Where the story began

Tech For Techs did not begin in a boardroom with a huge budget and a team of investors. It grew from years of repairing computers, serving customers, running a small shop and learning how the technology industry really works.
 

The story begins with Philip Griffiths, better known as Phil.
 

Before starting his own business, Phil worked for Sony in the London area. After returning to Chesterfield, he worked for several local computer repair companies. He hoped these jobs would teach him how to build and manage a successful technology business.
 

Instead, they often taught him how not to run one.
 

Poor procedures, questionable working practices and disappointing customer service showed Phil that there had to be a better way. Many of those businesses are no longer trading, but the lessons he learned from them stayed with him.
 

Rather than accepting that this was simply how the industry operated, Phil decided to create something of his own.

The birth of Chips Computers

On 1 July 2005, Chips Computers was born.
 

It began as a mobile computer repair service, helping residential customers and small businesses around Chesterfield. There was no large shop, no big team and no major financial backing. It was simply Phil, his technical knowledge and a determination to provide a better service.
 

The name Chips was chosen carefully.
 

Phil wanted a brand that would not limit the business to traditional computers. Technology changes quickly, and he knew the company might eventually move into other areas.
 

There was also a more personal reason behind the name. The first Chips Computers office was located above the fish and chip shop run by Phil’s parents. Computer Chips from potato chips might not have been part of the original business plan, but it made the name difficult to forget.
 

What started as a small mobile service gradually built a loyal customer base. Every repair, recommendation and returning customer helped move the business forward.
 

Jenni joins the journey

A few years later, Phil met Jennifer Griffiths, known to almost everyone as Jenni.
 

Jenni already had experience within the technology industry, having previously worked for Dell in the United States. She understood technology, customer service and the importance of keeping a business organised.
 

Phil and Jenni married, and Jenni became increasingly involved with Chips Computers. She helped with repairs, supported customers and played a major role in managing the business.
 

From that point, Chips was no longer just Phil’s business. It became something they were building together.
 

They also started attending computer fairs, selling products and meeting customers face to face. These events gave them valuable experience of retail, product sales and what customers wanted from a local technology business.













 

From repair office to retail shop

In 2013, Phil and Jenni opened what was originally intended to be a small location where customers could bring in their computers for repair.
 

It did not stay small for long.
 

The premises developed into a complete computer retail and repair shop. The building itself was not particularly large, but customers regularly described it as a TARDIS because of how much was packed inside.
 

The shop stocked new computers, laptops, cables, printers, ink, paper, batteries and a wide range of accessories. Alongside the retail side, Phil and Jenni continued providing repairs, upgrades, technical support and advice.
 

They understood that customers did not just want someone who could repair a computer. They wanted someone they could trust.
 

That focus helped Chips Computers earn several local and national awards. These awards brought recognition, but more importantly, they helped the business reach new customers and opened doors within the wider technology industry.
 

Vendors and distributors that had previously shown little interest suddenly wanted to work directly with Phil and Jenni. They wanted Chips Computers to stock their products, use their services and help introduce their brands to other technology businesses.
 

That attention created an opportunity, but it also highlighted a much bigger problem.
 

Independent technology businesses across the UK were often working alone. They were facing the same challenges, asking the same questions and making the same mistakes, but there was no central place where they could openly share their experiences.
 

Phil and Jenni decided to change that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The formation of Tech For Techs

After months of ideas, conversations and planning, Tech For Techs was officially launched in January 2018.
 

The idea was simple.

Bring computer repair businesses, retail shops, managed service providers, mobile technicians, vendors and distributors together in one community.
 

It needed to be a place where people could ask technical, product and business questions without being ridiculed. It needed to welcome everyone, from someone working alone at home to companies turning over millions of pounds.
 

Most importantly, it needed to be useful.

The motto became:   Let’s Grow Together
 

Those three words continue to represent what Tech For Techs is all about. When knowledge, opportunities and honest experiences are shared, the entire industry becomes stronger.
 

The community has since grown to around 2,000 members, with an even larger reach through email, social media, video and live content.
 

Reviews created for the trade

During its early years, Tech For Techs became known for reviewing technology products from a trade perspective.
 

Most technology reviews are created for consumers. Tech For Techs approached reviews differently.
 

Phil and Jenni looked at the questions that mattered to computer shops, technicians and service providers. Was the product reliable? Was it easy to sell? Could it be repaired? Was there a sensible profit margin? Would the manufacturer provide proper support if something went wrong?
 

This approach helped the Tech For Techs YouTube channel reach more than 225,000 subscribers and strengthened relationships across the technology industry.
 

It also proved that independent businesses wanted more than product specifications. They wanted honest conversations about the realities of running a technology company.
 

Giving the community a voice

In 2020, Tech For Techs launched Tech Talk.
 

This was the next major step in giving the community a voice.
 

The live shows brought together technicians, business owners, vendors, distributors and industry experts. Some episodes focused on specific products or brands, while others tackled subjects such as attracting customers, choosing the right tools, improving services and managing a technology business.
 

Tech Talk has also covered subjects that are sometimes ignored within business conversations, including stress, pressure and mental health.
 

The aim has never been to pretend that running a business is easy. It is about having honest discussions, sharing practical experiences and helping people move forward.
 

Turning an idea into TechMAX

Even before Tech For Techs officially launched, Phil and Jenni had discussed creating a technology trade show.
 

Many existing events were operated by individual distributors and focused primarily on their own customers and suppliers. Phil and Jenni wanted to create something different.

They wanted an independent event that brought the entire UK technology trade together.
 

During 2020 and 2021, businesses across the country faced closures, restrictions and enormous uncertainty. Some survived and adapted. Others sadly disappeared.
 

Phil and Jenni knew the industry needed an opportunity to reconnect.
 

Launching a new trade show following such a difficult period was a major financial risk. It also placed the reputation of Tech For Techs on the line. But sometimes, if you believe an industry needs something, you have to be prepared to create it.
 

That belief became TechMAX.
 

The first TechMAX

After considering several venues, Bramall Lane, the home of Sheffield United Football Club, was selected for the first TechMAX in 2022.
 

The original expectation was modest. Phil and Jenni hoped for around ten exhibitors and perhaps 100 visitors.
 

They seriously underestimated the demand.
 

The exhibition space sold out. More than 200 tickets were claimed months before the event, and the venue layout had to be rearranged to fit everything in.
 

TechMAX was already a success before the doors had even opened.
 

The first event confirmed what Phil and Jenni had believed all along. The UK technology trade wanted an independent event where businesses of every size could meet, learn, discover products and build genuine relationships.
 

It also made one thing very clear.
 

TechMAX was going to need a much bigger venue.
 

A new home at Magna

Before the first event had even taken place, the search had started for the next TechMAX venue.
 

Eventually, Phil and Jenni found Magna Science Adventure Centre, a former steelworks located between Sheffield and Rotherham.
 

It was not a conventional exhibition centre, and that was exactly why it worked.

The enormous industrial building had history, scale and character. It gave TechMAX an identity of its own.
 

Nearly one year after the first event, the second TechMAX opened at Magna. Exhibitor and visitor numbers grew dramatically, proving that the first event had not been a one off.
 

TechMAX has continued to grow, bringing together independent computer businesses, managed service providers, vendors, distributors and technology professionals from across the UK and beyond.
 

It is not trying to copy Computex, CES or any other international technology show. TechMAX has its own place and its own purpose.
 

It is focused, accessible and built around the people working within the UK technology trade.
 

Built from real experience

Tech For Techs Group LTD was not created by people looking at the technology industry from the outside.
 

It was built by Phil and Jenni after years of answering support calls, repairing computers, serving customers, managing stock, attending events, dealing with suppliers and running an award winning retail shop.
 

They understand the pressures because they have experienced them.
 

From a small office above a family fish and chip shop to a national technology community, a successful live show and a growing trade exhibition, the journey has been built one opportunity, one lesson and one relationship at a time.
 

The business has changed. The community has grown. The events have become bigger.
 

But the purpose remains the same.

Let’s Grow Together.