Ficek Electric & Communications System Wins $100,000 Prize

Jennifer K. Bias, the President of Ficek Electric & Communications Systems (News - Alert), has recently hired six new employees and increased revenues by 37 percent in the past year. Bias and her company have been honored with numerous awards and have one more to add to that list. Bias won the Chicago Women’s Business Development Center’s (WBDC) “Technology Makeover,” competition, winning $100,000 worth of computer hardware and software, computer server upgrades, executive training, website marketing updates and communications/networking equipment.

“The judges were moved by Jennifer’s passion for her company’s mission, as well as, her incredible entrepreneurial spirit.” Said Hedy M. Ratner, Co-President with Carol Dougal of the WBDC. “She was very clear about how the top prize would impact her company.”

Bias said she would expand the company’s e-commerce and social media capabilities with the award money. “We sell technology, but we’ve been growing so quickly, I had focused on capital investments in tools and our truck fleet and figured the website, social media and marketing campaigns would have to wait,” said Bias.

Bias said none of this would have been accomplished without the support from the WBDC saying that the center helped guide her through a long two-year process of earning state and national women-owned and small-business certifications, which opened numerous doors for Bias.

Ratner said this year’s competition required applicants to show at least $1 million in yearly revenue compared with last year’s $500,000 cutoff. Ratner said the WBDC prohibits companies that make more than $500,000 a year to participate in the competition because they want business that could expand with the competition winnings. “We are seeing that businesses need to upgrade and modernize while they still try to rein in their expenses,” said Ratner.

Bias said she is one of six sisters who all took off on successful careers of their own. Bias wanted to help out with the family business after her father retired eight years ago. However, don’t think she didn’t work to be where she is. When she first began in the company she was a secretary and over the course of her career worked her way up to president.

In a male dominated world, Bias said women need to remember to remain self-assured and know that they are as equally capable to run a business. “Each morning, I have to figure out whether it’s a high-heel or a hard-hat day,” she said. “I am not intimidated. If you’re confident, you can get the job done.”