Mayor to announce new 'Get Your Business Online' effort Monday

YOUNGSTOWN

Mayor John McNally on Monday will announce a new initiative to help Youngstown businesses establish a Web presence through Google’s “Get Your Business Online” program.

Established in July 2011, the program provides small-business owners with a custom domain name, Web hosting and access to educational resources free of charge for one year.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and businesses that are online grow faster and are twice as likely to create jobs,” McNally said in a statement. “Their stories of success are our stories of success, and the reason to launch this initiative in our city and say with confidence, ‘We accept the challenge.’”

As an added incentive to get online, Youngstown will host a social-media campaign, which will give a $5,000 technical-assistance grant to one randomly selected city business that establishes a website and shares it on social media.

To promote the value of getting Youngstown businesses online, the city has partnered with local organizations, including Mahoning Youngstown Community Action Partnership, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, the Youngstown Business Incubator, The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Empyra and Youngstown State University Small Business Development Center.

McNally will make the formal announcement at 11 a.m. Monday in the first-floor conference room of the Youngstown Business Incubator, 241 W. Federal St.