News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sydney, Australia 3 March 2011

Vivo Café at 388 George Street, Sydney, will be the place for small business owners to get themselves online for free with the help of the Google team for the next three days.

Following the Google and MYOB launch of www.gettingbusinessonline.com.au at VIVO Café this morning, where CEO of VIVO, Angela Vithoulkas hosted and MC’d the launch event, special stations have been put in place with Google staff in attendance to show small business owners how easy and quick it is to get free, instant web presence.

Claire Hatton, Head of Local Business, Google Australia said, “Having a website today is as important to a business as having a phone. On average there are more than 4,000 searches every day for Accountants in Australia, there are more than 12,000 searches every day for builders in Australia and there are more than 30,000 searches every day for cafés.”

The Google and MYOB research shows that 65% of Australian businesses do not have a website and two thirds of consumers search for products and services online.

“Although my traditional market is within 8 minutes’ walk of my business and you wouldn’t think that a website could make a difference to the success of a café, I made a conscious decision that I needed to be online,” says Vithoulkas.

“The GFC hit the hospitality industry pretty hard and, when 2000 workers from three different companies next to my café lost their jobs I instantly lost a large chunk of my regular market. Being online allowed me to take my business to a wider market. I’ve become a meeting place for small business  owners, a place to drop in for lunch for international tourists and my regular customers can keep up to date with our daily specials and events.”

From Wednesday 2^nd March until Friday 4^th March, Google will have their team on the ground at VIVO with special stations set up to help any small business owner, who would like to be online and has questions about the new service, set up a free new website in the time it takes to drink their coffee.

“Having our team available in a friendly environment to answer owners’ questions helps us to attain our goal of helping businesses increase their customer base and helping consumers find what they need,” says Hatton.

For more details about the new initiative from Google & MYOB visit www.gettingbusinessonline.com.au

See www.vivocafe.com.au for more details about setting up a small business website this week.

About VIVO Café

VIVO is located in Sydney’s CBD. Sister and brother business partners, Angela and Con Vithoulkas know, after 26 years in the café industry, that they have created their finest work ever with the winning VIVO formula of sensational coffee, fabulous food and exceptional service.

The winner of 6 awards, including City of Sydney Business Award for Outstanding Café of the Year and Outstanding Business of the Year, VIVO Cafés can attribute their success to the drive and business acumen of Con and Angela, herself the winner of the Telstra New South Wales 2007 Women’s Business Owner and described by Madison Magazine as Australia’s “food guru”. Their continued dedication to providing excellence in coffee, service and food sees them brewing more coffees for Sydneysiders, Monday to Friday, than any other CBD outlet. And they intend to continue conquering the world, one coffee at a time!   

www.vivocafe.com.au

About Google

Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com

About MYOB

MYOB is a leading provider of business management solutions that have helped more than a million businesses in Australia and New Zealand. MYOB serves businesses of all kinds and sizes, delivering software and services that simplify accounting, payroll, client management, websites, and much more. With a network of more than 20,000 accountants and other professional partners, MYOB provides the tools and support that help make business life easier. For more information visit the MYOB website at www.myob.com.au

Media contact

For more information and interviews contact:

Karen Morris

Inscriptions Media

0408 559 400