Robert Eppele, CEO of gotomyerp, is a strategic entrepreneur with a proven track record of implementing enterprise critical infrastructures, applications, and strategies that allow small, mid, and large organisations to leverage existing technologies effectively and efficiently over a 20-year period in various industries.
Below are the highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Robert Eppele:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader? Tell us about your background and what did you do before you started/joined the gotomyerp?
I originally started the company in 2005, the same year the term “cloud computing” was first used in its modern context. I saw a gap and potential in the market and decided to be one of the first ones to fill it. gotomyerp started as a small, yet dedicated team that got together to provide third-party ERP solutions to clients. Over the course of these 16 years, we have developed a deep understanding of how industry needs differ across various sectors and how differently the solutions need to be delivered. I was in various industries leading up to gotomyerp from Engineering, Marketing and Technology and served as a senior auditor and technology consultant.
How do you diversify your company’s cutting-edge services/solutions for people, entrepreneurs, business leaders?
This past year has emphasized the importance of a platform that would allow people to work from anywhere, but also the one that was secure enough to store important confidential data. This is right where gotomyerp and cloud hosting stand – a bridge between online and desktop. We are looking to strengthen our position as a leading hosting provider and leverage the business continuity that is not available with any other service. Our ultimate goal is to provide proprietary technology to simplify the end-user experience.
As the CEO, what are your major roles and responsibilities?
Managing the operations and resources of gotomyerp and ensuring those resources align with the short and long-term strategic goals of the company to better serve our clients are my major roles and responsibilities. Our clients are the driving force behind gotomyerp and we aim to elevate their experience each time.
What are the three things you would like to improve in the organization?
We never stop improving our organization; there is always room for growth. Some of the things we try to keep top of mind is keeping up with the constant fluctuation, changes, and advancements in technology. Given the past two years, you can see the sudden shift for remote work and a surge in online work environments. We strive to keep up with the ever-changing technological landscape, so the need for improvement never ends from user-experience to user-interface and more. We work to keep up with our clients and stay ahead of the curve with them.
Have you been exposed to competition in the industry? If yes, tell us what makes the company different from its competitors?
There is constant competition in this industry and that is one of the things that motivates us to do what we do. We are constantly trying to improve our services and find ways to better serve our clients. As I mentioned earlier, our clients are the driving force behind our business, and we appreciate all the feedback we get from them. One of the most interesting customer reviews we got was from one of our customers who are in the midwest with lots of storms and constant power outages. Once they moved to the cloud with gotomyerp, they operated flawlessly ever since. No more outages, data corruption, or downtime. Whatever we do, we do with our clients in mind, and our goal is to simplify the end-user experience.
Tell us about your vision for the company. How do you ensure a culture of integrity and innovation in the company?
We always work to improve ourselves and add new services to match the constant technological advancements of the 21st century. The adoption of cloud ERP is complex and for someone with no experience, the situation becomes uncertain. We at gotomyerp reduce these uncertainties and continue to help enterprises move their ERP to the cloud for better security, accessibility, and maintenance. In 2022, we are leveraging our 20+ years of experience in consulting into helping customers select, implement, and care for their most critical systems. We are designed to grow from Day 1 and we aspire to grow further with no limits.
What’s the greatest risk you’ve taken as a professional?
We were one of the first companies to start providing cloud-based services back in 2005. Of course, there are always risks starting a new business, and I can say, this is possibly the greatest risk I have taken professionally. It was challenging since this niche was so new and the business sector was largely unaware this service was available to them. Other than developing and implementing the software, we also had to educate business owners on this new option. Now, the cloud computing industry is valued at $371.4 billion, and it is projected to grow to $832.1 billion by 2025. Being industry pioneers, we are excited to see this growth and what it has brought to our company and clients.
How do you balance work and life responsibilities?
It is essential to maintain a good work-life balance to prevent burning out and I believe setting time for work and pleasure is key in maintaining that balance. It is easy to forget to make time for yourself, and, of course, let time get away from you. To avoid this, I prioritize my time and my health as much as I do to my work and I make sure my team does as well. The health and wellness of myself and my team are important because if that declines, then it will translate to our quality of work.
What advice would you give to the emerging entrepreneurs and enthusiasts considering a career in an industry?
The advice I would give to emerging entrepreneurs and enthusiasts is to keep consistent, be creative, and keep focused. There are lots of difficulties that come with being an entrepreneur; however, if you show up every day, your goals will become easier. It takes time to let consumers know who you are and what your business is, so stay focused on achieving your short-term goals, and with time, your long-term business goals will follow suit. Remind yourself of the end goal, have fun while you are doing it, and enjoy the journey of entrepreneurship.
