Laptop Refurbs offers computing on the go

Laptop Refurbs USA is a new company that is focusing on portable computing.

The company sells refurbished laptop computers for about a quarter of the cost of new ones. "These are fresh machines, factory refurbished," according to owner Renee Goodwin.

Goodwin said the refurbished computers are basically like new and that these are usually coming off of a two-year corporate lease.

They resell for $500-$800 and may have nothing on the hard drive or have the operating system installed.

"A 2-year-old laptop is not going to have a lot of wear and tear," she said. "It's more reliable than a used car." When computers arrive at the company from suppliers, they are cleaned and tested, then shipped to their new owner complete with a brand-new carrying case.

"Customers call us to say they're surprised how clean and new their computer looks," she said.

The remaining factory warranty on each laptop transfers to the new owner.

Through networking, Laptop Refurbs USA works with manufacturers such as Dell, IBM, Compaq, and Hewlett-Packard. Goodwin is capitalizing on "supplier diversity programs," she said, which means she can buy the laptops cheaper by guaranteeing the companies to buy so many units per week.

"It is very difficult to become a vendor to a company like Dell," she said. "You have to guarantee you'll maintain their standards, quality and customer service."

Laptop Refurbs USA began as a separate division of a St. Louis company that grossed more than $1 million in sales in a 10-month period, Goodwin said. Most of those sales were through the Internet.

"That company had great on-line success," she said, "but the partners could not agree on how to grow the business. That's when I decided to restructure and branch out on my own to focus on niche markets."

A native of Springfield, Goodwin began her business in her home in December 2000. "I've really found a niche market with college students, and Springfield is a perfect college town," she said. Goodwin believes that eventually all schools and universities will require students to have laptops to type notes, take on-line quizzes, and send e-mail.

Students, however, aren't the company's only targets. "We're capitalizing on where there's a need. Fortunately, there's a need everywhere," she said. Teachers, truck drivers, utility companies, government agencies, and railroad companies are just some of the professions requiring data entry, she added, and retirees also are looking for affordable laptops "Maybe they're going to be traveling in their RV, and they just want to e-mail their families. They don't want to spend $3,500 on a laptop."

Most people willing to pay full price for the newest laptops are primarily concerned with speed, and small businesses often can benefit from a lower-priced refurbished model, Goodwin said.

Across the nation and in Springfield, the company is gaining recognition through its "affiliate program," according to Goodwin. Affiliates are people compensated for producing sales; for example, a police officer affiliate in New York tells the police department about the company and a college student at the University of Missouri spreads the word at MU. Other affiliates in Florida, California and Texas earn commissions whenever someone from their area buys a computer from Laptop Refurbs USA, she said.

Locally, the SMSU Bookstore acts as an affiliate and will include a banner for the company on its Web site.

"The banner on SMSU's Web site links directly to our Web site," said Goodwin. "Every time a student from an affiliated university buys a computer from us, the university receives a commission."

Goodwin said her company will need to stay on top of the game to keep up with rapidly changing technology. "With the way technology is evolving, computers are going to get smaller and smaller. Eventually they will probably just be the size of a cell phone."

Goodwin believes Laptop Refurbs USA will successfully adapt to meet the changing needs in the marketplace.

The company's Web site is located at www.laptoprefurbsusa.com.