Josh Ungaro, the founder of Allied Solution Group, was born in Delta, Colorado in the snow-capped mountains near Crested Butte. He is the youngest of three siblings. While in school he enjoyed football, basketball, baseball, and well, anything that included a ball. He graduated from Paonia High School in 1999 and continued his education in Greely, Colorado at University of Northern Colorado.

In 2000, Josh Ungaro moved from Colorado to Springfield, Missouri to be closer to his family. Ungaro worked for MCI selling home phone systems via telemarketing until 2002, when he was offered a sales position with Van Tile in the auto industry. Ungaro continued to work in the automotive industry, progressing rapidly from a salesman to a Finance Director.

In 2007, Josh Ungaro was offered a position at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.  At Wyndham, Ungaro saw an unmet opportunity to help time share owners and decided to start his own company.

In May of 2011, Josh Ungaro helped create The Mid-West Transfer, offering time share owners an exit strategy via a title or deed transfer. Josh Ungaro had developed a reputation for honesty and integrity in the time share resale business and he began to approach resorts as their exclusive trade-in company.

The idea of expanding this idea nationwide began and Josh Ungaro helped to create Allied Solution Group. The Mid-West Transfer and Allied Solution Group have assisted in over 20,000 transfers of ownership, helping clients enjoy time with their family and create memories that will last a lifetime.

How did you get started?

I had a few years’ experience in the travel and hospitality industry and I was working down the hall from a company selling timeshares and helping people get out of their timeshares.

What inspired you to start this business?

The timeshare industry, historically had a somewhat shady reputation and although lots of effort and resources are expended on selling timeshares, there was a real need to help people who wanted to get out of their timeshares, outside of the traditional resale market.

How do you make money?

There were 1,547 timeshare resorts in the United States in 2015, representing about 200,720 units.  It’s a big business, but the truth is we make money by earning the trust and confidence of our clients and putting our clients’ financial interests ahead of our own.

How long did it take for you to become profitable?

It took about 30 days for Allied Solution Group to become profitable.

When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?

Yes, in 2012 we lost our primary lead source. We were two weeks from going back to our jobs and I had burned through our savings. It was feeling pretty desperate, but I knew we had a winning concept and a great team, we just need a lucky break.  We buckled down and got our first resort and the rest is history.  I guess I do well under pressure, although I don’t want to test that theory again!

How did you get your first customer?

We got our first customer by cold calling timeshare owners.  

What is one marketing strategy (other than referrals) that you’re using that works really well to generate new business?

Third party telemarketing is the key to identifying customers and generating new business.

What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?

We recently had to separate with a sales manager.  Letting an employee go is always tough to do.

What do you think it is that makes you successful?

I think what makes me successful as an entrepreneur and business leader is doing what I say I am going to do – follow through is very important to me.  I believe very strongly in the Golden Rule.  It has served me well in my personal life and business.

What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

We employee over 50 people, that means a lot to me.

What does the future hold for your business?

We are very excited about the future of our business. Timeshare sales volume rose from $7.9 billion in 2014 to $8.6 billion in 2015, a nine-percent increase, the second largest increase percentage-wise since the recession.

What are you most excited about?

Stability.  I am also excited about expanding our philanthropy – locally and nationally.

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