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CompuData: One-stop shop for biz-tech needs

They sell IT expertise to make small- and mid-size businesses run smarter and more efficiently.

Angela Nadeau's CompuData provides businesses with IT solutions to make them run more efficiently. (Steven M. Falk / Staff Photographer)
Angela Nadeau's CompuData provides businesses with IT solutions to make them run more efficiently. (Steven M. Falk / Staff Photographer)Read more

ANGELA NADEAU, 53, of Medford, N.J., is president and CEO of CompuData. The family-owned business, which started in 1971 and is based in the Far Northeast, has 400 to 500 clients, many of whom are multigeneration and/or private businesses.

Q: What's the biz do?

A: We provide IT services for small- to medium-size businesses. We do it in a couple of ways. One is the software part that runs your business, such as sending out bills and ordering products. We also provide software if you want to track customer emails or when their contracts are up. Today a lot of people are moving their servers to the cloud and we have a data-hosting center. You still have to have your PCs and laptops, and we back up and service them.

Q: The biz model?

A: We resell software, so we have relationships with software vendors. For the most part, though, we sell expertise to help clients run businesses. It used to be more of a time model - you would buy a certain amount of time - but now it's more managed services. It's more comprehensive and we take care of all your IT needs for a single price.

Q: Your customers?

A: Ehmke Manufacturing makes tarps for the military and doesn't like a lot inventory piling up. Our software helps them be lean. When you order stuff, it comes in exactly when you need it to be shipped out to customers. Wire & Cable Specialties is another; they make fishing wire and jewelry wire. We provide their manufacturing and marketing software. They sell on Amazon and we have that integrated for them. We're their IT department.

Q: With whom do you compete, and what differentiates you?

A: Over the years, many times we have cannibalized our own revenue streams for the benefit of the customer. We have stayed current with all the trends and developments in software, which has helped save our clients money. So we have customers that stick with us because I think we look out for them more than we look out for us. We compete with other software resellers but we also offer a menu of services, which is kind of rare nowadays.

Q: How big a biz is this?

A: We have 32 employees and we're growing. We did $6.4 million in revenue in 2014.

Q: Biggest challenge?

A: Finding the right people who fit into our culture. We're looking for people who share our mind-set, people who are growth-minded and forward-thinking.

Q: What's next?

A: If we get to $8 million this year, I'll be happy. We're poised for substantial growth in the next couple of years. I see us moving more into recurring revenues through hosting and managed services. I hope to be close to 50 employees fairly soon.

Online: ph.ly/YourBusiness