It was a year of new markets and a new look for NerdsToGo, as the IT brand expanded in several states while redesigning its identity.
Over the last 12 months, new units opened in Greenbook, New Jersey, Wilmington, North Carolina, Tigard, Oregon, and Everett, Washington. The growth for NerdsToGo, which now has 35 units, comes after the concept was acquired by Fastsigns parent Propelled Brands.
Propelled Brands Chief Development Officer Mark Jameson said since the acquisition in 2020, NerdsToGo has shifted to be more B2B friendly.
“When we bought the brand, it was originally focused on direct-to-consumer, with a break and fix strategy,” Jameson said. “We quickly recognized that the opportunity was on the B2B side.”
Propelled Brands Chief Development Officer Mark Jameson
To better establish its B2B offerings, the brand created its Nerd Assure program, providing a managed service plan to companies.
“We monitor their systems, software and tools,” Jameson said. “The program was launched in September 2021 and it has helped grow franchisees’ recurring revenue pretty significantly. We still do direct-to-consumer work, but a big part of our business will be doing the managed service plans.”
Jameson said Propelled Brands also went to work to update the look of NerdsToGo, which hadn’t changed since it was founded in Connecticut in 2003.
“Because we wanted to go after the B2B side, we wanted a more contemporary look,” Jameson said. “We completely reimaged the entire brand. We kept some of the old colors, but updated the logo, the website and all of our marketing materials to reflect the new look, including our vehicles.”
Old and new. NerdsToGo's original logo on the left and its updated one on the right.
One of the franchisees benefitting from the rebrand is Ellen King, who recently opened the Wilmington unit. King said the new look is especially important as marketing the company has been the most integral factor in growing her business.
“It’s tough to find good talent, but I lucked out because I have two very good technicians who’ve been with me since day one,” King said. “The challenge for us is getting the name out there, and really networking to introduce the business to the community.”
King opened her NerdsToGo location after working in higher education. She said during the pandemic, she was inspired to go out on her own and start a business, and decided to go the franchise route.
“I went with IT since it’s an important part of our daily lives, it’s huge for everybody,” King said. “I started talking to other franchise owners from NerdsToGo and really liked what I heard. Then I started talking to the folks at NerdsToGo, how they wanted to grow and what they were looking to do. It was very appealing.”
Franchisee Ellen King opened her NerdsToGo location in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Jameson said NerdsToGo plans on recruiting more franchisees like King, offering potential owners two options for operations.
“In late 2022, as part of our strategy, we added an executive model,” Jameson said. “So now we have two models, where franchisees can either be an owner with a manager-run executive model, or an owner-operator. We’re not looking for people coming out of the tech space, we’re looking for those who are sales-driven.”
New franchisees will also open smaller units in the future, Jameson said. The brand has been downsizing existing offices to fit footprints less than 1,000 square feet and is updating stores to reflect the more contemporary look.
To open a NerdsToGo, the initial investment is between $146,200 and $217,050. Ideal candidates are also expected to have a net worth of $300,000. On average, each NerdsToGo location has about five technicians.
In addition to Fastsigns and NerdsToGo, Propelled Brands’ portfolio includes SignWave and Suite Management Franchising, the parent company of My Salon Suite and Salon Plaza.