Loose Leaf Notes

~ The following appeared in The Floyd press on February 4, 2010.
Computer consultant Ben Kiser is not your average technician. The 1999 ECPI College of Technology graduate and owner of Kiser Computing Consulting LLC not only repairs computers and keeps them running smoothly, he also makes house calls.
Kiser, a North Carolina native and father of two, had completed an associate’s degree in architecture when he realized the potential of the computer field and decided to make a career change. While pursuing his degree in computer electronics and during his 9 years working as a System Engineer for Carilion Clinic, he repaired computers for his family and friends on the side.
By the time Kiser started his home-based business in the fall of 2008, he had a built-in clientele. Still, it was a leap to trust that the business would grow enough to support him and his family fulltime, Kiser said. With the growth of computer use, the advent of high speed internet in the area, and word-of-mouth referrals, Kiser’s faith and skills have paid off. “I’ve been busier in the last two months than I’ve been all year,” he noted.
Locally, Kiser has installed or cleaned up cable networking (for internet, phone, and TV) for The Village Green, The Station, Collin’s Chiropractic Clinic, LCF Group, The Maples Bed and Breakfast, Crenshaw Lighting, Slaughters, and more. He’s traveled to Hillsville and Roanoke and places in-between for work and has been all over Floyd County.
As a resident of Floyd since the 7th grade, Kiser knows his way around the county. He also understands the lack of technical skill that can make even unplugging a computer system – with its multitude of cords – an ordeal for some home users. ‘We’re here to help step by step. Not geek you out,’ the Kiser Computing Consulting webpage (kisercomputerconsulting.com) tagline reads.
Whether working for small businesses or individuals, customer relationship is Kiser’s specialty. The benefit of making house calls is that he can explain computer problems in language that his customers understand and can show them detailed strategies for solving those problems, Kiser said. If a computer needs extensive work and has to be taken back to his home shop, he returns when its fixed and reinstalls it, making sure it’s working before he leaves.
Through his small business account with Dell, Kiser can order high quality business class computers at a discount and pass the savings on to his customers. He also saves customers money by directing them to free online sites that can assist in keeping their computers running fast and clean. As a follow-up to his services, he’s created a youtube video that provides a step by step guide through the maintenance process.
Working from home allows Kiser to spend more time with his family. His wife, Holly (Nolen) Kiser, is a licensed day care provider who also works out of the family’s home, a log home that Kiser built six miles out of town on Franklin Pike. Kiser appreciates that he has the freedom to adjust his schedule so that he can pick up his 7-year old daughter Alexis at the school bus stop, his 4-year old son Levi from pre-school, or help out his wife. “But I also put in more hours than I would at a regular job,” he said about being self-employed.
Advice Kiser received from a business associate has become his company’s mission. “If you want to be successful do good work and keep your customers happy,” Kiser remembers being advised. Satisfied customers are important to Kiser. He also enjoys what he does. “I’m a problem solver. I work on something till it’s fixed. There’s a satisfaction to seeing something fixed,” he said. ~ Colleen Redman