Solon is a launch point for the national dot-com startup, e2growsm, which is poised to change the way that small town communities access local news and conduct business online. Founded by local Chagrin Valley residents, e2grow recently opened new corporate offices in Chesterland and a West Coast operations center in Seattle.
"Our purpose is to bring the connective power of the internet to America's small towns and its businesses," said Dennis Barba Jr., President and CEO of e2growsm. "Many small and local businesses are struggling to bring their operations online. And every minute they struggle, local consumers are being lured away by the offerings of their online counterparts. We want to level the playing field with e2grow, empowering local businesses to connect with their local consumers, while providing them world class e-business tools that grow their customer base and profit center."
For $12.00 to $75.00 per month, e2grow business subscribers can have their own web site, access to a news and services portal customized to their business, and both banner advertising and local directory listings in e2grow's consumer web pages.
"There still needs to be a point of critical impact for these business sites to reach the local consumer." Barba explained. "For each of our business communities, we're providing a complete community news web site as well. These sites will be the online epicenter for local community news, weather, school activities and more. Our online 'local newspapers' will drive customers to our business sites."
e2grow also works with local businesses to provide customers with an enhanced shopping experience. Visitors can schedule appointments online, download special discounts and coupons, review complete movie schedules, and buy products and gift certificates. With its high-end business packages, e2grow facilitates secure credit card and electronic check transactions online.
Content is not limited to community news alone. When an e2grow business subscriber logs on, they will be greeted by a customized e-MarketWindowsm. This provides subscribers with specialized business information through a vertically-integrated industry portal. Business subscribers can purchase professional goods and services through e2grow's professional partner network at substantial discounts.
Subscribers also have full access to e-site buildersm, a powerful system that allows individual business owners to create and maintain their own e-commerce enabled web sites without the need for outsourcing to a web design or development studio.
Currently, e2grow is serving Solon, Chesterland, and Russell with their community based web sites and e-business services. By year's end, e2grow will rollout sites in Aurora, Bainbridge, Chagrin Falls, Twinsburg, and Hudson. e2Grow also will launch its West Coast operations with sites in 4 Pacific Northwest communities. The e2grow advisory board includes representatives of Chevron, Xerox Corp., Sun Microsystems, and Columbia University. Deloitte & Touche LLP also committed to the project and consults e2grow on business strategy and market research.
About e2grow
e2grow provides online enabling services to small, local businesses and the communities they serve. The company focuses its services on 'micro' businesses (typically those with under ten employees and annual revenues under $500,000), in rural and suburban communities with populations between 10,000 and 50,000. e2grow's provides its professional subscribers with an instant web presence, consolidated access to online services, web site management tools, vertical market portals, national partnership purchasing network and e-commerce services. To enable interaction between small business owners and their local customers, e2grow provides each community with a premier online information source for local news, school information, and community events and activities. More information is available at http://www.e2grow.com.
Contacts:
Dennis P. Barba Jr.
President & CEO
e2grow.com
440-729-1774
dbarbajr@e2grow.com
Robert W. Craig Jr.
President
Craig Advertising/The Craig Creative Companies
440-338-1572
craigcreative@att.net
