Baldwin Bytes to help people with technology needs

BY DANI TIETZ
dani@mahometnews.com

Mahomet, Ill. – Many Americans live with the mentality of buying something new when an item breaks.

This is often the case for everything from clothes, to vacuums to computers.

But throwing things out isn’t always necessary.

Adam Baldwin has been fixing and making things work since he was a child.

And now, through his business, Baldwin Bytes, he wants to make sure that consumers have the proper professional to make sure their investments aren’t a waste of money.

“Maintaining computers is something that I really excel at,” Adam said. “I really love the prospect of being given a problem that seemingly has no solution for a person, and then solving that problem for them.”

Adam’s obsession with computers began in grade school when his parents purchased an Apple II.

“My parents purchased an Apple IIgs that was underpowered for what I wanted to do with it so I tinkered until I was able to make it work right,” he said.

“I later got an Intel machine and learned DOS and Windows. From then on out, my focus was anything computer science-related.”

Adam went on to obtain the necessary certification in computer science and other related IT fields.

For the next 15 years, Adam worked full-time, taking on computer repairs on the side.

“He’s always done odd jobs for his friends,” his partner Sarah Bensken said. “He’s always doing something on the side; he’s got a backroom full of nothing but technology.”

When Sarah asked why he didn’t pursue his passion, Adam always said, “there just wasn’t a market for it. Because people don’t want to repair this, they want to buy new.”

Still, Sarah noticed that Adam was spending all of his spare time repairing, maintaining and designing computers for people throughout Champaign County.

So, for Christmas, she decided to surprise him.

“As a Christmas gift to him, I came to him and I showed him his logo,” Sarah said.

“And I was like, that’s my gift to you, that’s your logo.

“He saw it. And he’s like, ‘that’s my logo.’

“I said, ‘Let’s do this. Let’s build this business. And we started with that.’”

That set the process in motion.

“She saw that all I was doing in my spare time was helping others out with their laptops and PC’s; whether it be troubleshooting or major repairs, it was taking up all of my free time,” Adam said. “I was also custom building every PC that we own as well as custom building a massive 85 Terabyte home server, which I maintain.”

Sarah and Adam worked on developing a website together. Sarah took over the marketing and back-end business while Adam carried on doing what he loves best: fixing and designing computers.

“Without her, I never would have started doing this, there would be no Baldwin Bytes without her support,” Adam said.

“It is with her support from the front end, that I am able to give each and every customer’s computer my full attention.”

Building trust is something both Sarah and Adam are focused on.

“It is very important for me that my customers have a name when they drop off their equipment, and that they just aren’t a number in a system, to which they would get a different person answering every time they called or inquired as to the status of their item,” Adam said. “When you call Baldwin Bytes, you get one of two people answering, myself or Sarah.

“And when it comes to asking direct questions about the work being done on your equipment, you get to personally talk to the person doing the work, not a third party answering system or a random 1-800 tech who isn’t physically sitting in front of their equipment.”

Neither owner believes that they should take advantage of customers who may not understand everything about PCs, but want to make sure they have a machine that can do what they need it to do.

Providing services such as data recovery, internet security, IT solutions, hard drive back-up, PC support and installation, home office and business networking and custom buildings, Baldwin Bytes hopes to take care of all computer needs.

Sarah said one of the most exciting products Baldwin Bytes offers is custom gaming systems.

While many buy a new system every time one is released, Sarah said that a system from Baldwin Bytes can be upgraded at a lower price with a new release for a small fee in comparison.

“I am not out here to try to charge people for what they don’t need,” he said. “You get so many people that walk into a big box store and walk out with a $2,000 machine just to check their email. You don’t need to spend that much money to do something so basic.

“I also am excited to be offering consults, if someone doesn’t want a custom build but just wants some buying advice, I want them to be able to call on me to help them with those decisions.”

Sarah said Adam can help break down the jargon into something she can understand.

“We want people to feel like there is no stupid question when it comes to technology and their needs,” she said.

“We want them to feel that they matter.”

Sometimes it’s the attention to detail that helps people know they matter, too.

Sarah said Adam has built their home systems to the exact specifications they need, and even added some extras, such as glowing lights to fit their personalities.

Adam said as he’s building a custom system, he believes it’s best to “shop around.”

“I choose to build computers because then I get all the input of what goes into my computer. I get to meticulously pick and choose every part. This is something that I believe all people should be doing when they go to purchase a computer.

“I take the term “shop around” quite literally for this. I draw up a plan for what I need, or what a consumer needs and then I pick and choose the best parts to fit those needs.”

Baldwin Bytes is moving from a home-based business to one with a storefront. On Aug. 1, they are moving into suite #110 at Sangamon On Main.

Sarah said that while they could have established their business anywhere in Champaign County, Mahomet is where they want to be.

“The importance of community is togetherness, she said. “We want that feeling in the technological world.”

Adam agrees.

“I hope to build a lasting relationship with the community here and all of my customer base,” he said.