Manchester Businessman Named Young Entrepreneur of The Year

Jeff Minnis, owner of Jeff Computers in Manchester, was named 2012's Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the St. Louis District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), according to a news release. 

"We were happy to receive the honor and really excited about all the things we are going to be doing this year, including events with the small business week," Minnis tells Town and Country - Manchester Patch. "It talks about our business and how we are always trying and taking care of our customers to provide great service and help them with as many things as possible."

David Craig with the Small Business Week Planning Committee tells Patch the honor is well deserved by Minnis on numerous levels.

"He's just always impressed me as a guy who knows what he wants. He is a guy who's very motivated and works very hard and I think he knows what he wants from life," Craig said. "He is a really a digital native. He's worked with computers every since he was born."

Craig also said Minnis is truly an entrepreneur and his store is a reflection of Minnis' hard work.

"I enjoy his store. It's a real mom and pop kind of store because his mom works there and his dad works there from time to time," Craig tells Patch. "However, it's a real technology center. It's not just a computer repair shop. He's pretty devoted to what he does."

The SBA included the following information about Minnis in its release this week.

Minnis, who has repaired computers since he was in middle school, opened his first repair shop in Manchester in 2006. In 2008, he moved into his first retail location where he added computer sales to repair services. In 2010, Jeff Computers moved into its current sales and repair location at 14366 Manchester Road.

MInnis is a 2002 graduate of Parkway West High School. He received a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Webster University in 2006.

During high school, Jeff Minnis developed a learning software program called "Study X." He refined the program during his time at Webster and has been selling it online since 2005. He plans to release a new business software program (now in beta testing) to retailers later this year.

The Young Entrepreneur of the Year award is based on criteria such as revenue and profit figures, employment opportunities created, use of creative business methods and potential for long-term success. It is limited to entrepreneurs under age 30.

Minnis was raised in Manchester. He now resides in Ballwin with his wife, Yin Minnis.

Minnis will be honored at the annual St. Louis SBA Awards Dinner on Thursday, May 10, at the Doubletree Hotel in Chesterfield.