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Meet The IT Expert Who Turned $200 and an Old Car Into a Small Business
20/09/2021
When Roberto Blos and his wife Zita first opened One-Systems Norwood, there were more than a few nervous moments. “We used all the money we had to open the store so were living in a garage and we didn’t have anything left,” recalls Roberto. “Just $200 and a 2000 Toyota Camry.”
It meant the first few days were nerve wracking while the couple waited for customers to arrive, but they soon found out that they’d picked the ideal spot for their business. “From the first day people were coming in and they really helped us a lot” he says. “I printed some flyers but I didn't have money to pay anyone to hand them out… Instead people started taking the flyers, business owners would come in and take 20 business cards – it was amazing.” Almost two years later, he estimates that 80% of his business comes from word of mouth recommendations, and he gets customers coming from as far away as Mount Barker and even Murray Bridge.
The reason they come from so far is Roberto’s encyclopedic knowledge of IT, phone and computer repair. He received his first IT certification in Europe 20 years ago before moving from Hungary to Sydney in 2015 to do a Bachelor of Networking. Along the way he’s trained in phone and tablet repairs, moving to Brisbane and Mackay before landing in Adelaide.
“Now I can fix phones, tablets, computers, laptops, windows, mac – it doesn’t matter,” he says with a modest grin. “I used to joke that I could fix anything with a keyboard until someone came into the shop asking me to fix his piano!”
Roberto does house calls to set up home and business networks, but most of the repairs are carried out in front of customers in the store. “If I don't have to put something under the microscope, I’ll fix it right here,” he says, with only the more complicated jobs coming home with him. “I call it my lab, but really it's an office desk with some microscopes and professional tools for soldering and repairs.”
Inside the store, the walls are lined with accessories for phones and tablets, and business is so good that the couple are thinking about expanding. When the Norwood Mall renovations are complete, they plan to move the accessories to a kiosk nearby and turn the current shop into an IT store with keyboards, mouse, monitors and video cards alongside the repair business. Looking around, it’s obvious that Roberto is thrilled at how far the store has come. “Norwood was a really good place to come,” he reflects. “We’re very lucky to be here.”
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