By Laura Baverman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Suhas Prasad (left) of Symmes Township, and Kevin Fessenden (center) and Anish Mistry, both of Evendale, are 20-year-old college students who have started their own Web design and consulting company. They're building an office in Mistry's home. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

Picture a room full of eighth-graders playing calculator games in algebra class. The boy responsible for providing those kids with an hour's worth of distraction in 1997 is now 20-year-old Kevin Fessenden, co-founder of UnitedWare LLC, a Cincinnati-based Web design and consulting business.

Fessenden describes calculator-game programming as his entry into the world of computer programming. His entrance into the world of business can be attributed to his dad, Glen, an entrepreneur and owner of Allied Door and Lock Service Co.

Last summer, Fessenden, a sophomore at Miami University, joined forces with childhood friend Anish Mistry, a sophomore at Ohio State University, to create UnitedWare.

The two friends shared a passion for computers and a desire to own their own business.

In July 2002, they recruited a third partner, Suhas Prasad, an Ohio State sophomore; registered the company as a limited liability corporation, and opened for business.

The past year has been spent proving to family, friends and customers that they are no longer eighth-graders passing time playing games, but a company committed to teamwork, good customer service and top quality work.

"A lot of people in technology are very technical, but they lack some of the people skills. That's our edge," Fessenden said. "I like to believe that we provide technology with a touch of humanity."

The company has provided Web hosting on its computer server and programming, Web design services and consulting to the Oxford Community Foundation; Racar International in Anderson, Ind.; UC's Department of Pathology and the Ohio State Honors Program . UnitedWare targets small businesses that have not realized the benefits of Internet technology or that have received poor-quality assistance in the past.

K.E. Smith, executive director at the Oxford Community Foundation, was generally dissatisfied with the volunteer work of students until she hired Fessenden to redo the nonprofit organization's Web site.

"He took an entangled mess that some other Miami students had taken on with our Web site and straightened it out. By the time he was finished with it, it was perfect," Smith said.

Similarly, Racar International hired Mistry after it had received poor service from a professional Web design company. He drove from his dorm in Columbus to Anderson, Ind., several weekends in a row until the Web site was complete.

The partners said their age has not been a limitation so far. They are determined to succeed and are committed to forming a promising career for when they graduate from college in 2005.

Rabia Kahn, assistant director and counselor at the Career Development Center at the University of Cincinnati, said many students have expressed interest in entrepreneurship because of the tough job market.

The center organized its first entrepreneurship workshop this past spring telling students that before they start their own business, they must understand the importance of "being very passionate about something, having a strong business sense, having a monetary backing," she said.

In the technology field, endurance is also necessary.

"Enthusiasm, determination, drive. That's the entrepreneurial spirit. That's what young people have. We encourage that," Johnathan Holifield, vice president of CincyTechUSA, said.

But he will admit that the market for technology companies is tough right now.

Holifield said the way for UnitedWare to get in the door is to come up with a useful proprietary product exclusive to their company.

That's already in the works for the three partners. When they graduate, they hope to manufacture and market revolutionary products.

"Every 13-year-old with braces is sitting in their basement creating software. I'd like to create a program so easy to use that my grandma calls me up to thank me," Fessenden said.

Until then, they will continue to work nine-hour days improving their Web site (www.united-ware.com), attracting companies and fitting in some schoolwork here and there.

While the money may not be rolling in yet, the partners are sure their hard work, time and effort will pay off in the future.

"Money isn't really that big of a deal. Being able to get up and say, 'Hey, this is my company,' is my big motivator," Mistry said.

Tips on starting out

UnitedWare's founders offer these tips for starting a business:

• Good deeds don't go unnoticed. To start a business, make clients happy. Anish Mistry offers freeware on his Web site. When requests come in for minor changes, he promptly makes those changes and establishes a good name for himself and his company.

• Tailor your company to a specific niche market. Despite the economy, UnitedWare has found a market in small businesses, including doctors' offices and family-owned businesses that had not considered the benefits of going on the Web.

• Talk to an attorney and an accountant. Neither of the UnitedWare partners had a business background, so they received advice from an attorney and Kevin Fessenden's dad on how to become a limited liability corporation and how to fill out the large amount of paperwork. They plan to hire an accountant.

• Keep your clients informed. When Fessenden worked on the Web site for the Oxford Community Foundation, he provided frequent reports to the organization, as well as timetables of when things would be done. The organization felt well-informed and pleased with the service. They have since recommended UnitedWare in their publications and by word of mouth.

• Be adaptable to change, but know your limits. The students say it's best to be honest with clients about what they know how to do and what they will have to learn to do to best serve a client's needs.

E-mail lbaverman@enquirer.com.