August 31, 2011
Kansas City Get Your Business Online
- , community impact
It’s been a few months since we announced that Google Fiber is coming to Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO. After getting to know the community and starting work on the fiber infrastructure, we can’t wait to see what the region will do with ultra high-speed broadband!
Small businesses need to have a website because their customers are online. 97% of Americans search the Internet for local products and services, but 63% of small businesses do not have a website. These businesses are missing a great opportunity to connect with new customers and strengthen their business.
Janay Andrews, owner of Janay A. Handmade in Kansas City, Missouri knows first-hand how important the web is for her small business. Janay and her colleagues make customized eco-friendly wedding dresses. Their business was initially successful in the Kansas City region - but once Janay started her website, she was able to reach an even wider range of customers. Now, she’s making wedding dresses for people all over the country. We want businesses throughout the Kansas City region to experience the same kind of success with their website.
While it will still be awhile until Google Fiber is actually in homes and businesses, now is the time to get Kansas Citians ready for the benefits of high-speed Internet. One of the best ways to do this is to help small businesses get a website, find new customers, and sell more products and services.
That’s why we’re at OfficePort today and tomorrow in downtown Kansas City, MO to help area small businesses build websites – for free!
Small businesses need to have a website because their customers are online. 97% of Americans search the Internet for local products and services, but 63% of small businesses do not have a website. These businesses are missing a great opportunity to connect with new customers and strengthen their business.
Janay Andrews, owner of Janay A. Handmade in Kansas City, Missouri knows first-hand how important the web is for her small business. Janay and her colleagues make customized eco-friendly wedding dresses. Their business was initially successful in the Kansas City region - but once Janay started her website, she was able to reach an even wider range of customers. Now, she’s making wedding dresses for people all over the country. We want businesses throughout the Kansas City region to experience the same kind of success with their website.
Kansas City Get Your Business Online is an easy and fast way for businesses to get online. Local business owners who attend will receive a free, easy-to-maintain, professional website. Businesses will also receive a free customized domain name, web hosting for a year and a listing on Google Places. This couldn’t happen without a fabulous group of national and local partners - many thanks to Intuit, SCORE, MeetUp, the Association of Small Business Development Centers, The Kauffman Foundation, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas City Kansas Chamber, the Kansas City Area Development Council and Kansas City Sourcelink.
We’re invested in the Kansas City region. Google Fiber will drive innovation and entrepreneurship here, and getting more businesses online will help strengthen the local economy.
Posted by Kevin Lo, General Manager, Google Access