The Computer Guy
Company name and address
The Computer Guy
115 1st Avenue Northwest
Hampton, IA 50441
Name and title of the company contact
Patrick Palmer - Owner
What assistance was provided?
Iowa Foundation for Microenterprise & Community Vitality provided a business expansion loan for The Computer Guy through its IowaMicroLoan program in 2009.
Who provided the assistance? Were multiple organizations involved?
Assistance was provided through the Iowa Foundation for Microenterprise & Community Vitality’s IowaMicroLoan program.
Additional assistance was also provided by the North Iowa Area Small Business Development Center on the campus of the North Iowa Area Community College. The NIACC center provides counseling and consulting for area small businesses and start-up clients.
What was the success?
The Computer Guy was founded by Patrick Palmer of Hampton, Iowa, after working with computers since the age of 14. While still in high school during the early 80's, Palmer partnered with his father, Roger, in a home-based business called Palmer & Palmer Computer Services. After high school graduation in 1983, he went on to further his education at NIACC in Mason City, Iowa. During that time he began a 17 year radio career. In the midst of that career, his passion for computers was still ablaze and he established The Computer Guy in 1996. Palmer found that by offering quality services at reasonable rates, he could gain the trust and respect of those whose computers he serviced, thus building his business.
After leaving radio in 2000, Palmer went to work for a cellphone carrier, but continued his work as The Computer Guy. Eventually in 2006 he struck out on his own and now dedicates his full time efforts into his business, serving local clients as well as national computer accounts like Dell, Staples and Sony.
In 2009 IowaMicroLoan helped him expand his business and open a retail store location in Hampton. He purchased his parents' computer paper and supply business and on July 1st, 2009, he hired an employee, opened the doors and hasn't looked back.
The Computer Guy serves Northern Iowa, with free pickup and delivery service in a 45-mile radius of Hampton, Iowa. Palmer also offers Remote Assistance computer repair services for those who live around the corner or around the globe.
