Anthony and Andrew Sukow

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?

by Burke Campbell

Published in the Financial Post

May 12, 2008  

Brothers Anthony and Andrew Sukow founded Advanced Economic Research Systems of Victoria, British Columbia. The company’s main product is a subscription-based service called TeraPeak, (www.terapeak.com). TeraPeak lets consumers quickly analyze eBay data in real-time. The Sukow brothers tell the Financial Post what motivated them to become entrepreneurs.

From punches to pals:  “Like any brothers growing up, we had our fights. But as we grew older, we became best friends and partners.”

The awakening: “As University of Victoria students, we sold our own software on eBay, the giant online auction house. Although billions of dollars worth of goods were selling annually on eBay, you couldn’t grab real-time data that would help you position and market your goods there.”

Terrific support: “We entered into talks with eBay and got support from both the university faculty and the business community to develop a service that could.”

Knowledge is power: “Since we’d sold on eBay, we anticipated the marketing questions a seller might ask. We designed TeraPeak to return accurate answers instantly. Enter your product’s name, such as digital cameras, then click to see what time these sell best, who is buying, and at what price. TeraPeak amplifies one’s selling power on eBay.”

What we know: “We agreed to stay humble, always listen to the customer. That’s how we sustain the business and the product.”

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