About Me

My name is Russell Chapleo. I live in Disley with my wife, three children and dog (Milo).
 

Born in 1978 is an advantage as both Apple and Microsoft were formed in the same era.

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In my early days, I loved to take electrical items apart to see how they worked. At secondary school, I liked to repair and upgrade personal cassette players (Walkmans). In addition to this, I would program games for my friends, on their Amstrad and Acorn BBC computers.

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I completed my diploma in Business & Finance when I was 21 years old. I started my first full-time role as Assistant to the Finance Director for a clothing manufacturer based in Stockport. The company needed to move with the times, and I had the IT knowhow. In addition to my CIMA qualification they were happy to pay for my IT training in exchange for me to develop their IT infrastructure. I then had a second role as their IT Manager.

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In 1999, I worked part-time outside of my daytime job as a freelance IT professional for small businesses in the local area.

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Within a period of 5 years, I built numerous servers for different companies and developed multiple computer systems from scratch. I gained extensive knowledge of both legal and financial frameworks. I experienced pioneering IT technologies, which the new telecommunications companies had just began to operate.

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In 2005, during the broadband revolution, I setup a company called B4 Computers and I began to operate from my home workshop. These were the best days of my life :-)

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Because business was that good... I decided to open my first workshop in High Lane and offered apprenticeships to youngsters who needed a foot on the industry ladder.

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Late 2010, I decided to expand with a second location in Hazel Grove and change the business direction. I established Stockport Computers to appeal to larger organisations began to tender for contractual services.

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I changed my work life balance when my first child was born in 2011 and when the last of my apprentices had progressed to per-sue their new ventures, I decided to close my shops and work from my van, like the good old days.

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I don't have my shops or the staff anymore, but I still socialise and occasionally work alongside my experienced apprentices.

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My business isn’t just a job to me but it’s my way of life. This means everything I do is important, so I have meaningful relations with my customers.