Small businesses finding success online
June 26th, 2008 | Published in Google Public Policy
What do a hunting dog supply distributor, an online diamond retailer, and a home repair guru have in common? They were all up on Capitol Hill yesterday talking with lawmakers about the positive effects of online advertising on their small businesses. Check out video of their testimonies before a subcommittee of the House Small Business Committee.
Small businesses are driving economic growth and freedom of expression across the Internet, and online advertising is playing a key role in their success. Take Rob Snell, co-owner of Gun Dog Supply, a hunting dog supply store that was started by Snell's parents in their Mississippi home in 1972. Today, Gun Dog Supply has customers well beyond Mississippi thanks to advertising tools like AdWords, which have enabled the Snells to build a multi-million dollar business catering to hunting enthusiasts around the globe (anyone looking for a bright orange dog collar?)
Tim Carter, who runs home-improvement site Ask The Builder from his home in Cincinnati, also shared his success story with the subcommittee:
AdSense is helping Tim sustain his vibrant publishing business by making it easier for him to show ads on his site. In Tim's words, online advertising enables him to "publish thousands of my past columns and hundreds of my short videos for free... and allow millions of people... to have unparalleled access to content like never before." Tim's site is just one of hundreds of thousands of small online publishing businesses that exist in large part because of online advertising.
We're excited to play a part in the success of these entrepreneurs. And we'll continue talking with policymakers about our partnerships with the long tail of online businesses.