Presented by the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UMKC and Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus PC

Ronald Harland Plans to Evolv

Before he founded Evolv Solutions in 2002, Ronald Harland, 58, had held only two jobs since high school: he spent 8 years at Allied Signal and 26 more at Xerox.

At first glance, those 34 years don’t add up to a lot of entrepreneurial experience, but, Harland admitted to a crowd of 45 at July’s Entrepreneur Speakers Program, “Working in corporate America was one of the best training grounds for me as an entrepreneur.”

“It teaches you how to sell, it teaches you how to run a business, and it gives you a foundation,” says Harland of Xerox’s sales program. “So when obstacles come, you don’t waiver. You just understand. You size it up and you step aside and you evaluate it and you keep moving forward.”

The monthly speakers series, which has featured some of Kansas City’s entrepreneurial heavyweights, is sponsored by Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus PC and the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UMKC.

And Harland is no exception to the series’ accomplished roster. His stick-to-it attitude has put him on the entrepreneurial map—and earned Evolv Solutions the top two spots in Ingram’s Corporate 100 for 2006 and 2007.

But attitude, says Harland, was only part of his equation.

Do Your Homework

Harland was well aware that the first two years of business are do-or-die for 40 percent of start-ups. And he was well aware that attitude alone wasn’t going to save him from being a statistic.

“If you’re going to aspire to start a business, you should research the area of business you’re going into,” advises Harland. “You should do your homework, and you should develop a business plan.”

And then you have to decide if you want to make the leap.

For Harland, that meant leaving a 26-year, six-figure comfort zone to take advantage of an opportunity, a shortage of certified minority suppliers. He formed strategic partnership with Xerox and started Evolv Solutions with just three employees. Joining Harland at Evolv were his wife, Patricia, and his son Eric.

At the end of his first year, Evolv claimed just $130,000 in revenue. But Harland tapped his 401(k), engaged his stick-to-it attitude, and worked his plan.

And he asked for help. Executive MBA students from the Bloch School of Business and Public Administration developed a business plan for Evolv’s digital printing line, a service Harland values at $20,000 to $30,000, and he received invaluable business advice from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Helzberg Entrepreneurship Mentoring Program.

This year, Evolv boasts 15 employees, an office in Cleveland and a sales staff in Chicago, and projected annual revenue of $17 million.

“Without a roadmap,” says Harland,” we’d never get there.”

When Harland says “plan,” he means an intricate business plan. Evolv Solutions has mapped out the next three, five, and ten years of business, making sure that anything that put down on paper is adaptable and that they revisit it every 90 days. In the next three years, they plan to bring $50 million. In five years, $300 million, and in ten, $950 million.

About ESP

The Entrepreneur Speakers Program, held monthly throughout the year, brings the region’s most innovative business leaders to UMKC to discuss ideas and opportunities. The series highlights experiences, lessons learned and unique issues and challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the creation of a new enterprise. 

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