Mark Fraser credits the rough waters of the dot-com era ("while everything else is going to hell, we grew head count, we grew revenue and we grew our customer base") for making his Web-design firm, schark!, a leader in its field.
It started with Mr. Fraser and business partner Darren Schisler's shared belief that they did not want, nor did they know how, to specialize in technology while designing websites.
"At the time, there were a lot of small firms saying they knew and understood technology, and a lot of tech firms saying they knew and understood design. But the reality was, either they didn't, or what they meant was they had a series of partnerships with other firms," Mr. Fraser recalls.
Schark!'s success, he says, came from sticking to what it was good at, and letting someone else do everything else.
That someone else ended up being T4G, a leading technology consulting firm in Toronto. It lacked a practical and user-friendly way for customers to interact with its clients' Web pages, says Mr. Fraser. "So, looking back, it seems like the most obvious thing [to merge]."
After the two companies joined in 1999, schark! continued to develop the interactive marketing and design aspects of Web pages for such big-name corporations as Sears Canada. The company has been gaining momentum ever since, with clients that include Cadillac Fairview, Sony BMG and MasterCard.
But the first website the duo designed was their own. They came up with "schark" by combining Mr. Schisler's last name with Mr. Fraser's first. "We really wanted a company name that carried energy. It was very simple graphics that were reminiscent of Batman shows when you had, 'POW!' and 'BAM!' "
That energy has continued to be vital to their success, he says. "We understand implicitly that work isn't a place you go — it's something you do."
That's why after moving to Toronto to work with T4G, he took the lead to launch the company's office in Halifax. A Maritimer at heart, Mr. Fraser always knew that he would end up returning to Atlantic Canada. "I just didn't think it would happen this fast."
But that's the beauty of his industry, he says. "When it comes to the type of work, you can work in Halifax, not have to travel every week, and still work for leading North American brand names."
