Brock Bernholtz, Kent State University junior entrepreneurship major, is the CEO and founder of InCheck Services LLC, a drop-off tracking application that allows customers to stay in touch with items that are dropped off for repairs, changes and more.
Bernholtz and his two partners wanted to create a mobile application that was universal and could be modified for a company’s particular industry. This one-size-fits-all concept leaves room for growth and opportunity within various and diverse fields.
Bernholtz came up with the idea while working at Marhofer Auto Family. He found that problems arose with the automotive industry’s customer service and believed that InCheck Services could be the solution.
“I found multiple complaints from customers about how they play phone tag, they can’t answer their phone at work or the service adviser is not getting back to them at all,” Bernholtz said. “The app came into play because there was nothing like it on the market, and it was a much simpler and efficient way to communicate to customers.”
In addition to working with car dealerships, Bernholtz and his partners are beginning to work with body shops.
“We are actually starting to focus on body shops because the process takes so much longer to go through,” Bernholtz said.
Currently, the company is working with Metro Toyota Scion Auto Body Repair.
The InCheck Services application launched in Apple’s App Store and can be downloaded by iOS users. The company also has a commercial on its website created by Bernholtz himself.
Looking Down the Road
When asked about the business’ future, Bernholtz is open to various possibilities. Some of these possibilities involve moving the focus away from the automotive industry.
“We have been thinking about pitching the app to Best Buy to be used by the Geek Squad,” Bernholtz said. “You can drop your computer off and just download the app to see the completion status.”
Bernholtz said he has thought about different avenues to take the app, but it is only a year old so it is too soon to think about where it will go. He is not sure what his future will hold, but for now he is content perfecting the current application.
Kick-starting a Business
Bernholtz said that his success would not have been possible without the Entrepreneurial Experience class through Kent State’s College of Business Administration.
“The class really kick-starts you to actually go out there and get it done,” says Bernholtz. “I’m a hands-on guy; I’ve learned more about finance, marketing and business by being out in the field than sitting in class. It really forces you to do it.”
In the course, students are required to create and develop their own company with the help of professors and professionals that devote time to guide the students through the process.
Bernholtz credits his professors, Denise Easterling and Craig Zamary, for helping him reach success.
Zamary is excited for the potential of Bernholtz’s business venture and said he is “definitely a young entrepreneur to keep an eye on.”
“Kent State University’s Entrepreneurial Experience class isn’t for the weak of heart,” Easterling said. “Being pushed to start and operate a business while still a student is a lot to ask, yet the learning accomplished as a result of the challenge makes the Entrepreneurial Experience class key to the success of our students.”
Steering Toward Success
Because of the entrepreneurship course, Bernholtz has been able to gain experience with the highs and lows of launching a business. He has built an impressive resume as an undergraduate student and his professors believe he has a bright future ahead of him.
“What I love about the Entrepreneurship Experience class is that they give you the tools you need and then give you the freedom to go out there and use them,” Bernholtz said. “I have the basic rules, and I get to conform them to my way of doing things. It’s the best way to learn.”
For more information about Kent State’s College of Business Administration, including its Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, visitwww.kent.edu/business.