GERMANTOWN, TN - CrucialSolutions.com has been
featured in today's issue of The Commercial Appeal. The article
reads as follows:
"Teenage
consultant tackles tech problems for $70/hour
Biz
Whiz
By
Mark Watson
watson@gomemphis.com
May 24, 2003
The
tech-savvy teenager helping grownups with their computers has
become a cliche, but a Houston High School senior has taken that
idea one step further by starting a computer consultancy.
Peter
McDermott, 18, of Germantown has been working on computers since
age 12, and actually started consulting with residential customers
about their computer problems in Atlanta before his parents, Paul
and Penny McDermott, moved here in February 2002. McDermott graduates
in a ceremony at 10 a.m. today at the Pyramid.
McDermott's
company, CrucialSolutions.com, focuses on residential and small-business
customers who need services such as troubleshooting, upgrades,
training, network building, virus recovery or protection. The
rate is $35 an hour for residential customers and $70 for businesses.
A more complete list of services can be found at the company's
Web site: http://www.crucialsolutions.com.
Jay
Hirt, one of Mc Dermott's neighbors, said he hired the young man
to help him select and network computers for his daughters.
"I
knew, based on just talking to him, that he knew about computers,"
Hirt said. "I probably wouldn't have considered hiring somebody
from the Yellow Pages. I probably would have just done the research
myself. Because he was available and seemed to know what he was
doing, it just seemed to be the best decision."
Gordon
Prince, Computer Consultants Association of Memphis president,
said he does not view CrucialSolutions.com as a threat because
Prince's colleagues focus on businesses.
"Most
of what it takes to set up home computers and home networks .
. . has been invented in the last two to five years, so a kid
who has worked a little with it and figured it out probably knows
about as much about it as I do," Prince said.
In
fact, Prince said he might consider hiring McDermott for Prince's
business customers who want business connections at home.
"I
get a job offer from just about every technical support firm I
call," McDermott said.
McDermott
primarily uses word-of-mouth to advertise his services. One exception
has been his connection to TechTV, which began while he lived
in Atlanta. He serves as chat forum moderator on that organization's
Web site, and recently participated in an on-air discussion.
"He's
a pretty bright young man," said Casey Quinn, TechTV chat manager,
from his office in San Francisco.
Quinn
said he first encountered McDermott in a chat forum when McDermott
was 14 and living in Atlanta. During McDermott's school career,
he would help out with computer problems, update teachers' computers
and so on - for free, of course.
"One
of the things that stuck out about him was the amount of knowledge
he had," Quinn said. "Even then he was always very helpful. .
. . When he applied to be a chat moderator it wasn't too hard
of a decision."
In
addition to his media appearances, McDermott has established an
affiliate marketing program through which companies in the area
get a commission for sales made by CrucialSolutions .com based
on the affiliate companies' referral.
McDermott's
little brother, Andy, 15, is involved in computers, but not in
so practical a way. Andy plays Counterstrike in the Cyber Athlete
League, either from his home computer or at Memphis's Cybernet
Internet cafe.
After
graduation, Peter McDermott plans to seek a degree in broadcast
journalism at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and continue
his business on the side.
"I'm
working on a business plan . . . that will go wherever I am,"
he said.
- Mark Watson: 529-587"
