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| 10-01-99 Contacts: Lars Peterson, SBDC, (515) 292-6351 Chrissy Spoo, SBDC, (515) 292-6351 Kevin Brown, News Service, (515) 294-8986 SBDC SHOWCASES REVAMPED IOWA BUSINESS NETWORK SITE AMES, Iowa -- Hundreds of new links, business articles, upcoming events, and a more interactive format are all features of a redesigned Iowa Business Network (IBN). The site is www.iabusnet.org. The IBN is administered by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), headquartered at Iowa State University. It first joined the World Wide Web on April 30, 1998. In its first year, more than 20,000 small-businesses from across the state, the nation and the world clicked on the site. "The IBN is popular because the emphasis is on providing practical and useful information for business owners without the distraction of a banner or other forms of advertising," said Lars Peterson, assistant state director for the SBDC. "We now have packed even more cutting-edge, targeted information to truly make the site a small-business person’s gateway to the World Wide Web." The most significant change is streamlined navigation. New broad search categories such as "Starting A Business," "Growing Your Business," and "Technology At Work" appear on the IBN’s home page. The references offer immediate entry into a host of specific information useful to small businesses. In addition, a new search function allows users to insert a keyword into a field or to choose from a preset category list. An expanded "Ask The Experts" section allows SBDC staff to directly respond to specific questions. In addition, site users can benefit from access to current business research by faculty of ISU and other Iowa colleges and universities. "The redesign will improve how businesses solve problems, plan strategies, learn techniques and communicate," said Peterson. The redesign emphasizes Iowa State’s role with the IBN and provides an opportunity for shared research across university disciplines, including planned partnerships with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and the College of Business at ISU. -30- |
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