New business launched aimed at getting Black Country firms online at cheaper rates
A new company has launched that will offer to build websites for Black Country firms as discounted prices.
Steve Edwards, the founder of Black Country Online, said the initiative was particularly important given disruption brought on by Covid.
He would like to small businesses like market stalls take up the offer so they can be brought online.
Businesses from the Black Country will be given discounted prices, he said.
Mr Edwards, who also founded the Black Country Festival, has teamed up with internet provider Freecom.net, which is based in Halesowen.
He said: "Black Country Online is a website provider based in the Black Country to ensure other Black Country businesses get online.
"We will do it as cheap as possible. We build people's websites. We are linking up with Freecom.net who are the team that built the website for the Black Country Festival and Black Country Day.
"They will be building professional websites. They can offer domains and websites and shops online.
"We really want to aim at getting market stalls online because obviously with Covid now, everything needs to be online.
"If we can get a Black Country business to do it and keep all the money in the Black Country, then the Black Country prospect.
"It is just about promoting the Black Country, as we have done with the festival and the day.
"The Black Country has got thousands of trades and we want to make sure that all the businesses are online and up to date, and can reach customers far better than being in the shops which are shut.
"For any business that is based in the Black Country, they will get it at a cheaper rate than businesses outside the Black Country.
"We are just trying to get everybody online and do everybody a good deal."
