Executive Suite: Having a Blast with mobile technology

Dino Luzzi, who in 2002 started a pharmaceutical marketing company in Huntington Station that's now defunct, says he's spent the past year immersed in mobile technology.

In 2009, he started Blast Applications in Plainview, which develops applications for the iPhone, Facebook and Twitter. The company has launched five so far, including Tweexchange.com, where users can quickly find available Twitter user names and Web domain names.

Luzzi, 55, had previously helped raise capital for an online brokerage firm that was bought by a Latin American company. He is married with three children. 

With so many iPhone applications out there, how do you cut through the noise?
"You have to have the right partners to be able to bring it to the market. The promotion comes first, the marketing comes first." 

Is it difficult to start a company during an economic downturn?
"I think we have great opportunities. It seems to me that the market is stabilized and this is the time to strike. There's no doubt in my mind that whoever survived the past two years is going to be able to grow now. No time to be scared anymore - it's time to go."

How do you try to motivate employees when you're just starting out?
"One of the things that I have in mind for the employees is a stock option in the company and a reward program to help us grow."

 What are your plans to grow business?
"I'm looking to hire some programmers. I would like to hire them locally. I would like to see this country come out of the situation that we're in right now, and give some younger people the opportunity to grow with us. We're also looking to create an advisory board, so we're looking for a management team."

 What's your strategy for taking on your competition?
"It's good to have competition, No. 1. The fact that we were approved by Apple for our iPhone applications means we can be competitive very, very soon. Competition is an incentive."

How would you describe your management style?
"I'm definitely hands-on. I make sure they're [the employees] doing everything correctly. I don't let anything slide. Then when we get too big, we will hire some people to make sure they have their hands on the day-to-day operations. I've been working seven days a week and went to sleep at 4:30 this morning." 

What did you think of the announcement of the iPad?
"I think it just creates another opportunity for us. Anything that's new that comes out, we're going to go after. It just creates more opportunities, more growth, more jobs." 

What would you change about Long Island?
"Besides real estate taxes, I think that small businesses should come together and help each other's business. This is the right time for the small businesses to grow together. I want to see the young people not get discouraged." 

CORPORATE SNAPSHOT

 Name. Dino Luzzi

Title. chief executive

Company. Blast Applications

Business. developer of applications for the iPhone, Facebook and Twitter

Location. Plainview and Boca Raton, Fla.

Type. Public company (trading over-the-counter BLAP.PK)

Revenue. $100,000 annually

Employees.  6, including 5 on Long Island