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 Feb.
19, 2001 - Instead of flipping burgers or cleaning tables
after school, Jon Brelig and Cody Burgat are making as much
as $75 an hour helping companies put their presence on the
Internet.
The two Poudre High School juniors
started a Web design and production firm in 1999 - getting
a business license before their driver's license. In two years,
Fort Collins-based WebIllustration Design has developed sites
for more than 15 companies, including a 10-store Domino's
Pizza franchise in Oklahoma City.
And though Brelig and Burgat are 16
and 17 years old, respectively, they're turning heads with
their professionalism and level of work.
"They came and talked to us and had
their little brochures and their little business cards," said
Les Gelvin, owner of Fort Collins-based Agri-Enterprises,
a real estate brokerage for farms and ranches. "I was impressed
with their professionalism and their attitude. They were only
about 4foot-6, but that was OK."
Gelvin was also impressed with the
site the teenagers produced for his company.
"I'm constantly amazed because we
get lots of compliments on what a great Web site we have,"
Gelvin said.
Brelig and Burgat, friends since grade
school, started working together on computer projects in junior
high. But the work dealt more with the physical aspects of
computers, such as repairing and networking.
The teens didn't design Web pages until
their freshman year in high school when they produced a simple
personal site for a mass media class. The class coincided
with the rise of the dot-com sector, which gave them the idea
that they could make money designing pages for others.
"At first we thought of it more as
a dream - like there's no way it will ever happen," Burgat
said.
But the idea stayed in their heads
and they spent countless hours after school and on weekends
teaching themselves programming languages and Web design software.
Brelig is the programming arm of the
company, and Burgat focuses on the design aspects.
Brelig taught himself hypertext markup
language, or HTML, which is the language used to create Web
pages. He also knows Dynamic HTML, JavaScript and active server
pages, or ASP, which is used to build interactive sites.
Burgat works with vector graphics,
which use mathematical equations to animate pictures, and
Macromedia Flash, a program that allows designers to create
multimedia Web sites.
After they got a firm handle on the
programs, Burgat and Brelig decided to give the business a
shot.
They spent several weeks searching
for a catchy domain name before they found WebIllustration.com.
Then they spent a few more weeks putting samples of their
work on CDs and making brochures before finally getting off
the ground during the summer of 1999.
Their first customers were Radiant
Skin, which sells skin-care products, and Tom Dodge, a freelance
photographer in Tucson, Ariz. WebIllustration has received
all of its clients through word of mouth, Brelig said.
Dave Burgat, Cody's uncle, hired the
firm to design a site for his Domino's Pizza franchise in
Oklahoma City. He said he's received positive feedback about
the site.
"I've gotten a lot of great reviews
from the Domino's community,"Dave Burgat said. "It has been
voted the best one on the Web as far as a franchise Web site."
He wasn't surprised at the teens' skill level despite their
age.
"I think the younger guys are less
intimidated than the older guys," Dave Burgat said. "They're
learning a whole lot faster than some of the old-timers are,
and they're a lot more creative."
Their work may be on par with some
professional firms, but their prices are much lower, Brelig
said. That was one of the reasons Dave Burgat and Les Gelvin
of Agri-Enterprises hired them.
"I've got a son who's a webmaster in
California, but he wanted megabucks," Gelvin said.
Gelvin said his son, who usually works
with large corporations, charges anywhere from $10,000 to
$12,000 to design a site. WebIllustration, which designs sites
for small businesses, charged $1,000 for the Agri-Enterprises
site.
"We always have to charge less because
we're teenagers, even if we're providing the same level of
work," Brelig said. "There's no way of getting around it.
We're not going to charge the same as people with four-year
degrees."
WebIllustration also provides maintenance
and technical support for $40 to $75 an hour, which Burgat
said is also below what many other firms charge.
The company is currently working on
a site for Log Knowledge, a construction firm in Fort Collins.
Log Knowledge is paying slightly more than $2,000 for the
site.
Brelig and Burgat do all of their
work at home. They work about 20 hours a week while juggling
school and sports - Brelig plays tennis and Burgat plays golf.
They've hired two classmates to help with sound production
and administrative work.
Burgat's mom, who is an accountant,
helped with financial preparations, such as applying for a
tax identification number and a business bank account.
Although the company hasn't done any
marketing, Brelig said they plan to purchase some advertising
over the summer.
As for long-term plans, both Brelig
and Burgat said they want to keep the business going through
college, and perhaps beyond - if there's still a market for
it.
"I feel so thankful
and blessed to have the opportunity that we have," Burgat
said. "I can see us doing it for a long time to come."
Burgat and Brelig said the best aspect
of the business is that they make their own work hours. And
there's also that money aspect.
"I make a lot more than I would if
I was shoveling fries," Brelig said.
Copyright 2001 The Denver Post.
All rights reserved.
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