Businesses in the 21st Century have to be connected on the internet. Some local business owners today learned better ways to get on line … and get their business noticed.
About 80 business owners got some tips during a special training session by Google held at Sky Armory in Syracuse to help with a website, but also get their businesses recognized by mapping programs. The “Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map” program partnered with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand who believes better use of the internet will boost the local economy. Knowledge is one aspect…but access is another where she can help.
“We need to make sure that all of our small businesses have the resources they need to harness the internet and be competitive. One way to fix that is a bill I’m sponsoring which would bring broadband connections to more of our hard-to-reach communities. Right now there are more than 56-thousand Central New Yorkers who do not have access to broadband. I think that’s probably hard to believe, but it’s true.”
Her bill requires communities to extend broadband infrastructure in rural areas very time a new road is built. Now laying those access cables and fiber optics makes it too expensive for any company to invest in. Greg Schwarz is trying to get a Co-Op going that would sell and trade backcountry gear and supplies
“It lives on line. Eventually we’ll have a location if we’re doing gear rentals and sales. But we’ll start out be renting foo barrels that you need up in the Adirondacks right now. But it’s a matter of the community; the community will tell us where they want to go with this thing.”
And that community is online…in fact people interested in the start-up are gathering virtually through a meet-up-dot-com group. Gillibrand says online access is essential not just for finding customers.
“The internet is often the only way to access vast amounts of information you might need for research to improve your product or learn about your competitors. In many case the internet is the only way to stay in touch with other businesses that may play an important role in your supply chain.”
She says any federal help for improved and rural broadband access adds to state efforts to expand connections.
