Five Questions With: Jim Van, CEO and founder of Logicomm

Jim Van is CEO and founder of Logicomm, a Providence-based IT services firm that focuses on the small business sector – in many cases, the very small business, or VSB, sector. Van talked with Providence Business News recently about his company, the downturn, and what state lawmakers could do to make life easier for startup firms.

Full Story: Five Questions With: Jim Van Source: Providence Business News, March 23rd, 2009 Author: Ted Nesi Added on March 25th, 2009 at 9:24 am, by Matt Mikula

5 comments

Comments

JackTemplin

Submitted on March 25th, 2009 - 9:50am link

Great interview, Jim - I totally agree about the importance of VSBs, and 1099s for that matter too. I don't think enough people realize the extent to which very small businesses and freelancers are at the heart of the RI economy.

JVan

Submitted on March 26th, 2009 - 8:49am link

Why thank you, Jack. It's interesting how it all is coming around back to VSB's driving the economy, or at least getting the credit they deserve. The RI economy, in particular, has always been driven by entrepreneurs and Mom and Pop shops.

Ned Grace (Capital Grille) and his first restaurant come to mind.... Too bad he found it necessary to move to FL to escape the draconian tax system here....

Let's hope that our lawmakers, many of whom are the children of VSB owners, get it. We're in such a unique position due to our size, and this is such a great place...we can really rule, particularly in tech, if we can get it together....

Jim Van
Logicomm, Inc
http://www.logicomm-inc.com

wfranklin

Submitted on March 26th, 2009 - 11:10am link

Jim - great interview - as always you are one of those consistent "loud?" voices making it known how important the minipreneurs, micro-businesses, 1099ers are to Rhode Island

JVan

Submitted on March 28th, 2009 - 9:20am link

Loud? Moi? Ok, ok...I can be a bull in a china shop, but at least I'm no Rush Limbaugh, at least not in stature or politcal views.....

aktear

Submitted on April 9th, 2009 - 6:50pm link

Jim, I'm with you on the importance of VSB's and 1099's. I think the relevance of our current definition of "employment" is changing before our eyes.

I think the tax structure argument is a red herring though. There are plenty of high tax environments that are rich in technology/creatives/entrepreneurs (NY, CA for example) and plenty of low tax ones that are poor in the same. (FL,NV). Total cost of living plays a huge role, as does the difficulty in starting and running your business.

When I talk to serial entrepreneurs about locating in PVD, their questions are always about the K-12 system, not about the marginal corp tax rate. $24K/year per kid for a private school is about the biggest tax you can levy.