Own a tech support franchise p1 - Military Success Stories - Military Times EDGE

The name of Bill Schubert’s computer repair shop reflects his information-technology business philosophy: You don’t have to be a certified geek to be successful — you just have to be nice, said the owner of Friendly Computers in Georgetown, Texas.

“The key to success is dealing with people,” said Schubert, a retired Navy lieutenant commander. “I hardly ever hear, ‘What a great technician you sent out.’ I hear, ‘What a nice guy you sent out.’”

Friendly Computers, a franchise company, started out as a home-based concept in 2000 and now has 73 locations in 31 states.

Schubert and his wife — and now business partner — Dana Zeppa Schubert, were living in Jacksonville, Fla., when he retired early in 1997 after 17 years in Navy combat information centers and anti-submarine warfare operations.

He went to work in Florida distributing computers to offices of a financial company and helping employees adjust to their new PCs.

“I had some natural computer skills but not a lot of technical knowledge,” Schubert said. “I learned computers from the bottom up.”

Experience in anti-warfare operations and management didn’t help much when it came to climbing the corporate ladder.

“I was a manager without any specialty. I couldn’t compete with 20-year-olds,” Schubert said. “The military teaches you to study and be disciplined, so I took courses, studied and amassed enough knowledge to become a network administrator.”

His credentials include Microsoft systems engineer and database administrator certifications.

“One day I walked into a small computer repair store in Florida and thought, ‘This is what the world needs more of,’ ” Schubert said.

Three months later, in September 2005, he opened his Friendly Computers location.

“I worked at half-military speed, which was still twice as fast as everyone else,” Schubert said. “I operate on the principal that we’re not selling computer repairs — we’re selling connections so people can communicate.”

The Schuberts’ two full-time employees include Dana Schubert’s son, Joseph Glaspie, and an additional A+ certified technician.

The store serves 2,000 to 3,000 customers. Most of those are repeat customers, and many live in nearby retirement communities and use computers for banking and for connecting with friends and family.

“We most commonly get calls saying, ‘My computer is slow,’ ” Schubert said. “That can mean viruses, repairs, upgrades or something else.”

His formula for success: Communicate with customers one on one so they can communicate online.

Schubert is one of three veterans among Friendly Computers franchisees. He invested $150,000 to start his business, including the discounted franchise fee of $17,500 as well as a rent-to-own option on his building, plus furnishings, stock and advertising. For being a veteran, he received a 30 percent discount off the franchise fee, but now the company has sweetened the deal — waiving the entire $25,000 franchise fee for all honorably discharged veterans.

As for start-up costs, company president Bryan Ward said there is no true inventory.

“Products are purchased through partner suppliers as customers need them,” Ward said. Owners pay monthly royalties of between 2 percent and 5 percent to the Friendly Computers company for continued use of the franchise name and additional services such as monthly marketing and technical roundtables and teleconferences.

Schubert won’t reveal how much money the business brings in — only that he’s experiencing enough success that he can now afford to pay his wife.

Business solutions

Repair services aren’t the only computer games in town.

CMIT Solutions, for example, serves as an outsourced IT department for small to medium-sized companies that can’t afford full-time experts.

“We charge a flat monthly fee, $1,700 or less, and handle their computer and network services, vendor relations, Internet and phone — everything IT,” Air Force veteran and CMIT Solutions franchisee Len Farias said.

CMIT franchises are designed to be run from home, but president Jeff Connally said owners quickly can outgrow their home offices.

“It’s usually in the third year,” Connally said. “Many franchisees establish a formal office because it becomes necessary for techs and owners to have a meeting before heading out to conduct work on the premises of the customer.”

Farias made that goal after his first year.

He left the military as an E-6 in 1984 and spent 23 years selling network infrastructure equipment to major telephone companies.

“I didn’t know anything about computers,” Farias said. “But I wanted to own a business, and I knew customer service. You can hire the expertise.”

New franchisees can get started with CMIT for as little as $64,000, including supplies and recommended reserve funds. Veterans get a 20 percent discount off the franchise fee. They can start operating after a week of online training and once they have the minimum equipment — a computer and a voice-over-Internet-protocol phone.

The company provides technology engineers and an answering service for $2,000 a month, and franchisees are expected to spend about $2,000 on marketing.

“When franchisees follow the marketing plans we help them design, the return on their investments is big,” Connally said.

(Originally published May 5, 2008)