Back To School
Computer U franchise teaches seniors how to travel the World Wide Web.
As the Internet becomes the primary way people communicate, shop
and learn, no one wants to be left behind. Urged by friends and
relatives to get online, many seniors are looking for help with the
hows and whys of computers and the Web.
Ready to answer those questions is Computer U Learning Centers,
a franchise that offers computer training to adults 50 and older.
Centers are located in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada.
The company began in 1992 with president Vicki Beckner offering
computer training classes at the Joslyn Senior Center in Palm
Desert, California. Success with the Joslyn Center classes inspired
Beckner to open a second center at the nearby La Quinta Senior
Center in 1995. One year later, Beckner's husband, Russ, joined
the company and became vice president, helping it expand into
franchising. "It was obvious there was a tremendous need for
older adults to have access to computer [training] established
specifically for them," says Russ.
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A typical Computer U classroom has between six and 10 computers,
with one student per computer, allowing for a hands-on learning
experience. In addition to surfing the Net, seniors learn to use
programs like Quicken to manage finances or use digital cameras to
send electronic images to friends and family anywhere in the
world.
The Beckners also help seniors purchase computers, providing
free lectures covering what they should ask and look for when
buying a computer. The computer knowledge many seniors gain from
the center and its lectures can take some family members by
surprise. "When a son or daughter offers their mom their old
computer and she says, ‘What's the processor speed and
how fast is the modem?' it kind of knocks them off their
feet," Russ says proudly.
Computer U Learning Centers are seeking patient,
computer-literate franchisees. Start-up costs can run as high as
$40,000, with a $20,000 franchise fee. For more information, visit
www.computeru.com.
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