In the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area, there is no shortage of places that claim to be able to fix a broken device, such as mobile phone, laptop or computer.
But, NerdsToGo is the only one owned and run by Michael Varnadore, a U.S. Air Force veteran with four decades of experience and education that have all dovetailed into his latest endeavor.
Michael enlisted in the U.S. Air Force right out of high school, four days after his 18th birthday. Of his 20-year military career, he says that 15 were spent in computer service, including teaching his entire squadron how to use personal computers when they received them while stationed in Korea.
Along the way, he earned a Bachelor’s degree and went on to receive a Doctorate degree in information systems management.
After retiring from the military, Michael started his second career at an aerospace corporation. He served as director of personal computing, responsible for 80,000 end points (personal computers and laptops). After nearly two decades, he retired again, and that’s when he decided to take all of the knowledge he had gained to start something new, as the local franchise owner for NerdsToGo, located in the Pebble Creek Collection plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.
“Everything I’ve done — starting with working on my first Tandy 1000 in 1986 — has led to where I’m at today,” Michael says, “it’s been a progression of skill sets and responsibilities, and I’m still learning.”
He teaches, too, as a college professor teaching introductory computer classes at Hillsborough Community College and University of Maryland online.
Those decades of experience and extensive education have given Michael the expertise to help both consumers and businesses with any computer or IT issue that may arise.
Since opening the business in 2019, Michael says he’s proud that his small business has served the needs of the New Tampa area and has racked up more than 150 5-star reviews on Google, and an average of 4.9 stars out of 5.
“As a small business, I don’t have any way to brush off bad reviews,” he says. “We have very few untrue or unfair reviews.”
NerdsToGo is a growing franchise, with about 35 locations nationwide.
Michael explains that when you hire NerdsToGo, you’re hiring an IT specialist, and he and his staff provide the expertise to fix your problem.
Got a cracked phone screen? Bring it in. NerdsToGo can fix most devices and even has a special laser to remove the back glass off iPhones. Without that laser, Michael says, it can take hours to try to pry it off by hand because of the strong glue that holds it in place. At NerdsToGo, repairs are quick and you can generally get your phone back within a couple of hours.
Virus on your computer? Michael says this is a big issue these days. You clicked on something you didn’t realize was a scam and now you’re having all kinds of problems with your computer? He and the other “nerds” at NerdsToGo know exactly what to do to get rid of any signs of the problem you encountered.
Michael says he also often helps people upgrade computers that are running slow. It can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars to replace a computer, but Nerds ToGo can offer upgrades that will keep your computer running efficiently for years without having to buy a whole new system.
NerdAssure For Business
But, don’t just think of NerdsToGo for your own personal needs.
As a small business owner, Michael knows all too well just how many hats have to be worn and how many things small business owners have to become experts in just to get by.
He promises that those who own small businesses don’t have to learn to be IT experts, as Nerds ToGo’s exclusive NerdAssure program will manage all information technology services for you.
He says the service uses software to monitor machines for performance and fix hardware before it breaks, along with providing antivirus services, cloud backup to ensure all data and email is backed up and recoverable in case of a problem, and the administration of some kind of office productivity software, which could be Office 365 or something else.
He says this includes making sure everyone has access to the things they should and not to the things they shouldn’t.
“For businesses that have no IT department or person, we can remotely manage and monitor the environment,” Michael explains. “For those who have a person or small department, this service complements that and takes a lot of work off their shoulders.”
That’s how it works at Ridge Manor Christian Academy, where assistant principal Nathan Puentes is responsible for the school’s IT but can’t do it by himself.
“We’ve worked with five different companies over the last 13 years, and before NerdsToGo, no one was as accessible to us as we needed them to be,” Nathan says. “When something goes wrong, we can’t wait days for it to get fixed. Our students need their devices working immediately.”
He says that, for the past three years, working with NerdsToGo has met all of the school’s needs and has performed beyond their expectations.
“These guys are amazing,” he says. “They are performing updates, identifying issues in the system, getting the right people right away to solve problems.”
NerdsToGo is located at 19651 Bruce B Downs Blvd., Suite C6. The store is open Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit NerdsToGo.com, call (813) 321-1700.
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