Jeremy Silver
Bringing Manitoba Prices to Fort McMurray
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Jeremy Silver is not your typical computer guy. His background is rather eclectic, including years working as a professional vocalist around Manitoba along with a variety of other jobs. But he has always had an interest in computers – a passion that started with playing videogames as a kid.
“The computer fascinated me and opened up the door to a new world,” he says. “I was one of the first people in Winnipeg to have a Pentium, and I had people calling me from retail stores to learn about them.”
Jeremy has always enjoyed tinkering and seeing how things work. He found that he became the default computer guy in every company he worked for even though that wasn’t what he was hired for originally. “If someone was having a problem with their computer, they’d say, ‘See if Jeremy can fix it,” he explains.
He first started his computer company as a hobby while he living in Manitoba, but found it difficult to compete with big box stores in that province. In fact, he had virtually given up on the idea of selling computers when he moved to Fort McMurray last October to drive a bus in the oil sands. When a co-worker mentioned needing a computer for her daughter, Jeremy contacted his old supplier and was able to provide a system for a better price than any of the stores in the area. When she told a few people, who in turn told a few more, his business was revived.
“There’s a great potential market here in Fort McMurray” he says. “Twenty-five per cent of the population is living on oil camps. There’s a huge concentration of people making good money and disconnected from home, and computers are a good way to stay connected. People have a lot of money, but everything here is too expensive, so I brought in computers at Manitoba prices and they’re selling like hot-cakes. My company slogan is ‘Silver Sity Computers: prices so reasonable you’ll forget you’re living in Fort McMurray!’”
He considers his people skill to be his greatest asset, and credits that to his years in the entertainment industry and years of customer service. He spent a few years as manager of a complaints department of one of the biggest on line pharmacies in Canada.
“I’ve always had an extremely large personality,” he says. “And I’ve always used it to get places in life. The average person likes me and trusts me. I’m honest too, and I build my business on my reputation. If I can’t give a customer a better deal than someplace else can, I tell them, and they respect me for that.”
So what prompted Jeremy to join a networking group geared primarily toward women? He had been trying more traditional ways of promoting his business without seeing the results he wanted. Sending out flyers met with limited success. While word of mouth had worked fairly effectively, he hadn’t really been able to expand into the larger realm. So when a member of Roaring Women invited him to attend a Roaring Women meeting, he figured it was worth a shot.
“After the first meeting, people were calling me up asking for computers. I didn’t actually have to become a member to make sales, but I liked the organization. It gave me something first before asking for my money, so I thought the least I could do was join.”
Written by: Marie Sedivy
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