“Sterling Ideas has an amazing and supportive team. I have worked with them for many years and would highly recommend their services.”
- Cloud Services
- Cloud Providers
Charles’s interest in technology began at an early age. His father taught him not to be afraid of taking something apart to look at it. Even as a preschooler, Charles would sit on his father’s lap and “help” take apart cameras—the tech of that age—examine the pieces, and put them back together again. A few years later, his mother surprised him with his first computer, a TRS-80. Then, like almost every child in the 80’s, he had a Commodore-128 for gaming.
As Charles grew up, so did the technological world, and he saw the potential of the computer industry to provide not only for his young family but local businesses. This permission to examine and explore, lovingly given by his parents, sparked an entrepreneurial spirit within Charles that never left him.
That spirit had to wait, however. As a young husband and new father, Charles worked for several large corporations to make ends meet. During that time, he worked on complicated computer systems, learning about administration and automation. The knowledge Charles gained from managing complicated systems was exactly what he wanted to bring to small businesses, so, in the summer of 1999, he decided it was the right time to follow the entrepreneurial path and start his own business. It seemed fitting to the Gardners to honor their firstborn son Sterling by naming the company Sterling Ideas. After all, they knew if they could convince small businesses to protect data better, it would indeed be a sterling idea.
The beginning was hard, though. The phones didn’t ring. There weren’t any clients. No one was knocking down the door to hire Sterling Ideas. In fact, one company Charles taught for went bankrupt and left its instructors (including Charles) with thousands of dollars of unpaid pay. It was devastating to a family with young children, but, by the grace of God, Sterling Ideas survived. Client by client, the company grew.
Charles worked alone for almost two full decades, acquiring clients through honest business practices with integrity, hard work, and many late nights. It is a badge of honor that several of his original clients are still on the books today.
Sterling Ideas grew because of Charles’s desire to help other businesses succeed. Charles knew efficient IT services that protected clients’ data would be a catalyst to small business success. He has always believed small businesses to be the backbone of this great country, and he worked hard to make sure his clients thrived.
In 2018, Sterling graduated from the University of Florida and joined his father at the family business, finally giving Charles someone to work alongside and share the day-to-day demands. There was a synergistic effect with father and son working together, and soon more and more work came their way. It was obvious that even more help was needed.
The first quarter of 2020 saw the Covid-19 pandemic shutting the entire country down. Never had technology seemed to matter more. With businesses and schools closed, more and more people were working from home, and people’s technology needs soared.
At that time, JoAnn, a middle school English teacher of ten years, started working from home just like everyone else across the globe. It was in those quiet days when the world was waiting that she realized just how much her husband handled every day. She wanted to join him and help him. It was not an easy decision to leave teaching, but JoAnn made the choice in the spring of 2020 to retire at the end of the school year. She started working in August with Charles and Sterling in the company’s first non-technical role: Service Manager.
By the beginning of 2021 even more help was needed, and a new employee was added to the ranks. Hannah Gardner, Charles and JoAnn’s middle daughter, began working for the company part-time while finishing up her nursing degree at the University of North Florida. Her love for order and documentation helped keep the company running smoothly.
Then, on a momentous New Year’s Day in 2022, Sterling Ideas joined forces with Jireh Consulting. Jireh’s owner, Todd Long, has been a faithful, trusted friend of the Gardner family for decades.
Todd and Charles worked together when both were starting out in the industry, and now they enjoy working alongside one another again.
Todd has a great love of technology and business efficiency, but it’s his respect and care for client relationships that outshine everything else. What more could you want from a business partner than to be on the same mission, to have the same vision?
Our clients thrive. The world becomes a better place.
Sterling Ideas continues to grow. Todd’s son Jonathan joined the company at the end of 2022. Just weeks later, the company was fortunate enough to hire Jacob McCravy. Fast forward, and Cyrus Esperanza joined the crew. Then, Samantha Thompson was hired as Operations Manager.
As the team grows, the company becomes stronger. The outcome of the team’s good work is that even more clients thrive, just as Charles envisioned so many years ago.
This is the Sterling Ideas story so far, and it’s just the start of great things to come.
“Our company has been using Sterling Ideas to handle our higher-level IT support needs for almost a year now. We have been very happy with their response time and the level of support. All of their team members are great to work and very knowledgeable, plus they are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. We are very happy we signed on with Sterling Ideas; they make my job much easier. I recommend them to anyone I know looking for IT support services.”
“The team at Sterling Ideas is top-notch. They keep things running smoothly so I hardly ever have to bother them, but when I do they come running to the rescue in a smooth, efficient manner. Look no further folks!”
“These guys are the best. They explain computer IT concepts in “people talk” . They have infinite patience. They listen! They are readily available. And they treat you with respect: no matter how basic your issue.”
“We have been using Sterling Ideas for our IT needs for over 20 years. From the beginning when they rescued us from disaster to our continued expansion to over 250 computers on our campus, they have been there. We have had very little downtime over the years compared to my peers. If you do what Sterling Ideas says to do, your system will work. They always respond to your questions or needs the very same day. I’m sticking with Sterling Ideas!”
“Without the guidance of Sterling Ideas, I don’t know how we would have met the requirements of the FTC and their regulations. Not to mention the day-to-day security they provide for our school – we can sleep well at night knowing that Sterling Ideas is working to keep us up to date and safe in the IT universe! I would give them 10 stars if it allowed!”
“Sterling Ideas assisted us in ensuring we are compliant with the new FTC Safeguards. This was a huge undertaking for our company, and we couldn’t have accomplished it without their excellent support, guidance and leadership. The staff at Sterling Ideas are always so helpful and patient with all of our questions and needs!”
“I have been working with Sterling Ideas for years, and they provide excellent service and have exceptional knowledge of their industry. I would highly recommend their services.”
“Todd and the team at Sterling Ideas have been a huge part of the IT for our company. They are fantastic and caring and go above and beyond for anything we need!!! Thank you all for all you do!!!”
“The team at Sterling Ideas provides professional service at a level of excellence. As an IT Director, I know my IT Infrastructure is in great hands. In the Healthcare Industry, technology rapidly changes, and Sterling Ideas is always ready to help us with the next big project.”
“Our organization was undergoing rapid expansion which necessitated upgrading and expansion of our IT infrastructure. Sterling Ideas was able to provide the necessary expertise and services required throughout every step of the way. They have committed themselves to excellence, and I would highly recommend them to any organization looking to improve their IT services.”
“Charles has been our firm’s IT Specialist for over 20 years and he makes us feel as if we are his only client. I can text, email, or call him with an emergency IT need, and he ALWAYS responds to me immediately to take care of the problem. His technical proficiency is only matched by his integrity and professionalism.”
“Organized, efficient, knowledgeable, available via text, email or by phone (which is highly unusual these days)! I would recommend this company to any small business who is navigating the GLBA Safeguards Rules and needs assistance from people who can help!”
