Author Archives: Darrin Piotrowski

Darrin, the owner and original Nerd, has been providing expert service for two decades, and has made Rent-A-Nerd the place to go for computer networks and repair. When not saving the world one computer at a time, our fearless leader enjoys cooking gourmet meals, exploring his home city of New Orleans, traveling the world, and slaying zombies on PlayStation.

My Goldman Sachs 10000 Small Businesses Story (Part II)

| April 10, 2014

Continued from Part I of My Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Story… Once admitted to the program, I was assigned to Cohort 5 (the next session) with twenty-three other scholars, comprised of a diverse group of business owners, in industries ranging from construction to restaurants.  Together, we employed 337 people and had revenues of $39 million.  That’s quite a socio-economic impact on the region!  Some of the businesses were young and experiencing growing pains, some had plateaued, and some—as in my case—had declined through the years. Over the course of four months, encompassing sixteen classes, I embarked on a crash course in running a business.  Overwhelming?  Yes!  So many questions ran through my head.  Could I do it?  Maybe, with the right support.  Was IRead Full Article

My Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Story (Part I)

| March 20, 2014

During the spring of 2013, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.  This program is designed to give business owners the skills required to grow and sustain their existing businesses.  And in some cases, it may even open a few new doors. For me, the journey started before I even knew about the program.  In 1997, I started Rent-A-Nerd, Inc. with little to no business experience.  I had been working in the computer industry for three years prior, but mostly in a sales capacity.  I strategically placed a few signs around the city, and my new business was born.  At first, invoices were handwritten and logged onto a spreadsheet.  This was easy enough for one person.  AsRead Full Article

The REAL Cost of a Cheap Computer

| January 30, 2014

It is not uncommon for customers to call Rent-A-Nerd or show up at our shop with a cheap laptop or desktop that was purchased “on sale.”  Why?  I always ask.  Well if it breaks, I can just purchase another one, is the response I hear most often.  I cannot think of a business—whether a sole proprietorship or a corporation with 500 employees—that does NOT rely on a computer for work.  Even home-users suffer tangible losses when their computers are down.  Believe me; I know these things.  I have seen and heard almost everything regarding computer failure, ever since I first opened Rent-A-Nerd in 1997. Here is my response to those who want to replace their cheap broken laptop/desktop with another cheap piece of equipment.  Let’sRead Full Article