When the Tech Guy is 13 (or Even 10)
Donald Garner Jr. was at his auto-salvage lot shooting the breeze last year when a customer mentioned that her nine-year-old twin sons had just gotten back from computer camp. Great skill to have, said Mr. Garner, who went on to complain about how much he was going to have to pay a pro to build a decent Web site. Why not ask her boys to do it? The customer asked. He could pay them whatever he thought the results were worth. He thought about it. Why not? He replied.
Steven Freidkin Named One of Washington Business Journal’s 40 Under 40
Ntiva Named to The Inc. 5000 List
NTIVA, INC Ranks No. 1391 on the 2010 Inc. 5000 with Three-Year Sales Growth of 208%
McLean, Virginia, August 24, 2010/Ntiva, Inc./- Inc. magazine today ranked NTIVA, INC, The Solution for All Your IT Needs, NO. 1391 on its fourth annual Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs.
Ntiva, Inc Owner Steven Freidkin's Journey from Geek to Guru
Friday, July 16, 2010
BizSmarts
While other boys his age mastered Game Boy and assembled model airplanes, Steven Freidkin was building an IT services business. And build he did — into a multimillion-dollar profitable enterprise that now pays four-dozen salaries.
WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL - BY Brett Nolan
A random run-in with a stranger began Steven Freidkin’s ascent into the professional world of tech support.
A 13-year-old Freidkin was browsing the aisles in a CompUSA store when a stranger approached and asked if he should buy a desktop or laptop. The boy looked down. His shirt was the store’s trademark red color for the sales staff.
After clarifying that he wasn’t an employee, the self-described geek helped the customer find the best fit. The grateful purchaser then asked for help setting up his new computer, which the teenager did — after determining the man wasn’t dangerous.
That customer, a Bethesda owner of a large retail chain whose name Freidkin wouldn’t disclose, started referring the boy to other prominent friends who had technology troubles.