Success Stories

CTCE Owners Offer Guidance, Friendship to New Family Member

With just one year of business under her belt, Collette Howell, owner of COMPUTER EXPLORERS in Fair Oaks, California, generated new contracts in excess of what she initially anticipated… More

Testimonials

"NASA parents have high expectations for their children when it comes to computer technology education… More

"By integrating computers into our curriculum, we are able to reinforce the educational concepts we are teaching in the classroom… More

COMPUTER EXPLORERS Owners Offer Guidance, Friendship to New Family Member

With just one year of business under her belt, Collette Howell, owner of COMPUTER EXPLORERS in Fair Oaks, California, generated new contracts in excess of what she initially anticipated. The secret of her success? Just a little help from her new COMPUTER EXPLORERS friends."I'm like the dog that caught the car by the tire," she says."What do I do now? I’m gaining more confidence, though. COMPUTER EXPLORERS owners are generous in sharing their business strategies and practices."

Retiring as a regional vice president from Pacific Bell-SBC after 31 years, Collette took eight years off to play golf and enjoy life. Too much down time made her restless."I was bored and needed to do something again," she says,"But I never considered going back to the corporate world."

Franchising was a logical path to take, having never owned her own business. She quickly pared her choices to two — an arts program for children or COMPUTER EXPLORERS. She describes herself as technologically challenged — "All I know about the computer is how to e-mail on an iMac and shop." With a love for art and music, Collette leaned heavily toward purchasing the arts franchise. But she had already purchased a ticket to Houston, and had grown fond of Cyndee Perkins during their many phone conversations, so Collette came for Discovery Day. COMPUTER EXPLORERS won hands-down.

"If you just consider it from a purely business perspective, COMPUTER EXPLORERS has the right strategic view, they have an expanding product line, great business-to-business partnerships, wonderful training and the focus is on quality," says Collette. Praise is also reserved for four fellow owners who came to her aid. Having broad corporate business experience, Collette had managed hundreds of sales people while at SBC, but rarely made sales calls herself. Robin Kaplan from Centreville, Virginia, flew out and went with Collette on a few sales calls and taught her about the proposal process."I was like a fish out of water," she says."With Robin here I had more confidence."

She also sought out David Rhodes, owner of COMPUTER EXPLORERS in Leonia, New Jersey, and Alan Oppenheimer, owner of COMPUTER EXPLORERS in Exton, Pennsylvania. She valued hearing their philosophies and perspectives on the business. Perhaps the biggest treat was meeting Yvonne Carlisle, owner of COMPUTER EXPLORERS in neighboring Lodi, California. "She knows what she is doing. She has her Master’s degree in education and has 10 to 12 Integrated Technology Resource Program (ITRP) schools in the Valley," says Collette. "And she is the most selfless, wonderful person.You rarely click with somebody, but in Yvonne I found a friend."

Armed with newly found confidence, Collette began working in earnest during August last year. Daughter Nicole stepped in three days a week to do administrative work, giving Colette a new software tester as a bonus, her three-year-old grandson, Stephen. By the end of her first year she realized $24,000 in revenues primarily by "clawing and scratching to get little schools onboard." April 2005 brought a flood of business as Collette won five contracts. St. Mary’s Catholic School in Sacramento signed a $46,700 contract to service 320 children from K-8th. The same school also contracted to hold after-school technology clubs representing approximately $12,000, and a summer program for their school, amounting to at least $15,000. A $5,000 deal on a summer program was signed with Mary Hill, a private school chain. A Montessori preschool will be the first in Sacramento to offer technology education for children, signing a contract at the end of the month for $12,000.

Collette is giving back by offering 12 scholarships to children who may need them to participate in the after-school technology clubs. Assistance will go to four children in each of three sessions. Much has been given to her, and she wants to pass on the goodwill to deserving children. If business continues to come at this pace, there will be plenty of goodwill to go around.