Entrepreneur and RTA's Operations Researcher, Alex Zorach

In Cool Cleveland's ongoing vYbe feature, we hook you up with 20-somethings who have something more to offer creatively and intellectually. This month, vYbe introduces Alex Zorach, who has been running his own computer consulting business, Sustainable Computing, for two years and recently decided to phase out the business to accept a full-time position in operations research with the Greater Cleveland RTA. Before working as a freelance computer consultant, Alex originally moved to Cleveland from Lancaster, PA without a job because he liked the city, and found an attractive place to land at Oberlin College. He aims to positively impact Cleveland as a whole by contributing his talent and new business ideas. Cool Cleveland spoke with him about starting a fledgling business, creating an alternative currency in Cleveland, and why he chose to relocate to our region.

Cool Cleveland: How did you start off running your own business?

Alex Zorach: I fell into it by accident; over the course of my life, I have always provided computer support in a freelance manner for people I knew personally. I did some of this when I first moved to Cleveland, after college. While I did this I got a job doing taxes, I found myself doing the taxes of some people who were running quite successful businesses. So, I realized that I could get my act together and start a computer business aimed at home users, small businesses and non-profits.

What kind of advice would you give to other people who want to start their own home-based business?
I’d say don’t do it! It’s an incredible amount of stress; it was only worthwhile to me because I learned an incredible amount. I’d say if you want to learn, then do it. If you want to make money, have a stable and reliable job, or if you want to have a relatively low or medium stress job, then don’t do it. It’s a lot of work, and there are so many things you get into that you never even anticipated.

I know this is condensing a bit, but what did you learn from it?
You have to experience it hands-on, but I think you receive more respect for other professions, because you have to do a lot of different things by yourself: you understand what it’s like to be a salesperson, what it’s like to be a collector, or what it’s like to be a long term strategist. You come to understand customer service, and then understand all these different elements that aren’t directly connected to your business.

That explains why it’s hard...
Yeah, the smaller your business, the harder it is because you have to be more diverse; you have to do more things on your own.

What have you accomplished that you’re most proud of?
That I was able to get my business off the ground. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you have your first month, and you realize you can quit your part-time job, that’s such a great feeling. When you realize that other people may have helped you, but it’s your own enterprise that you have complete control over and complete responsibility for, that’s a wonderful thing.

What other kinds of projects do you have going?
I’m very serious about creating an alternative currency system. There are other people within the Greater Cleveland area who are working with this too, but their plans are confined to Lakewood and I’m working on starting an alternative currency system for all of Cuyahoga County.

How would this work?
It involves people and businesses coming together and agreeing to use a new medium of exchange, instead of regular U.S. dollars, to trade goods and services with each other, and perhaps even pay employees.

That could be a pretty expansive project if it worked. What do you think about the small business environment in Cleveland, where is it going?
That’s a tough question, because the small business world is so diverse. I would argue that it’s much more diverse than any other part of Cleveland’s economic climate. There are small businesses that have been around for a hundred years, and there have been others started in the past month. There are small businesses like mine with only one person working out of their home, but they can also have ten to fifty employees. They can be full time, part time, or almost anything; there’s no way to characterize it. The only thing I would mention is the energy. Cleveland as a whole is a great area for small business: it’s a really vibrant, complicated community where you can do anything if you make it work.

What other parts of the Cleveland scene are you particularly interested in?
I just love exploring Cleveland because there’s a tremendous amount of experiences to be had. I love going out to eat and going to cultural events, and I’ve also become involved with different groups and people in Cleveland. There’s a very interesting group called ‘Entrepreneurs for Sustainability,’ and its associated with a whole community of people interested in sustainability. They're focused on creating a society that can last and be good for everyone; their focus is on the long term. It’s pretty inspirational, because these people are dedicated to the community. On a completely different note, there’s also a great swing dancing scene here!

Swing dancing?
Unfortunately, one of my favorite venues was cancelled, but there are many. One is at the Bohemian Hall on Broadway.

What frustrates you most about Cleveland?
I think the biggest thing is that people are too down on it. People, listen up and realize that Cleveland is a wonderful city. To me, it’s the most wonderful city in the U.S. There are a lot of things going on here that people don't fully appreciate. For instance, the culture is amazing. Different ethnic groups have preserved their culture here long past where they’re whitewashed in other cities. Also, Cleveland is so affordable even though you can do and buy as many things as you can in a place like New York City. It’s cheaper to live closer to the center of things here, and that’s great. What’s bad is that people don’t appreciate that; all these wonderful resources and people continue to move out to the suburbs. Not to be down on people in the suburbs, but I hate that people keep moving further and further - I think people don’t have enough love for Cleveland.

Well, in the interest of spreading the word, what are some great places in Cleveland that we might not know about?
Many people don’t know about the greenhouse in Rockefeller Park on MLK Drive. It’s not quite as big as the Botanical Gardens, but it’s pretty impressive and it's free to get in. My other favorite places are those remarkable little restaurants that can be found in every suburb and every urban area. Food in general is a strong point of Cleveland.

What do you plan to do next, and where are you going from here?
I am finished with most of the work for my business and I have accepted a full time position with RTA working in operations research. I hope to do this for a long time since I’ve been interested in public transit for quite a while. Considering the financial situation of the city, and how spread out Cleveland is, we have a remarkable transit system. Also, this is a great transition from my business, because my new job will be in a diverse field in a diverse organization.

You're a fan of RTA, but why do you want to work there?
Public transit is essential to every city. Good transit is a major asset to a city that can attract new people, both residents and tourists. Transit also encourages walkable development; it's easier to live your life if you don't have to drive everywhere. For people who aren’t in good financial shape, mass transit is a way to save money, but even if you are in a decent financial situation, mass transit improves everyone’s quality of life to drive a car and deal with finding parking. But, as to RTA specifically, it’s a very dynamic organization. It has changed a lot over the last several years and it’s going in a wonderful direction. RTA is funded mainly through sales tax, and they've had funding cuts over the last few years, but their service hasn't been cut much. I'd even say it has improved! When you consider how hard the economic recession has hit Cleveland, RTA has proven that it is truly an amazing organization.

Interview and photo by Rachel Jacobs RJacobs05@cityyear.org

 (:divend:)