Business Journal – Rise and Fall of Geeks On Call

Geeks On Call was featured in a business journal article on November 6, 2009 that highlighted the successful start-up and growth of the company under the leadership of Richard Cole, Walter Ewell, Michael Vanderslice and other executives. The article also describes why Ewell and Vanderslice left the company shortly after Entrepreneur Magazine recognized the brand as the best new franchise concept in early 2006. The company seemed to fall from grace with the departure of Ewell, Vanderslice and others while founder  Richard Cole, Rich Artese led the once promising brand into obscurity.

ARTICLE INFORMATION
Hampton Roads Business Journal – November 6, 2009
MICHAEL SCHWARTZ – Staff Writer

Geeks On Call: its rise, fall and future

Geeks On Call founder Richard Cole, left and franchising expert Walter Ewell.

In 2003 Richard Cole told The Virginian-Pilot in an interview that he was not a geek.

“I just employ them,” he said then. “I’m an entrepreneur who exploited a niche.”

And for a few years, exploiting that niche paid off for Cole and his former company, Geeks On Call America.

Founded in 1999, Geeks On Call was one of the first companies of its kind, selling branded on-site computer repair franchises nationwide.

By 2003, Cole told the Pilot the company topped 100 franchises and was on pace to reach $10 million in revenue that year.

In 2004 Geeks had more than 140 locations in 11 states and was named one of the 55 fastest-growing companies by Franchise Times magazine.

Accolades continued to roll in 2005 for the Norfolk-based company, considered a local success story. Cole was awarded the High-Tech Entrepreneur Award by the Hampton Roads Technology Council. In January of 2006, Geeks was named the best new franchise concept in the nation by Entrepreneur Magazine.

Geeks On Call Historical Information

This blog contains historical information about Geeks On Call, an IT support company that started franchising in 2001. By late 2005 the company was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as the best new franchise concept of the last 5 years and ranked in the top 35 as the fastest growing franchise concepts.

The Geeks On Call’s management team which included: Richard Cole, Founder and CEO; Walter Ewell, VP of Franchise Development; Michael Vanderslice, VP of Operations (COO) and Tim Holadia, VP of Franchise Sales guided the company to become one of the most successful and fastest growing franchise brands in the United States within 5 short years granting over 400 franchise territory locations. Most of the original management team left the company in early 2006.

Geeks On Call was acquired by Comverge based in Virginia in October 2009.