June 2000
Education Update, New York City
"Educational Entrepreneur Discovers the Payoffs of Building a Thriving Business, Not Just a Dot-Com"
by Mitch Levine

"To build a business today, it's especially critical to have that human element integrated with the technology," said Randy Miller, founder and CEO of ReadyMinds.com. "A website by itself is nothing. It needs to be powered by excellent people behind the scenes who truly love the work they do.

"ReadyMinds helps students navigate the career exploration and job search process with a program featuring one-on-one sessions with National Certified Counselors. Miller said that using the Internet as the platform to deliver services that address the lifestyle process of figuring out what one does with his or her life will be the reason why ReadyMinds will rise to the top.

Although the general allure of Internet ventures seems to be fading for investors, Miller seems to have a good situation. This educational entrepreneur is finding that his long-term planning is beginning to pay off and his company is rising above the "falling stars" of the Net.

"I've spent the last several years building a viable business, not just a website," Miller explained. "When others were pressuring us to 'just get the site up and start taking money,' we instead took our time developing a program that is, to our knowledge, unparalleled in the industry."

ReadyMinds has recently announced partnerships with Visa, the world's leading payment brand, and Peterson's, the world's leading provider of education and career online services (and part of the Thomson Corporation). Miller attributes the fruition of these deals to his patience in building a solid business, settling for nothing less than excellence. "It's about high standards, and I'm confident that's why Visa and Peterson's sought us out." Both partnerships involve cooperative marketing, brand promotion, and special offers. One large piece of the Visa puzzle involves building a program for students that revolves around responsible use of credit.

In the future, ReadyMinds will expand to other student levels (graduate, high school, and adult). But Miller emphasizes his immediate plan is to focus on refining this exceptional program that college students and their parents will be more than willing to pay for.

For more information on ReadyMinds, visit www.readyminds.com, or call (888) 225-8248.

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