Giving Back with GhostNet
by Joe Parker
It takes only a few minutes after talking to Patrick and Krista Kelley to realize they are truly wonderful people. Not only are active in their community (they give part of their business profit to charities) but they are likeable individuals with values and loyalty to their community. It is with these same qualities that they run their computer business, GhostNet.
Their business had humble beginnings. “GhostNet was never intended to be a business,” Patrick explains. He and his wife Krista created GhostNet simply as a way to advertise Patrick's specialty—security patches (solutions for a business's security vulnerabilities). Patrick and Krista never intended to turn their knowledge into a business until they started to be consulted for contract work. In 1999, GhostNet, Inc. began in the basement of their home in Jasper with two computers and a couple of months' severance pay from the jobs the couple left in Atlanta . When they decided to make it official, they knew it was going to be hard, but they weren't deterred. “We didn't really have a back up plan,” Patrick admits, smiling. “It either worked or we starved.” Desperation became their motivation. From a basement to an office building, GhostNet, Inc. has come a long way and strives to be at the forefront of the computer industry to accommodate their customers with their expertise in four areas to help businesses.
Networking and Server Support
Patrick and Krista know that in order to survive, businesses need to stay connected. To help, they provide excellent networking and server support. “It's a connections business,” Patrick explains. “We provide the ability to keep track of paper trails, connect departments internally and have resources quickly and efficiently at hand (including email and forms). Basically, we give them the ability for their business to communicate freely, quickly and efficiently.”
They also help people secure those services to protect their data and by extension that company's customers. With GhostNet's data back-up services, if disaster strikes, a business owner or individual can rest assured their information is safe. “We prepare them so they don't have the worst case scenario happen,” Patrick says, “but if it does, we help them recover from it.”
Web Development
The web development department at GhostNet is very important. It helps keep a business current and in contact with the customers. Their web development service helps connect businesses with prospective clients and supports the ones they currently have. They can provide an ongoing research base for something like a doctor's office offering information about a current strain of the flu or something of that nature. Services like these provide both the company and its customers with outstanding resources.
Residential Services
The third department of GhostNet is their residential work. Patrick compares it to the service at a chain electronic store, except GhostNet is “less expensive and we offer more services.” GhostNet can lead a customer through every part of the process of getting a new computer set-up, from deciding what computer is right for that particular person, to protecting that computer from viruses, pop-ups and more. They have an ongoing support system for customers who need the help farther down the line. The best part is that every service they offer comes with a warranty!
Research and Development
GhostNet is also concerned about the future, so they have an ongoing research and development department in constant search for new products and services to put GhostNet on the edge of what is new and exciting in the computer industry. They never release a new product or service without being sure it will work. “We never turn a client into a guinea pig,” Patrick says. “We just want to be better all the time. We're never happy with just being okay!”
As further evidence of their desire to see their customers happy, GhostNet is overtly thorough. “We see every issue through the end. If every thing goes well, that's great, but I don't think that our company's strength is measured by what goes right,” Patrick says, “I like the way we handle the things that go wrong. We go as far as humanly possible to correct any issues and make sure that our services reach a standard that the client wants and expects to receive.”
Charity Work
On top of being good business people, it's easy to tell that Patrick and Krista truly care about everyone. “My grandmother would probably smack me in the back of the head if I didn't say ‘ma'am,' or didn't open a door for a lady. She would also want me involved in some sort of civic group,” Patrick says grinning.
Not only are Patrick and Krista actively involved in The Lion's Club, but they also offer their time and services to various entities around the Jasper community. They provide web development as well as computer support for Appalachian Children's Center and make donations to several charities in the area. “The community has been very very good to us here,” Patrick emphasizes. “We appreciate it and try to be very good to it too.” In a time where most people are tightening their charity donations, GhostNet strives to donate 20% of their profit to local entities in an attempt to give back to the community that supports them.
Especially in times of crisis, GhostNet is there in the trenches. Four years ago, when a large local business burned down in Jasper, several employees of GhostNet drove to Atlanta to purchase supplies and worked with local competitors (Patrick jokingly calls it “co-opitition.”) to set the business back up with a website that would enable them to stay operative while waiting for the flames to be put out and a new building to be constructed. Within two business days, GhostNet had website running that kept them in business. They go above and beyond what the typical computer company would do.
It becomes clear that Patrick and Krista's business life mirrors their personal life. They strive for customers to have a good experience when working with GhostNet. “What we shoot for is the best experience with technology that they've ever had,” Patrick explains. “We hope that they feel not so much of a customer or a client, but as a guest that we really want to take care of. We look at them as more than just another entry into our accounting system.”
Whether it's a large business or an individual with computer issues, GhostNet goes the distance for their customers and their community. They guarantee a good computer experience and set the bar high to meet expectations. With such caring owners and dedicated employees, it's no wonder they're still growing and giving back.
GhostNet is located at 91 Sammy McGhee Blvd, Ste 109 in Jasper or you can contact them at (706) 253-1013 or visit www.ghostnetinc.com.