Howie Bartz Offers Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

As the president, founder, and owner of Meditech, Howie Bartz has continued to develop and transform the company since its creation in 2007. Under his leadership, Meditech has become a medical service company that seeks to provide both quality products and services. The turn-key programs for physicians generate substantial revenue.

Meditech supplies durable medical equipment like braces and conductive garments, compound pharmaceuticals, physical therapy systems, and urine site collection. Howie Bartz uses both his business skills and his scientific knowledge to develop products. He also created the Bartz Bracing Systems, a product line of specially designed back, knee, and neck braces, as well as TENS units.

Howie Bartz earned his bachelor of science in physical therapy from Daemen College, graduating summa cum laude. After graduation, Howie Bartz worked as a physical therapist for five years in two outpatient centers that he owned and operated. He then worked as an account manager for RS Medical from 2000 to 2007, where he was in charge of the sales and management of durable medical equipment.

Aside from physical therapy and his work with Meditech, Bartz is interested in stock and option trading, having completed both live and online coursework in these fields. In his spare time, he engages in theater, surfing, golf, travel, snowboarding, and tennis.

We had the opportunity to interview Howie Bartz to hear his advice for anyone interested in starting their own company and the key elements for starting and running a successful business.

What advice do you have for someone interested in starting their own company?

I meet a lot of young entrepreneurs that are scared or hesitant to start their own business. Most of them feel that they might not have the experience needed to be successful. However, what you might lack in experience you can make up for with hard work.

I advise starting while you are young if you can. I started my business before starting a family, which I think took a little pressure off as I was only providing for myself. I left a sales position in which I was earning very good money. It’s easier to give that up to start a business when you’re young and do not have a family to take care of.

I also recommend making use of all the resources out there for starting a business, especially the SBA. Most people just think the SBA offers loans but they offer so much more. For optimal success, be sure to visit and get familiar with all the SBA offers.

What is the biggest mistake you see others making in business?

I see so many people overworking and not living a balanced life. This only leads to unhappiness and even resentment down the line. Self-awareness and creating a lifestyle that offers balance not only leads to a happier life but also a more efficient business.

I think it’s important to set boundaries for your work. Emails and text messages don’t stop and can seem never-ending. Make sure you put your phone down or turn it off after a certain hour and or during certain periods of the day.

More isn’t always better so find a way to work smart and enjoy your personal life.  Your business will flourish if you flourish.

What are the key elements for starting and running a successful business? 

Creating a solid business plan is key.

That business plan should focus not only on products and services but building your team as the right team is imperative and takes planning. Align your hiring with company benchmarks.

Keep your business lean, even if you have found funding and especially if you have taken on debt.

Refer to your business plan on a regular basis and edit as you progress. Businesses go through constant change and keeping your plan updated helps keep you on track.

Who is the one entrepreneur to be your greatest example and inspiration?  Why?

Warren Buffet as he is the epitome of staying true to yourself.  At 91 years of age, he stays focused on his core business values and strategies and is arguably the most successful entrepreneur of all time.

It’s not his monetary success that makes him such an inspiration, but the legacy he has built. He has raised an extraordinary family and has set the bar for Philanthropy.

What is the one book that you recommend everyone should read and why?

The Ten-Day MBA: A Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering the Skills Taught In America’s Top Business Schools by Steven A. Silbiger.  In The Ten-Day MBA, MBA and marketing director Steven A. Silbiger gives readers a crash course in everything he’s learned in his years teaching business, covering theoretical concepts alongside practical skills like accounting, finance, marketing strategy, quantitative analysis, operations, economics, organizational behavior, and ethics.

The book offers lessons from some of the top business schools in the Country.  I felt that it was concise and I still draw on some of its chapters to this day.