Long gone are the days when viruses only affected humans, and
the words spyware and spam were not a part of our everyday
vocabulary. A 2004 survey conducted by America Online and the
National Cyber Security Alliance, a public-private partnership
focused on promoting cyber security and safe behavior online,
revealed that 80 percent of the users surveyed had spyware or
adware programs on their computers. And this estimate is
conservative-some surveys report numbers as high as 90 percent.
These elements have forced computer users to face the sobering fact
that, while computers can be helpful, they come with their fair
share of problems-which often require professional assistance. Says
Hamilton, "Technology is becoming something the brother-in-law
can't come in and fix on the weekends."
Naturally, the misfortune of some has become the fortune of
others; and largely due to the onslaught of such problems,
technology consulting franchises grew by nearly 50 percent in 2004.
Franchises like CM IT Solutions, Computer Troubleshooters USA and
Expetec Corp. are eager to come to the aid of frustrated computer
users. "It's not getting easier for people to dig these
worms out," says Lonnie Helgerson, 42, co-founder of Expetec
in Aberdeen, South Dakota. "As we compete on what you'd
call an electronic scale with the internet, that's going to
become a cost of business."
As a result, businesses are increasingly turning to
tech-oriented companies for solutions to their computer needs.
Helgerson notes that the biggest growth in clients in 2004 came
from small and midsize businesses, as businesses realized it's
cheaper to contract with a tech company than hire a full-time
computer technician.
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Meanwhile, Reaves of Computer Troubleshooters USA believes that
customers tend to have more confidence in calling a franchise for
assistance than an independent consultant. Says Reaves,
"Working through a franchise structure, the customer gets a
lot of peace of mind that [he or she is] dealing with a credible
organization, not just a fly-by-night operation."
Bridging the Divide
One of the main factors spurring growth in certain tech-related
franchises is the threat of an ever-widening digital divide between
the computer literate and illiterate. With the threat of this
growing gap, the spotlight is being directed toward educating
youth, thereby bringing together two rapidly growing forces:
technology and children. And as the forces meet, opportunities
abound for franchises like Computertots/Computer Explorers, which
specializes in offering technology education for schools, kids and
adults. "There have always been four core subjects in
education: social studies, science, math and language arts,"
says Art Coley, CEO of Cypress, Texas-based CTCE. "Now
there's a fifth subject-and that's technology. Technology
touches our lives every day."
For the past 20 years, CTCE has largely focused on serving
children ages 3 to 12 in the private sector, including
independently owned and chain preschools, child-care centers and
private schools. Now, says Coley, the doors to the public school
system are opening thanks to two factors: the No Child Left Behind
Act, which prioritizes both technological fluency and use of
technology to facilitate learning in the elementary school
classroom, and the fact that computer skills are quickly becoming a
requirement in today's job market. "When we look ahead 20
to 50 years, the difference between people around the world and in
our country won't have anything to do with their age, sex,
color, religion or gender," says Coley. "It's going
to have everything to do with technology-how we understand it and
use it."
Technological fluency has become crucial for living in
today's society, and it will only continue to grow more
prominent. CTCE is pairing up with KinderCare, a leading provider
of child care and education, to become the technology provider at
the more than 1,200 KinderCare centers across the country. To
accommodate the demand coming from all sides, CTCE plans to add a
minimum of 50 to 100 franchises annually. Currently at about 100
franchises, Coley says the company doesn't plan to stop
expanding until it reaches 500. "There are four-and-a-half
million preschoolers and 50 million children in [kindergarten
through eighth grade] across the country," says Coley.
"Considering [that] today we serve about 30,000 children,
there's plenty of room for growth."
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