| | Being able to post photos of items to be auctioned has brought us customers from other states. | | The web site has greatly enhanced our communication capabilities and given us more credibility in the business community. |
| R & S Auctions is a family run business—their staff spans three generations. R & S uses the web site to list upcoming auctions so that customers can plan ahead and don't have to wait for the listing in the newspapers. R & S clients are excited about the idea that their auctions will be publicized via the internet. "Being able to post photos of items to be auctioned has brought us customers from other states." They've posted staff photos and comments to add a personal touch and help customers feel comfortable with the site. Thomas Fair originally planned to do all the work on the web site, but once his wife, Brenda, saw how easy the tool is to work with, she took over maintenance. She enjoys working on the site and even Bob (Thomas' father), who admits he knows nothing about computers, is amazed how easy ASBDCNow.com is to work with. "At R & S Auctions, we are glad we have designed a web site with the help of ASBDCNow.com. It has helped us in several ways."
| The Greater Louisville SBDC needed a simple tool to help in building their web site. Not having a web presence was detrimental to clients and potential entrepreneurs who wanted to access information on their training program, read about services and learn about the business start-up process online. They didn't have an expert on web development on staff and couldn't afford to have someone else develop a site for them. At the Fall 2000 ASBDC National Conference, they learned about the web building tool at ASBDCNow.com. Their college intern, who had very little experience, worked on the site this past spring. Michael Ashcraft, Center Director says, "The web site development was very simple. Templates were easy to use. This web site now is used very often by our clients and entrepreneurs in the Greater Louisville area who want information quickly on our programs and services. The web site has greatly enhanced our communication capabilities and given us more credibility in the business community. Our web site also has been used often by other small business service providers in the area who need information quickly from us."
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| Alpine Park & Gardens is a botanical park setting with a rural flavor, available for private functions such as business retreats, weddings and reunions. Although still in the startup phase, owners Barry and Sherri Homan are always looking for new ways to market their services. When renewing their Yellow Pages listing last fall, they realized that other businesses were listing web site addresses in their ads. However, the Yellow Pages web site alternative seemed limited and expensive. They found that ASBDCNow.com offered a good solution and they could control content and update as needed. By obtaining their domain name and putting their site online before submitting their Yellow Pages listing, and by including their URL on new business cards and all advertising, they have been getting more customer contacts. Barry Homan says, "Bookings for this year are far ahead of what we had last year at this time. Adding the web site has clearly put Alpine Park & Gardens on the map!"
| The Joplin Small Business Development Center is located at Missouri Southern State College. Although the Joplin SBDC has a brief listing with contact information on the MO SBDC web site, they did not have their own site to explain their specific services and staff. Jim Krudwig, Center Director, discovered the ASBDCNow.com tool. "This site enables easy editing and the templates save many hours of programming." The Joplin center uses the web site for workshop promotion. All of their training events are listed, a search form is available to search by name or date, and individuals can register online. A links pages allows the Joplin SBDC to point clients to other helpful online resources. They have been getting the word out about their site. Krudwig advises, "It is important that you put your domain name on all your brochures, letterhead and advertising. It is not enough to just have a web site, you have to promote it."
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