Letter to Mr. Schmidt

Letter

Today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged Google Chairman of the Board Eric Schmidt to host a "Get Your Business Online" event in Albany, designed to help small businesses get online in the Capital Region. Google has established a new national coalition, including businesses like Intuit, SCORE, and MeetUp, to give small businesses the technology, resources and expertise they need to get online. Google has hosted such events in other states, such as Texas, which offered hundreds of small businesses a free, easy-to-build, professional website, a free customized domain name and web hosting for one year, and a local business listing on Google Places. Schumer pushed Chairman Eric Schmidt to host a similar event in New York, which would be dedicated to driving economic growth by providing New York's local businesses the tools and resources to get online and succeed.

"I am urging Google to hold a "Get Your Business Online' event in Albany, so that small businesses in the area can get the boost they need to get their businesses online, through free tools and resources like a customized professional website and more," said Schumer. "I applaud Google's mission to create partnerships on the federal, state and community level. These partnerships help small businesses get online quickly, easily and for free, and I am urging them to bring that work to the Capital Region. Small businesses are the cornerstone of our economy; they are prime creators of new jobs, and it is clear that there is a tremendous amount of untapped economic potential in helping America's small businesses get online and get connected with new customers."

Schumer noted the vast benefits that Google could bring to small businesses in the Capital Region. Google's search and advertising programs enable hundreds of thousands of small businesses to find customers, and their programs help websites earn money from their content and help non-profits solicit donations and volunteers. In particular, Google has demonstrated a focus on small businesses by providing tools they need to increase their presence and visibility online. A website that's easy to find translates into new customers and more sales of products and services.

This has major potential to help New York small businesses, as about 97% of people in the US research local products and services online, yet 63% of small businesses have no website, and 23% of small businesses are digitally invisible. Schumer is pushing for Google to bring it's Get Your Business Online program to the Capital Region and give such small businesses the boost they need to grow and thrive.

New York Get Your Business Online would be a Google-led coalition dedicated to driving economic growth by providing New York's local businesses the tools and resources to get online and succeed. At such events, Google offers small businesses free, easy-to-build, professional website and a free customized domain name and web hosting for one year. Google also offers small businesses a listing on Google Places, and other free tools and resources.

Schumer urged Google to launch an event in Albany where local businesses will be given the opportunity to get online with the help of Google and their coalition partners. Schumer noted, based on Google Get Your Business Online events in other states, that small businesses can walk into these events offline and walkout online, with a website, a customized domain name, and more. In addition, Google would also hold workshops on running a business online and on search engine marketing.

The text of Senator Schumer's letter appears below:

Dear Mr. Schmidt,

I write today to urge you to bring one of Google's successful "Get Your Business Online" programs to New York's Capital Region. Google's efforts to bring businesses throughout the country into the 21st century have been very impressive; I applaud your mission to create partnerships on the federal, state and community level in order to help small businesses get online - quickly, easily and for free.

New York's Capital Region would be a perfect location for one of these programs, which would provide a shot in the arm to the many Capital Region businesses that have enormous potential and need only access to high tech tools to help their companies grow and succeed. As we have seen with your events in other states, small businesses can walk into the Google event offline and walk out online, with a website, a customized domain name, and more. In addition, Albany-area businesses would benefit from the workshops Google has held on running a business online and on search engine marketing

Small businesses are the cornerstone of our economy; they are prime creators of new jobs, and it is clear that there is a tremendous amount of untapped economic potential in helping America's small businesses get online and get connected with new customers. I hope you will consider tapping the vast potential in the Capital Region in the near future.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

U.S. Senator

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