness and it was
a lesson in humility for me. Anyway, I had to do the job I had let go earlier but some damages were impossible to fix, as well as the lost time.

What are three tips that you would give to beginner entrepreneurs?

I mentioned that you shouldn’t focus only on profit but it is also mistake to completely forget about it. If you only fight by low prices there will always be someone who will do it cheaper. You have to ensure yourself some level of margin which will allow you to invest later in your company’s development. In business it’s all about the people. Find them, provide them proper working conditions and do not interfere. Trust them, they’ll be fine. Before you run your company, make sure you want to do it for real. It’s a hard job and a great responsibility. It requires proper skills and attitude. Having great skills, not always means you have to start your own business. A magnificent doctor will not always be a good head of the clinic. He might have been filling in some papers, what he hates, instead of treating patients. Working for someone isn’t anything bad in itself. Not everyone has to be an entrepreneur. I’ve seen a lot of random people who shouldn’t be in business. But of course if you feel it is for you, I strongly encourage you to try.