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FunSprouts.com Donna Southard Mission Statement What the Press is saying about us...... “What’s There to Do?” Be ready for the “what’s there to do?” question this
summer with a quick trip to FunSprouts.com (www.funsprouts.com).
This Bergen County web site will keep you and your family busy all
summer. It describes 45 day trips
in the northern New Jersey area and provides a calendar of local family events
that is updated weekly. If the
weather is gloomy or you just don’t want to leave home, there are twenty
crafts and science projects and fifteen games that can be completed with
ordinary household supplies. KIDS Magazine, Feb 28- Mar 12, 2000, "Sites to Surf"
column.
New Career for the New Millennium
Would you leave a 20-year career with well-known firms to work without a
salary? Or join a company lacking
revenues, and even such basics as copy machines and new computers?
In others words, work for a company with nothing more than an idea? Rather than sell merchandise like so many “e-tailers,” he developed an informational web site for parents. Partnering with long time friend Donna Southard, a certified child-care provider running a day care business for nearly a decade, he created a combination online book and newspaper for Bergen County parents. It describes over 40 family day trips in northern New Jersey, plus 35 crafts and games, most of which were contributed by Donna. There is a calendar of family events occurring throughout northern New Jersey that includes family performances, holiday events, and programs at wildlife centers. “Lets face it, parents today, working or not, have less time to spend with their children than when we were kids. FunSprouts.com is the place for parents to find fun family activities quickly and easily, anywhere, day or night,” says John. They recently added a Business Directory, which is a guide for local residents to find area stores and professionals. It provides the name, address, telephone number and a description of the business. In many cases, it links to the businesses’ own web site, providing more information. Right now there are about 20 businesses listed with more coming soon. “We find the local business community is very enthusiastic about the program.” Compiling the content turned out to be easy. The real challenge was choosing a name. After considering over 200 names, they settled on FunSprouts.com. They wanted to convey growth, families, and good times, in a name that is easy to remember. In addition to a memorable name, starting a business has required marketing and sales skills. Their marketing plan combines the advice of knowledgeable friends, information from business publications, and their own objectives for the venture. John is using presentation skills developed as a member of Ridgewood Toastmasters, a public speaking organization, and is giving free talks to the community about the Internet, including one in January at the Ridgewood Library. So far, the venture is on track. Having started work in July, the site was on-line by September. Since then, they have improved the site’s content and promoted its use. Like any business, the hours are long, but that is balanced against the rewards that come from being one’s own boss, such as simply having dinner with the family.
Copyright © 1999-2004
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