Orlando Computer Geek Finds Success Amidst Economic Woes - Geeks on Call

When high-tech expert Phil Elwood thinks back to the “dot-com boom” that the computer industry experienced a few years ago, he remembers a time of unbridled success and excess. He remembers a time when information-technology jobs were the hottest thing around, and how everyone who worked with computers seemed to be blessed with a Midas touch. And then he remembers the fallout…and the way in which the dot-com bubble burst almost overnight.

For Elwood, these memories used to be painful, because they reminded him of the corporate cutbacks that cost him his job. Fortunately, he no longer cringes when he reflects on those days, because now he has those very same economic woes to thank for his newfound success. Free from the fear of cutthroat corporate tactics and surprise layoffs, Elwood’s dreams of independence have finally come true thanks to his new Franchise with Geeks On Call^®—the nation’s premier provider of mobile on-site computer support. Serving Orlando and its neighboring communities, Elwood’s franchise delivers a complete range of computer services directly to the doorsteps of homes and small businesses alike.

Phil Elwood is always quick to point out that he has been a high-tech junkie ever since he was a child. His fascination with cutting-edge gadgets blossomed into a full-blown passion for personal computers when they became an accepted, mainstream technology during the 1980s. After earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration & Systems Analysis from Taylor University in 1989, Elwood found employment as a computer networking specialist with Habitat for Humanity.

After two years at that position, he joined Convergent Media Systems, where he served as a Systems Manager. Around this same time he added to his educational repertoire by earning a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Miami. Four years later, he climbed higher on the corporate ladder by accepting a Communications Manager position with MetLife. For several years Elwood worked with numerous complex computer and telephone systems, and eventually he was promoted to IT Manager—which put him in charge of multiple employees and technical operations.

After spending a decade with MetLife, he soon found himself facing a challenge he was completely inexperienced with: unemployment. The victim of a layoff, Elwood was forced to reexamine his life and career goals, while at the same time devising a strategy to stay afloat in a computer industry that was struggling to survive. It was at this point that he learned about the Franchise Opportunities available with Geeks On Call^®, and immediately he knew he had found the solution to his problems. By becoming self-employed, he no longer would need to fear the sharp axe of corporate downsizing, and could reach higher levels of success than ever before because now the keys to his future rested solely in his hands.

Geeks On Call^® is the high-tech equivalent of a doctor who makes house calls. Too often, small businesses and residential customers lose substantial time and money while waiting for their computer problems to be remedied by a large, impersonal retailer that often keeps the computer for a week or more—and charges an arm and a leg! Refusing to tolerate this type of slow, unsatisfactory service, Geeks On Call^® goes against the grain and brings help directly to the customer’s doorstep. Launched in 1999, Geeks On Call^® began its operations in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA—where it experienced immediate success. Overwhelmed by the public’s hunger for dependable computer support, Geeks On Call^® realized the only way to satisfy its ballooning customer base would be to franchise the company. In 2001 the first Geeks’ offspring was born, and since then over 125 Franchises have been planted throughout the United States.

Not only have the expedient, reliable services provided by Geeks On Call^® found success with residential clients, but also with small businesses that simply cannot afford the enormous expense of hiring an IT staff. Instead of paying exorbitant salaries to keep a full-fledged IT staff on hand, small businesses simply can turn to Geeks On Call^® on those occasions in which computer services are required. Now everyone can have access to superior computer repairs, upgrades, troubleshooting, personalized training, networking and custom-built PCs—without emptying their wallets.

Currently, Geeks On Call^® offers service in the following states: Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.