At this week’s Small Business Administration’s SBA Expo ’05, Register.com, Inc., a leading provider of global domain registration and Internet services, announced that it has formed an alliance with Washington, DC-based SCORE Association, an SBA-funded organization of more than 10,500 volunteers who provide free, confidential small business counseling to entrepreneurs.
By teaming together, SCORE’s “Counselors to America’s Small Business” and Register.com will be able to service the existing small business community and help aspiring entrepreneurs establish successful online components for their ventures.
“At Register.com, our goal is to be much more than a vendor of technology solutions; we want to be partners and advisors to our customers, continuing to support them long after they have established an Internet presence. Our alliance with SCORE is a great example of how we’re going the extra mile to take that commitment to the next level,” said Monica Hodges, general manager of Retail for Register.com.
“Anything we as a company can do to help our small business owners be successful in their endeavors, like making it easier for them to access SCORE’s valuable services, is a worthwhile investment.”
Initially, the first goal of the alliance will be to reach out to Register.com customers and invite them to participate in the ASK SCORE program, a free service through which small business owners can find a SCORE counselor online by searching a database of volunteers by area of expertise and location, and get advice by email. In addition,
Register.com plans to sponsor upcoming seminars and Webinars that offer step-by-step instructions for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to get online.
Register.com will also offer training to SCORE volunteers to ensure that they are well versed in the nuances and technology specifics involved with a number of Web related topics, including: getting a Web site up and running, marketing Web sites to a broader audience, search engine optimization, domain based email to extend their brands and simple steps small business owners can take to establish a professional brand image online.
“From putting up a Web page with basic contact information to building an elaborate eCommerce site, today’s small business owners are eager to take advantage of the Internet as a marketing, customer service and sales tool. Many, however, just don’t know where to start,” said Ken Yancey, CEO of SCORE. “By teaming with Register.com, we’ll be better equipped to offer small businesses online tools and how-to content that provides guidance on how they can claim their online niche using the Web.”
Murdok | Breaking eBusiness News
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