Business

Andrew Shepanik is the founder and owner of Cowboy Computer Repair.

Photo courtesy Andrew Shepanik

Richmond computer repair business growing

By Samuel Cheng

Published 2:47 PST, Mon January 30, 2023

Last Updated: 4:40 PST, Wed February 22, 2023

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Cowboy Computer Repair is a new Richmond business that aims to troubleshoot and fix everyday electronic items including computers, cellphones, and printers.

Andrew Shepanik, the company’s founder and owner, started Cowboy Computer Repair when his financial advisor reached out for help with a printer problem. After five hours of hard work, Shepanik—who had experience working with electronics—was finally able to revive the printer back to life.

“He was pleased to find his printer could now print several pages without jamming, so pleased in fact that he suggested: ‘You should do this as a job.’ From there on, I decided to do just that,” says Shepanik.

Shepanik’s goal is to help people keep their electronics for as long as possible. He’s driven by a love for the technologies and video games, as well as a previous career in information technology.

“Alongside my interest in all things technological, I decided to begin opening up items that had ceased to function to see what exactly caused them to break,” says Shepanik. “I'm always learning, making me a little better at troubleshooting each and every day.”

The name “Cowboy” stems from Shepanik’s lifelong love for Western cowboy films.

“With the added bonus of going horseback riding with a cowboy hat and boots more than a few times, adding ‘Cowboy’ to ‘Computer Repair’ was a no-brainer,” says Shepanik.

Cowboy Computer Repair provides numerous services including consultation, troubleshooting, software installation, electronic detailing, and repairing. Consultation can be either in-person or over the phone. Electronic repairing includes anything from computers to printers, and even items as small as fans.

Shepanik values customer satisfaction and customer feedback. He aims to do everything in his power to cater to each client’s needs, even if it means directing the client to another professional.

Shepanik’s time in the computer repairing business hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Advertising, according to Shepanik, has been the single most challenging aspect of the business.

“I cannot count the number of times I paid for an ad space somewhere only to have my email flooded with offers from people trying to sell me another ad. If I didn't know any better I'd be drowning in ads,” he says.

Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, Shepanik managed to continue working and found alternative solutions.

“I offered to help people over the phone, then offered more hands-on business when I got vaccinated,” he says.

Shepanik’s proudest moment of being in business was with one of his clients at Skylight Optical. He managed to solve a problem at not just one, but two branches located in Richmond and Vancouver respectively.

As the sole proprietor and the company’s only employee at the moment, Shepanik finds satisfaction in discovering the root of each problem as well as seeing the smiles on his customers’ faces. He also performs periodic follow-ups to make sure that the solutions he provides actually resolve issues permanently.

“Having return customers is generally a bad thing, as it can mean that my solution was not nearly as permanent as I would like it to be,” says Shepanik.

Shepanik says when starting a new business, having a budget is crucial. After that, it’s all about self-motivation and the drive to succeed.

“If you see an opportunity in front of you and you think you can't handle it, remember that learning from failure is far more valuable than wondering ‘What if?’ after the chance passed you by, embarrassing or not,” says Shepanik.