MSP 501 Profile: Tekie Geek on Ripping Down the Ladder and the Pursuit of Entrepreneurship

Company Name: Tekie Geek
Company MSP 501 Rank: 248
President Geek: Mike Bloomfield
Headquartered: Staten Island, New York

Primary Services:

Twitter: @tekiegeek

The entrepreneurial force has been strong with Mike Bloomfield, founder and president of MSP 501 winner Tekie Geek, ever since he can remember. Bloomfield can trace this spark back to his middle school days, where he started his own street-sweeping business on the mean streets of NYC. 

Fast-forward a few years, and the wonderfully geeky company is flourishing, earning it a spot at No. 248 on the 2020 MSP 501 list.  

We sat down with Bloomfield to chat about how he got his start, how the business has evolved, and how he defines the road to entrepreneurial success.

Tekie Geek’s Mike Bloomfield

One could argue, though, that where they’re going, they don’t need … roads.

Channel Futures: What is one thing you wish vendors would do that they don’t?

Mike Bloomfield: I want to start by saying that there are a handful of vendors in the IT space who are amazing, and I would consider actual partners to my business. Without naming these vendors, I would say that they truly have my business success in their core values. They do not treat you like just a number, which is one thing we find in many vendor relationships.

When a vendor treats you just like a number, locks you into long-term contracts, and makes it nearly impossible to leave even after your contract is up, it can be maddening. For those vendors that understand what most MSPs understand, we do not want clients who do not want us — this is a toxic relationship. Vendors should learn from this and make it easy when things aren’t right to part ways as friends because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Thank you to those vendors who truly treat us as partners. You are the reason that the channel is what it is! These are the vendors that we love to have a drink with at a conference, bump into on the lobby floor and just talk about life, and answer whenever they call.

CF: If you could go back to one technological point in time, what would it be and why? 

MB: Nov. 5, 1955. This has to be one of the most important dates in history, as it is the day that Doc Brown first envisioned the flux capacitor when he slipped off of his toilet bowl while hanging a picture and hit his head on the sink. That would be quite something to witness, wouldn’t it?

Wait, that isn’t real? Well if it has to be a real period in history, I would love to go and witness …

… Jeff Bezos pitching his vision of Amazon. The stories are incredible to hear — they laughed at him and told him no one will buy books online. He started from nothing and built Amazon from absolutely nothing.

He is inspiring and reminds every entrepreneur each day that you can do whatever you set your mind to. It also serves as a reminder that there will be those who don’t understand your vision and will try to knock you down. In these instances, it is vital to remember that you must be true to yourself and that you can succeed if you want it badly enough. That was enough to help me to start my business, and here we are eight years later. We are repeat MSP 501ers, my dream continues to come true each day!

CF: Why are you a business owner instead of working for someone else? What is the allure of entrepreneurship to you?

MB: What can I say? I’ve had entrepreneurship in my veins since being in middle school when I started a street-sweeping business. In New York City, the Department of Sanitation could fine businesses for having garbage on their sidewalks. I saw a problem and solved it for my clients. Owning an MSP is technically no different. We are presented with problems, and we solve them. 

It took me some time before I made the leap and started Tekie Geek in 2013. Prior to that, I worked in one very corporate environment, and one small-to-medium-size business. I loved both companies, but there was always something missing that left me wanting more. I wanted more control, but no matter how far I moved up the ladder, there was someone higher up that I needed to answer to.

So I ripped down the ladder and placed myself at the top. And thus, Tekie Geek was born. What made me want to be at the top? There is nothing more rewarding than watching something you started as a little seed grow into a brand that is recognized in your target area. I was able to have full control in the brand that I wanted to grow, hire the team I wanted, and make the decisions that I was ready to make without waiting for others’ approval.

Most of all, I could treat my employees how I always wished to be treated. I can give them the tools to grow. I can provide the space they need to be successful. And last but not least, I can give them the ability to make the decisions to feel on top.