How did former chef Roger Klaassen find his mojo in a shop west of Toowoomba, fixing computers?

“I was a chef for 30 years, now I do one night a week, I love cooking. I had a medical condition [so I had to get] off my feet. I went back to uni and did a few courses, qualified to be able to franchise,” he says.

Roger studied personal management and marketing, with an elective in computing.

“I was fascinated by it. I continued it, to fix my own and friends’ computers. When I took mine for repair it was going to cost $200 to fix. I fixed it for 20 cents. I thought there might be money in it. 

“I researched computing options – very restrictive. I’ve owned restaurants and businesses in the past. I came across Computer Troubleshooters and I found the franchise model allowed me to do what I wanted, to be autonomous.

The key thing to balance that autonomy was that Roger had support of both the franchisor’s expert head office team and fellow franchisees in the network – for a minimal fee.

“In franchising, everyone is a colleague,” he says.

One of the crucial aspects to his success has been accessibility.

Former chef keeps tech talk simple

“Coming from a hospitality background, we talk human talk, not computer language. We don’t bamboozle with words you don’t understand, we speak in plain English. 

“I endeavour to ensure that people are being looked after. We focus on customer relations. I wasn’t born a technician, I treat people as equals. The way to please customers is to listen to their needs and give them what they want, guide them through the process, and how to get better.”

Roger has a team of six, and he is continuing to expand.

“Because we don’t lose many customers, we keep adding them. Going into telephony and VoIP is a growing area. Telcos are getting into managed services, and we are competing with them on that level. 

“We cater for everyone. Home users, businesses, trainees, computer first aid, full-time accounts.”

Retail frontage boosts business

Roger and his team work from a shop based at his home, with a street frontage on the highway for exposure and branding.

“We get some ad hoc business but it’s not our main income source. We service existing clients first, then new clients.

“There are two franchises in Toowoomba, we’re the west. My territory reaches out 25 minutes, I’ve even got clients overseas. That’s not bad for a chef!”