Nancy Williams

With a natural skill in science and math, Nancy Williams gravitated towards computer science. She received her bachelor’s degree at Georgia State University in comput- er information systems. She said she always knew she would someday own her own company. “I just think it’s something you’re born with,” she said. “I always had a very strong drive.”

Williams is the principal and co-owner of ASAP Staffing based in Georgia and founded in 1989.The company offers information technology staffing services and solutions. Since it’s open, the company has expanded and increased its revenue to over $45 million. It has an established national presence and gone interna- tional with its first branch in India. It has been recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in Atlanta by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and named as one of the Top Women Owned Businesses in the USA by DiversityBusiness.com. William’s drive for success in the field dates back to her col- lege days when first worked in programming for IBM.

It was a move she made with her future in mind. “I knew having IBM on your resume was unbelievable,” she said. Out of the six different interviews she had at IBM, she was offered five jobs. She said the only reason she wasn’t offered the sixth was because she told the interviewer she didn’t think it was the right fit for her. She worked in technology services for years before she met what would one day be her future partner in business, Roz Alford.Alford was a sub-tier to the company Williams was working at.

Williams said the whole plan began to unfold one day when she picked up the phone and asked Alford if she ever thought about selling her busi- ness. Without much hesitation over leaving her old job, Williams took her partnership with Alford and decided to start the company. “When you learn to listen and trust yourself, you do very well,” she said. Nineteen years later,Williams said her company has the same focus it did when it fir st opened: looking out for client. She said a strong relationship between the company and the client is like a courtship. She said the company hopes the first ‘date’ goes well so they can get a second ‘date’.Then the relationship grows and the client and company go ‘steady’. The two get ‘engaged’ when the contract is signed.After that, the company does what it can to avoid ‘divorce’, or losing the account. “You have your fights and you work on your relationship and never take that client for granted,” she said.

Williams is grateful for all the honors she and her company have received throughout the years but also realizes her work isn’t done. “Being a diverse business is great. However, what gets you business is being on top of your game,” she said. She hopes that her company will expand its international presence and continue to be recognized as a strong leader. Emphasizing the client relationship, she said the company is more interested in becoming a trusted advisor to its clients than looking out for itself. It seems that if her company contin- ues on this path, it will always attend to its clients ASAP.