Markevis Gideon is the founder and owner of the technology repair company NERDiT NOW in Wilmington.
During National Small Business Month in May, I want to talk about something I care deeply about: the digital tools quietly powering small businesses like mine in Delaware.
I’m the founder of NERDiT NOW, a tech repair, refurbishment and recycling business. NERDiT NOW has grown from a converted ambulance traveling through Delaware neighborhoods into a full-service store with 17 employees, $4.6 million in annual revenue and Delaware’s first Responsible Recycling-certified electronics recycling operation. We have also donated more than 7,500 devices to families and trained dozens of young people for careers in information technology. None of that would have been possible without digital tools on platforms like Facebook, especially personalized advertising and artificial intelligence.
Reaching the right customer at the right time
NERDiT NOW operates in a niche space. We are not just selling products off a shelf. We are asking people to trust us with their broken phones, old laptops and sensitive data. That trust does not come from a flyer in a parking lot; it comes from connecting with the right person at the right moment, when his or her screen cracks or computer stops working.
Personalized advertising lets me reach people in the tristate area who are already searching for tech repair — far more efficiently than any billboard, and at a fraction of the cost. When someone sees a NERDiT NOW ad after searching for “phone repair near me,” he or she is already more likely to engage. It has also helped grow our e-waste recycling services: We are one of Delaware’s only R2-certified recyclers, and many people do not realize that service exists until they see one of our ads.
AI is not just for Big Tech
Over the past year, AI tools have changed how I run my business. They help me draft and refine request-for-proposal responses, streamline contract development and review, and pull together stronger proposals more quickly. For a lean, community-driven business balancing repairs, recycling and job training, that support matters. AI gives me back time and helps me compete with larger companies that have dedicated legal and procurement teams — not by replacing my team but by giving it more capacity to focus on higher-value work. Bakeries, boutiques and IT companies across the country are doing the same.
What’s at stake in Washington
That is why I recently joined small-business owners from across the country at Meta Business Leaders Network’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., where we met with lawmakers to share how these tools shape our day-to-day success.
I made that trip to Washington not as a lobbyist or on behalf of a large tech company but as a small-business owner who has seen firsthand how these tools level the playing field. Congress is considering proposals that could significantly limit personalized advertising and AI. Many come from a good place, but they do not always reflect how small businesses actually operate. Broad restrictions do not hit large platforms the way they hit local shops trying to grow on limited resources. For many businesses, especially in underserved or rural communities, targeted advertising is simply the most affordable way to reach customers.
Looking ahead
Small businesses are resourceful and constantly adapting, but we do not have the infrastructure of large corporations. As policymakers weigh the future of technology, I hope they will consider how these tools are actually used on the ground and resist one-size-fits-all approaches that cut off the entrepreneurs who depend on them most.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
