Project offers affordable websites

Businesses in the Port Macquarie area will have access to their own affordable and efficient websites with the launch of Business Mid North Coast (BMNC) on July 23.

BMNC, a joint initiative involving the Federal National Office of Information Economy, Southern Cross University and the Area Consultative Committee, is aimed at small to medium businesses throughout the Mid North Coast.

The executive officer, Peter Friel, said the start up and annual costs for a website were as low as $2.40 to $5.20 a week because the project was Government funded.

"The project is designed to allow small to medium enterprises, artists and home-based businesses a means to benefit from the promotion of their respective products and services via the internet and expose themselves to a much wider audience of potential customers," Mr Friel said.

BMNC, launched in Coffs Harbour in early June, has already attracted more than 90 businesses and is expanding into Kempsey, Nambucca Heads and Port Macquarie.

Mr Friel said BMNC allowed business operators to change, edit and remove products from their personal websites on a daily basis at no cost.

"Normally web development companies charge a substantial fee for additional changes. BMNC web subscribers will be able to do it themselves easily, at no charge, with support from a project team."

For an additional fee subscribers can also benefit from online credit card transactions, giving Mid North Coast businesses the chance to access and sell directly to customers globally.

"Most small to medium businesses and community organisations I speak to see a real need for a web presence to promote themselves, but they feel it is too costly or complex an exercise. The Federal Government and SCU have recognised this problem, and through BMNC these concerns have been addressed."

For more information contact Sara Crowe or Kath Duncan, Media Liaison, Southern Cross University, Ph: 02 6620 3144, email: scrowe@scu.edu.au.