Geeks On Call
Norfolk company dispatches technicians to computer users in distress
2006 Small Business Success Story of the Year - Hampton Roads finalist

by Beth Cooper
for Virginia Business
February 2007

The sign adorning Geeks On Call's Norfolk office says it all: world headquarters. Technically, Geeks On Call hasn't stretched past U.S. borders, but with its dramatic franchise growth, Richard Cole says international expansion is just around the corner. "It's a mindset," says Cole, the company's founder and chairman. "If we don't think of ourselves as being big and international, we're never going to be big and international."

That attitude already has positioned Geeks On Call as the nation's top independent purveyor of on-site computer assistance. Its technicians make house calls, traveling to a customer's home or office to service computers. Cole, a former corporate turnaround specialist, and a partner founded Geeks On Call in 1999 after wondering why computer technicians couldn't make house calls. The company began offering franchises two years later.

Today, Geeks On Call has more than 330 independently owned and operated franchises in 24 states, which generated $30 million in revenue during 2006. Last year, Entrepreneur Magazine recognized Geeks as the No. 1 new franchise company in America. And it envisions continued growth, with 100 additional franchises planned for 2007.

Currently, about 40 franchises are on the West Coast, with a presence in cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. Closer to home, Cole wants to provide service to all of Virginia within the next 24 to 36 months. Plus, he is negotiating to open franchises in New York City. In recognition of the company's growth, Virginia Business has named the company its Hampton Roads finalist in its annual Small Business Success Story of the Year competition.

The growth of Geeks On Call has bred imitators who use similar names. To counteract consumer confusion, Geeks On Call has opted to emphasize its toll-free telephone number - 1-800-905-GEEK. This year the number will be used in advertisements, and on all of the company's Chrysler PT cruisers, the required mode of transportation for Geek technicians.

Geeks On Call tries to set itself apart from competitors through its system of mobile technicians and its refusal to rely on selling retail products. The Microsoft-certified technicians perform all of their work on-site. Their services include virus removal, software upgrades, data migration, wireless installation, Internet security, custom applications and network setup.

Customers pay a flat rate of $99 for the first 15 minutes of a service call, which includes diagnostics and repair. For jobs requiring more time, prices are set depending on a computer's problem, and generally range from $150 to $275, (with the first $99 a part of the larger total). The company also offers telephone technical support to customers outside the Geeks service area.

Small and medium-sized businesses represent half of Geeks On Call customers, with home computer users making up the other half. The business side is growing rapidly, according to Cole. "Eighty-five percent of businesses in the United States are small businesses. That's our client. He doesn't have an IT guy so we become the outsourced IT department."

Tom Petry is one of those small-business owners. The owner of Paramount Greenhouses and Nursery in Norfolk began using Geeks On Call five years ago and appreciates the company's guarantee that a technician will be on site within 24 hours. "You can't be down without your computer for a week waiting for someone to show up," Petry says, adding that his Geek has performed basic repair work, as well as upgrading and rebuilding Paramount's three computers. "Ten years ago, everybody had a buddy who was good with computers who could help you. Computers are way more sophisticated now. You need a professional."

While many computer users have no problems operating the machine, they are less adept at figuring out how to keep it in good working condition. Cole himself used to be a frustrated computer user. "I'm computer literate, but I am not a geek," he says with a laugh.

The company's name and phone number may engender visions of the stereotypical computer nerd, complete with pocket protector. But being a geek is not a prerequisite for running a franchise. "We have guys who just own one franchise and are geeks themselves, as well as someone who owns 19 franchises and is an entrepreneur, not a geek," notes Cole. Franchise operators pay approximately $60,000 to get started. Discounts are given for operators with multiple territories.

Small wonder that Cole is thinking internationally. "It's a matter of what you're really passionate about," he says. "We had a good idea and were passionate about it. As the market changed and evolved, we've changed and evolved to meet the market's needs."