North Bay computer store sees success during the pandemic

North Bay -

North Bay Computer Services changed the way it operated during the pandemic to ensure clients can work from home.

In the community for over 20 years, North Bay Computer Services is a well established business in the community.

“We do a lot of IT for network for businesses, services, pretty much for anything-- infrastructure, commercial. We also do residential, you can drop your PC here,” said owner Yann Fleury.

“We do web, we do search engine optimization, we do debit machine repair.”

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, it approached NECO, a non-profit corporation that enables business growth and community prosperity in Nipissing East/East Parry Sound by providing loans and counselling.

A loan from the community futures development corporation enabled it to help clients set up work from their home.

“We had to change a lot of the businesses network equipment to have a proper VPN so they can work from home,” said Fleury.

“We have a better infrastructure now, better tools, better software, so now there’s less issues and much better customer service.”

NECO has given out more than $5million in loans and grants since the pandemic started, according to its executive director, Patti Carr.

"North Bay Computer Services, they really had to actually reinvent their business and do a lot of things virtually for their clients. They needed some funds just to get all their staff ready to service their clients, and the money goes a long way,” said Carr.

Fleury said considering his company is a small business, he’s remained successful the last 20 months, keeping all of his clients and he’s hoping to eventually expand.