Mineola, N.Y.)---Bill Castoro had a grand plan from the moment he became an Expetec franchise owner in January. Expetec provides high-level technology services to commercial and consumer customers in the Long Island area and the 31-year-old Castoro began his new career by purchasing not one franchise in Mineola, but the entire Long Island territory from the Aberdeen, S.D.-based company.

Open for less than a month, Castoro has a roster of 500 customers comprised of 70 percent residents and 30 percent small businesses. In addition, as the area developer, Castoro provides supports to the two existing franchisees in Plainview and Garden City. All of this, while Castoro prepares to sell between 10 and 12 more Expetec locations in Long Island.

Because of his success, Castoro is developing his Long Island territory for franchise ownership and has become one of the pioneers in Expetec's area development program that kicked off in March 2004. Castoro is looking to attract other aspiring entrepreneurs to join the Expetec network in Nassau County.

Castoro estimates Nassau County can support a minimum of 12 Expetec franchisees, with each territory containing a minimum of about 2,000 potential business customers. As an area developer, Castoro is responsible for recruiting and providing support to franchisees in his territory while also marketing and selling Expetec's services.

Castoro is Expetec's second non-company-affiliated area developer. Lonnie Helgerson, Expetec's CEO and founder, oversees Expetec's company-owned territory covering North and South Dakota and Moorhead, Minn. It serves as a working model of the area development program.

Before joining Expetec, Castoro spent almost 12 years in the information technology and information services industry working as a consultant and network administrator. In May 2002 Castoro became a Computer Troubleshooters franchisee, but he left when the company was unable to support his rapid growth.

"Bill Castoro has strong capabilities and technical knowledge," said Helgerson. "I see Bill as a strong area developer. He wants to move this forward quickly."

Expetec has enjoyed a banner year in 2004, awarding 34 franchises. The company expects to award an additional 100 franchises in 2005 and 2006. Expetec CEO Lonnie Helgerson's goal is to open 5,000 locations within 10 years

According to Castoro, one of Expetec's main selling points to potential franchisees is its new Internet-driven Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, a direct result of more than $500,000 Expetec has spent on software and hardware upgrades.

The system allows Expetec's corporate headquarters, area developers and franchisees to be linked at all times while providing customers with unprecedented ease of use.

Customers can go online, log a service call and immediately be assigned a technician in their area. An integrated accounting system handles billing when the job is completed. Area developers need only Internet access - which also can also be accomplished with hand-held PDAs for portability - to see what services franchisees are providing and what they are billing along with their customer logs.

"Expetec has a competitive advantage over any other IT service provider, particularly for small businesses, in the way they structure communications and the handling and service of day-to-day operations with the CRM system," Castoro said. "Nobody does that for small- to medium-size businesses."

Expetec's marketing support is also unparalleled. Its "Smart Connection" call center calls on 2,000 businesses for each franchisee during their first year in operation, generating leads and appointments. According to Castoro, the efforts net a four percent return, which is considered outstanding. The call center also schedules service calls for existing customers.

"If I was going to do exactly what they do, and I've done it, it would easily cost twice as much as what they do it for," Castoro said.

Because Expetec has streamlined its operations so seamlessly, its franchisees are able to concentrate on serving the technical needs of their customers. As Castoro said, "You don't have to be an accountant. You don't have to print and send invoices or do collections or sales. You don't even have to take phone calls."

Despite Expetec's burgeoning popularity, Castoro said becoming a franchisee within its network of more than 200 service locations in 30 states is a rigorous process. "You really have to pass the grade," he said.

As head of area development, Helgerson says area developers such as Castoro will play a key role in Expetec's continuing growth. "It gives you that close local support person," Helgerson said. "If a franchisee needs assistance, Bill can physically come out and help rather than relying on a long-distance phone call. It's all hands-on."

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Source: Expetec