The way Brian McIntyre describes how his work ethic is employed as chief executive of the second company he has started says a lot about his professional life.

“You have to wake up understanding that the risk of losing everything you have is acceptable. Certainly, not failing your employees or business partners, but having such a focus and a sheer amount of determination is essential to being a successful entrepreneur,” he said.

Talking with him about his current business, WorkStrategy Inc., is like playing chess with a philosophy professor, each move predicated by a deep discussion, each conversation piece followed by detailed insight. It is all analytical, but in a reassuring and entertaining way.

His Columbia-based firm is involved in human resources technology. His focus is on
medium-sized companies, between 200 and 1,000 employees, on the theory that the
nation’s economic climate has forced software makers to abandon that market segment. Instead of developing the software, McIntyre and his firm will partner with existing software providers and modify their products to his customers’ needs.

“We do not want to be developers. Instead, we will craft the software to fit whatever
needs a client has. When it comes to HR and software, no, one size does not fit all. We
tweak and help implement whatever is needed,” he said.

Over the last two weeks McIntyre has finalized deals with Microsoft and Firstdoor. WorkStrategy will partner with each company and resell their products.

By partnering with software firms, McIntyre said, the obvious benefit to his customers is cost, but it’s also being able to rapidly implement the software. He said most medium-sized companies are reluctant to spend, and are not looking for a long, drawn-out process; instead, they want the best value for their dollar.

In 24 months, he hopes to have struck 50 similar deals. The stagnation in the job market has not deterred a number of companies from contacting WorkStrategy. The challenge so far has been convincing companies that investing in human resources management is worthwhile.

“Over the years human resources has become more and more strategic. The people who are hired today by a particular company will grow with that company and eventually go into leadership and management positions,” he said. “Technology has
facilitated that. Nowadays an HR manager can conduct an interview and make an
offer to a prospect that evening.”

His vision has worked before. After working for Towers Perrin, a large HR firm with nearly 9,000 employees and offices in 23 countries, he struck out in 1994 to start
Working Concepts, a strategic HR consulting firm.

The company launched with a handful of employees and grew to 55 people. Impressed, McIntyre’s former employer bought the company for an undisclosed amount.

McIntyre hopes the same type of growth he experienced with Working Concepts will occur with WorkStrategy.

“An entrepreneur can visualize success very rapidly,” he said. “Where others are weighing the risk, to an entrepreneur it is not a matter of if he can do it, just how long will it take.”