Business Idea: GotvMail

Hauser and Taghaddos, already on the fourth startup venture between them, got the idea for GotVMail because they were frustrated with the phone-system options for small businesses.

GotVMail gives mom-and-pops a way to sound just like big corporations. They can get the usual voice-mail boxes and also set up preferences like routing calls to a cell phone or getting messages by e-mail in the form of MP3 files — all for as little as $10 a month.

The company obtained seed money from friends and began turning a profit in its second month of operation. Now it generates about $5 million in revenue per year.

Lesson learned:

Taghaddos: “For a young entrepreneur, having good personal credit is one of the most important things. We wouldn’t have gotten all the help from American Express or Bank of America without it.”

Hauser: “To be involved in the entrepreneurial community and give back, talking to students is very important.”