Free Portal Helps Small Businesses Compete in Tough Economy

CHESAPEAKE, Va., Jan. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- An innovative partnership between Cox Business and Inside Business launches on January 10. The Small Business Navigation Program is a resource for Hampton Roads-based small businesses, equipping them with local, reliable resources addressing the key issues, obstacles and trends affecting their bottom lines.

Cox Business provides local, full-service solutions for small to large-sized businesses, ranging from high-speed Internet, voice and long distance services to data and video transport services.

"Small businesses make up the majority of the businesses in the region," says Mike Braham, Vice President Cox Business. "Although this group of innovators and entrepreneurs has fewer resources, they adapt to doing more with less to succeed."

While industries vary, a lot of small businesses are up against similar daily and long term challenges.   According to Braham, although there are common trends and issues that small business owners regularly face, there is no common portal for collaboration and easily accessible information.

Ed Power, Publisher of Inside Business, says "Among the constituencies we serve with Inside Business with our weekly news magazine, and Insidebiz.com-our website, small businesses are among the most important." He adds, "The difficult economic climate we have experienced in the past 18 months or so have made it clearer than ever how important it is to provide useful tools to this essential segment of the business community. In our partnership with Cox, the Small Business Navigation Program will add a key resource to the mix we offer businesses in Hampton Roads. We're extremely excited about it."

The program will kick off with:

• Weekly Business Tips and Ask the Expert articles sharing the latest information Human Resources, Marketing, Finance, Business Law, Insurance and Technology
• Small Business Navigation web tool providing one-stop, access to local and regional information through a variety of organizations such as the Small Business Administration
• Links to strategic small business resources for accessing "real time" local and regional information through organizations such as the Small Business Administration

"Nationally, Cox Business got its start right here in Hampton Roads," said Braham. "We've been so successful because we set our sites on listening to our customers so that we can anticipate and deliver what they want and need."

A Content Advisory Board made up of business representatives from Cox Business, Inside Business and Hampton Roads small business owners will help guide the program content and ensure it is maintaining the mission of delivering what small businesses want and need.

The Small Business Navigation Program website will be launching in February. For more information, contact Felicia Blow at (757) 222-8432 or [email protected].

About Cox Business

Cox Business provides voice, data and video services for nearly 250,000 small and regional businesses, including healthcare providers, K-12 and higher education, financial institutions and federal, state and local government organizations. According to Vertical Systems Group, Cox Business is the fourth largest provider of business Ethernet services in the U.S. based on customer ports. Cox is currently the seventh largest voice service provider in the U.S. and supports more than 700,000 business phone lines. For more information visit www.coxbusiness.com.

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with more than 6.2 million total residential and commercial customers.  The third-largest cable television company in the United States, Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network, as well as integrated wireless services.  Cox Business is a full-service, facilities-based provider of communications solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice and long distance services, as well as data and video transport services for small to large-sized businesses.  Cox Media offers national and local cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with promotional opportunities and production services.  More information about the services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com, www.coxbusiness.com, and www.coxmedia.com.  In Hampton Roads, Cox has more than 400,000 basic cable subscribers.

About Inside Business

Inside Business is the weekly business journal distributed in the Hampton Roads region. Inside Business reaches an influential business audience, including business leaders, owners and managers in many industries. Inside Business not only reports on local business news, but is a part of the Hampton Roads business community. Through several annual recognition events and a growing number of educational events, Inside Business strives to provide leadership to businesses by rewarding success and publicizing ideas that have worked in practice.

SOURCE Cox Communications