CompuWiz Computers Repairs & Robotics As you want men to do to you, do to them likewise. Luke 6:31 About CompuWiz Computers HOw I, Angelo, got pulled into computers. I grew up a scifi junkie, e.g. Star Trek, Alien, etc. and when my younger brother got a commodore 64 for gaming, I wondered more and more when computers would actually become useful for busniess and how I could be a part of that. In 1990, fresh out of college, UCF, with a BA in Economics and underemployed for 6 months due to the recession, I came to Tallahassee from Daytona Beach. I was blessed with a job with the Labor Dept. and entry into Florida State's Graduate Economics program. To my surprise I soon realized that my love for economics was limited to the academic world, and found myself dabbling more and more with computers. "The crazy things amazed me!" It wasn't long before I dropped out of the graduate program, which angered the Labor Dept. Feminazi bureau chief not to promote me. Even when my computer mentor tried to promote me into the computer section, she and other feminazis above me kept me in my position. And that's when I started CompuWiz Computers 1992 on the side providing some basic services, e.g. consulting, programming, graphics, etc. Soon I left the Labor Dept. to work 1 year for a progressive alarm company and learned how to do business. First storefront-1994 However it was not until 1994 that I began to sell parts and build and repair computers and that availed the opportunity to open a storefront at 741 N. Monroe St. Within a couple of months my first technician and sales/trainer, younger brother, abandoned me because I refused to make them partners, and so I had to become a good tech overnight and I stuck with it and made it. By 1995, the internet was a tech craze and I opened and authored my first web site, compuwiz.net and many others for clients. Market Street Shop & ISP servers in the back flickering away By 1996 I had a great little shop at "The Gallery" on Market Street as work was steady and customers were happy. With the internet craze exploding, a good friend and I decided to open an internet service provider, ISP, Noblestar which operated in the back, the server lights flickering, I felt like I was in a spaceship. Cool! Wholesale I liked selling wholesale as I try to get along with my competitors and actually see them as customers. Therefore, in 1997 I opened an office to do that on Timberlane Rd. The ISP business was interesting and seemed to deserve the attention of a business that only specialized in such. Thus in 1998 we sold the ISP to Internet Services of Tallahassee, Nettally. Boom in Computer sales! 1998 With the ISP responsibility ended, and a hawkish manager under me, I started opening stores. Thus I went from the Retail store and wholesale office store in June to 5 stores total in Sept. Business was booming. Bust Sept 1998, I dreamed I was closing shops instead of opening shops! Hey did the dream make a mistake??? Yikes, it was no mistake, CompUSA opened it's doors in late Sept. 1998, with mfr and store rebates that dropped prices for everything, even below our cost! As customers started to laugh at our prices, the local computer industry was devastated! All the little guys buying from my wholesale were getting killed, and forced to close their store or stop working at home and get a real job. It was scary, no other company had hurt our local industry. Thus by January of 1999, my dream became a reality as I was consolidating stores. I almost lost my house. Thank God the City bought it, eminent domain. What a mess As I consolidated stores, I found myself working like crazy and even somewhat abandoned to get stuff into my overfilled main store. It was so depressing, but I knew I had to get it done because I didn't want to work for anyone else, and loved working for myself. I Went to 3 stores: kept 2 stores opened in Tallahassee and moved one to Thomasville GA. Nov. 1999 Fire in the hole? No, Fire at Tec's Pro Bike, damaging my main store on Capital Cir, across from Espositos. While in the process of moving my North Monroe store to the old Computer 101 building on 2475 Apalachee Pkwy, a fire at the bike shop next door to my Capital Cir. store so damaged the store that I was forced to merge the two stores. Especially after I noticed my customers didn't mind coming to the Apalachee Pkwy Store. June 2000 Ended my Thomasville, GA store Seemed like I was just about breaking even at that store and so decided that I was happy with my store on Apalachee Pkwy and ended all my expansionist aspirations. Robotics aspirations In the late 90's and early 2000's battling between robots became very popular, and I being a tech buff fell in love with robotics watching Battlebots & Robotwars. My favorite was Battlebots and quickly rounded up friends and $4000 later, we had a battlebot. I registered with Battlebots and went to San Francisco and competed against two NASA techs, but lost when my weapon malfunctioned due to protective foam getting stuck in the centrifical clutch. I couldn't believe it. Wow all that and never thought a stupid problem like that would do it. Oh well. That was like throwing a bucket of ice water on me when I was getting ready to make love. The industry got buried when Robotwars sued Battlebots and tied up the shows for years in litigation. It seems to have severly handicapped the industry. Aug 2003-2004 I Opened an immoral side business and closed it within a year After my wife left me in 2002, within a year I was partying and decided to open a side stripper service where I was like an agent that would send entertainers to parties. I ran it by the law, for real. However due to my Christian values and trying to get closer to God I shut it down after a year of a lot of fun. At the present time - Good Service / Happy Customers / an lots of blessings I've settled down a lot these days. And I've definitely learned a lot about what makes me happy: Good and happy people all around me. I concentrate on working 5 days a week and providing my customers with great service. I try to talk to them in laymen terms, and give them options, so they can easily understand me. I treat them as I want to be treated, just like my motto: "As you want men to do to you, do to them likewise." Luke 6:31.